Chapter 37: I Am Advised to Kill Children

Percy's eyelids fluttered open and he suddenly found himself blinded by a dull light above his head. He closed his eyes and tried to steady himself, doing his best to shake off the fog clouding his mind, turning his thoughts to mush. When he opened his eyes again they focused on the ceiling above him, unfamiliar, sterile, and lit by a single light. He winced as he tried to move, feeling like his body had been hit by a freight train.

He took a deep breath and tried to piece together the events that had unfolded before his world went black. Pieces of what had happened slowly slotted back into place, filling the jigsaw puzzle that his memories had been strewn about as. The cavalry charge, Itzy, the pain in his arm. At the reminder of the pain he had suffered, he glanced down at his left arm and found it wrapped in layers of bandages. A dull ache pulsed beneath them, and when he tried to shift his weight the pain flared, sharp and hot.

"I wouldn't be moving too much," A cheery voice carried from across the infirmary, "And you can consider those your doctor's orders."

Percy's eyes flicked towards the voice and he found himself staring at a familiar face. The god of the sun made his way over and took a seat at his left side, his form that of an 18-year-old with his signature perfect tan. He shot him a blinding smile and Percy noted he was dressed in a white doctor's gown.

"Let's take a look at it," Apollo ordered, his hands gently taking Percy's bandaged left arm. Another shot of pain lanced up his arm, but Apollo was skilled, and a gentle warmth began to spread through his arm as Apollo unwinded the bandages.

"What are you doing here?" Percy grunted, doing everything he could to keep himself from thinking about the pain in his arm.

"Keeping you alive," The sun god replied nonchalantly, his golden eyes shining with a hint of mirth, "Wouldn't do the cause any good if you ended up dead at the hands of some random pantheon's minor goddess."

"The cause?" Percy probed.

Apollo shrugged, "Saving the world, disobeying my father, the usual."

Percy let out a soft chuckle, "Yeah…the usual sounds about right."

He eyed his arm nervously as the last of the bandages were unravelled, and was surprised to find that his arm seemed perfectly fine, outside of the pain that was gradually receding under Apollo's skilful care.

"What happened to me?"

Apollo shook his head, "I'm not entirely sure, some kind of deterioration. When I arrived you were in pretty bad shape, it was like your arm was withering away. Getting it in water was good, slowed down the spread long enough for me to arrive and begin to counteract its effects. All the credit goes to the daughter of Athena though. Sedating you slowed your system down which, coupled with the water, meant whatever disease this was slowed to a crawl."

"Annabeth?" Percy asked, groaning as Apollo placed his now unbandaged arm back on the bed. It might have looked good as new but the pain still pulsed gently.

Apollo nodded to the other side of the bed, and Percy turned to find Annabeth sleeping in an oversized chair, a blanket draped over her. "She hasn't left your side. And if it weren't for her explaining the whole 'only magic weapons pierce your skin' thing, the process would've taken a lot longer."

Percy was doing his best to listen to Apollo, but seeing Annabeth suddenly took up all of his attention. She was slumped in a chair, asleep but not peacefully; her brow was furrowed as though she were solving a particularly tough puzzle even in her dreams. Percy's heart ached at the sight of her. She looked exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes that even sleep hadn't managed to smooth out. Her breath was slow and steady, her blonde curls tangled and messy across her face. Frown lines had begun to develop over the years he had been gone, and he now realised with a start how much older she looked. He tore his eyes away from her and returned his thoughts to the last thing he could remember.

"The kids," Percy sighed, "The kids are safe?"

"All because of you," Apollo replied, "When you're back up and running, the Senate has requested an audience."

"Thank the gods. Getting a meeting is good too, it's what I came for." Percy muttered, "If you hadn't been here, what would've happened to me?"

"Hard to tell," the Olympian replied, "If you were lucky, maybe you'd have only lost an arm. If you were unlucky…it might've spread to your vital organs."

"How'd you know to come?"

"When the medics were working on you they took your necklace off. The pendant I gave you from camp was still on there, and it's a link to both my sister and me. I got a…think of it as like a text alert on your phone. I checked it and…realised you needed help."

"I thought gods weren't allowed to interfere with the affairs of mortals?"

"Didn't you fight alongside my sister in Antarctica?"

"I thought she was different. With the hunters y'know?"

Apollo nodded, "She has far more latitude than most of us, but the stakes are high, rules can be bent. Besides, when it comes to you Percy…the lines are getting blurred. You've spent so much time in the divine world, and accumulated so many favours and debts amongst gods. Consider me helping you but a small step in repaying the debt I owe you."

Apollo's words brought the weight of his destiny pressing down on him once more, and he closed his eyes and let out an exhausted sigh. "Blurring the lines," he muttered, "I feel like I'm becoming less human every day…losing my anchor."

"I wouldn't say that," Apollo reassured him, "But the last time a demigod of your calibre existed…he didn't stay a demigod for long."

Percy raised an eyebrow.

"I think you already know who."

"Heracles…" Percy breathed, "So what…is your dad going to actually turn me into a god this time?"

"Don't take this the wrong way," Apollo said with a smile, "But you're a lot more useful as a demigod than you would be as a god."

"Oh?"

"It's not best practice as a god to go meandering through the domains of other pantheons, especially when you're such an expert at pissing them off. But who knows, when all of this is over maybe you'll take my father up on that offer he gave you all those years back."

Percy stared up at the light above him. He thought back to standing in the throne room, amidst the celebrations of their victory against Kronos. Zeus' thundering voice, everyone's eyes on him, the offer of a lifetime. His eyes flicked over to Annabeth. She had been his anchor, the rock he used to cling to the mortal world. But she wasn't his anymore, and maybe that was why he felt more and more adrift from the mortal world with every passing day.

Then he thought of Enlil and Ishtar, and their belief in the supremacy of the divine and the weakness of mortality. He suddenly found himself taking comfort in his mortality.

"That would mean I would be stuck with you for eternity right?" Percy asked.

"Me," Apollo acknowledged, "My sister, my father, your father, your brother. One big happy family."

Percy snorted.

A comfortable silence settled between them. Percy wasn't sure what had prompted Apollo's change in demeanour from when he had first arrived back at camp, but he was enjoying it.

"You made us better, you know." The sun god said, knocking him from his musings.

Percy raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"Forcing us to acknowledge our kids, to spend more time in the mortal world, to take a greater role in demigod affairs. I might be at camp because of a punishment but…getting the chance to spend time with my kids doesn't really feel like a punishment."

Percy shifted himself to look at Apollo. The sun god was staring off into space, a small smile gracing his lips. He remembered his conversation with Hermes, atop Mount Olympus after the war with Kronos.

"After three thousand years, you think the gods can change their nature?"

"Yeah," Percy had said, "I do."

Staring at Apollo now, he had never felt so certain he had been right.

"If you're my doctor," Percy started, changing the topic of conversation, "How long until I'm up and raring to go?"

Apollo studied his arm again, turning it over in his hands, "There doesn't seem to be any lasting damage, and the last of the virus is gone. How's the pain?"

As if on cue a lance of pain shot up his arm, "Still there," Percy answered through gritted teeth, "But not half as bad as it was before I passed out."

"Then I'd say get some ambrosia and nectar down you and you should be good to go, and if you're still suffering from any pain stick it in some water. Your body's reaction to it is unlike any mortals I've ever seen, even amongst Uncle P's other demigod children. It doesn't just heal wounds…if I'm not wrong, and when it comes to the realm of medicine I rarely am, the water literally replaces your dead and dying cells."

"Waters always made me stronger, perks of being Poseidon's kid."

Apollo shook his head, "I've treated a lot of sons of Poseidon over the years Percy, and I've never seen something like this. When it comes to demigod powers, some get luckier than others. Some of Demeter's kids are good at growing plants, some bend the environment and the seasons to their will. There is always variance. I mean look at the Grace siblings: Jason could fly and summon storms, Thalia can shoot some lightning."

Percy opened his mouth, about to explain that the reason Thalia couldn't fly was likely down to the fact she had a fear of heights, but he quickly snapped his jaw shut when he realised it wasn't his place to explain that. Apollo continued.

"I've seen a daughter of Poseidon trigger the eruption of Krakatoa and I've seen a son of his drown the island of Atlantis."

"Sounds like a lot of my siblings were mass murderers," Percy noted.

"Comes with the territory. But the point I was getting is that I have never seen powers like yours. You can summon storms, manipulate ice, trigger earthquakes, and prevent what should be certain death through water alone. You go toe to toe with gods so regularly that at this point anything less than them must feel like light work."

"You're just trying to feed my ego."

"No, I'm telling you to keep pushing yourself. You do things that no child of Poseidon has been able to do before, and anything a child of Poseidon has managed to do in the past you already have in your arsenal. I have millennia of experience and I have no idea what your ceiling looks like, so don't stop looking for it. If we're going to fight the Annunaki then you don't just need to be the most powerful demigod ever, you need to outshine even gods."

Percy sighed and stared at the light hanging above him, "I appreciate the pep talk."

"Any time," the sun god replied, standing, "Feel free to call anytime you need a doctor, but I should warn you my rates are horrendous."

Percy raised an eyebrow, "I don't get the family rate."

"Family rates are twice the usual one bucko. You should be grateful I'll give you the regular rate."

The sun god turned and began to walk towards the exit of the infirmary.

"Hey, Apollo," Percy called out, and the Olympian turned on his heel as he reached the door, "Thank you."

The sun god shot him a blinding smile, "Anytime cuz. Good luck, I'm sure you'll need it knowing the shenanigans you get up to."

And with that, he was gone, and with him, the warmth left the room.

The sudden absence of warmth caused Annabeth to stir, and Percy turned his attention over to her.

"Annabeth," he called softly, not trying to startle her.

She didn't stir any further, and Percy couldn't help but smile faintly. She always had a knack for staying alert when she needed to, but when she finally let herself relax, it was like her body demanded repayment for every moment of stress she'd endured.

He shifted again and managed to reach out with his good arm. His fingers brushed hers and Annabeth stirred at the touch, her eyes fluttering open. She blinked sleepily, taking a moment to register where she was. When her gaze finally landed on Percy, relief flooded her expression.

"You're awake," she said softly, her voice laced with both joy and worry.

Percy nodded, the dull pain in his arm suddenly feeling a lot less important. "Yeah. Thanks for sticking around."

Annabeth squeezed his hand gently, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Always." She looked around the room confused, "Where did Apollo go?"

"He headed out," Percy told her, "Probably for the best. If he was here any longer he'd have bankrupted me by the sounds of it."

Annabeth frowned but turned her attention to his arm, "How is it?"

Percy flexed it experimentally and held it up. There was still a dull pulse of pain, but Percy agreed with his doctor that, with a bit of ambrosia and nectar, he'd be good as new.

"I'll live. Seems I'm a bit of a medical mystery as it turns out."

Annabeth closed her eyes, "Percy you were unbelievable…the things you were able to do. I mean you shattered the aqueduct and redirected the water to funnel you through the air. Like I get you can swim fast but that…that was unlike anything I've ever seen before."

"Damn I really must've been close to death, I'm getting way too many compliments."

Annabeth smacked him in his arm, "Shut up Seaweed Brain. I was-we were really worried."

Percy glanced over at her, and for a moment their eyes met. There was so much reflecting back at him in those stormy grey eyes, and even 20 years later he could still read her like a book. There was a sadness in them, a longing that was nonetheless mixed with a fiery need that caused him to lose his breath. Percy wasn't an expert at women, but he was an expert at Annabeth. The fight she was waging behind those eyes was open for him to see. Her brain was at war with her heart.

He tore his eyes away from her, the face of Castle, her son to another man, flashing across his mind. The promise he had made to his namesake rang in his ears, and he suddenly came to realise just how difficult the task of living up to that promise was.

"The disease…" Percy gasped, shaking away those thoughts and turning back to the here and now, "...Apollo says he hasn't seen anything like it."

"Yeah…he uh…he mentioned something about that. I actually did some research," Annabeth stuttered, throwing the blanket off her and marching to a nearby table, a warm blush spreading across her cheeks before she turned and shielded it from view, "I think I figured out who Itzpapalotl is."

"Figures you would be able to pronounce her name," Percy chuckled, "Here I was calling her Itzy."

"She tried to kill you, I think you're entitled to call her whatever you want," Annabeth noted as she began sorting through some manila folders at the table.

"Good point," Percy groaned, lifting himself up despite the pain and swinging his legs off the edge of the bed. His arm pulsed at the movement, and as Percy sat up he saw a bottle and bucket of water beside his bed. Seemed like his doctor had already thought of everything. Uncapping the water bottle he took a couple of deep gulps, feeling an immediate surge of energy, almost like he'd downed an espresso instead of the good ole H2O.

He stood, and after a brief moment of lightheadedness made his way over to the table where Annabeth was standing. He stood next to her, but consciously made the decision to not stand close enough for them to touch. It was the mature thing to do.

The thought was immediately shattered when Annabeth took a half-step towards him, their arms brushing as she brought up one of the folders into his line of sight. He did his best to put the feeling of his skin against hers to the back of his mind as he focused in on the folder.

In it were various pages of text and photos. The text was written in a language he didn't recognise, but next to it was a sheet with the translated version.

"The Obsidian Butterfly," he read, "Sounds like a Pokemon."

"Yeah well Itzpapalotl is a bit of a mouthful. Much easier to say Pikachu." Annabeth giggled, looking up at him as that same trace of longing reappeared in her eyes.

Percy raised an eyebrow at her, and their eyes met, "Since when do you know who Pikachu is?"

Annabeth snorted, "Since I became the mother of two boys who play video games and a father who…" She turned away as she trailed off, stepping away from him and cutting the connection of their arms. "Sorry, I um…I just…I'm just worried about them…y'know."

Percy knew that the daughter of Athena may well be concerned about her husband, but she was concerned about him for very different reasons than she was letting on. His mind drifted back to the conversation he had had with Annabeth's husband in the car. He was starting to understand why Teddy had been so hostile to the thought of Annabeth coming with him.

He needed her though, and looking down at the images of Itzpapalotl proved why. Her knowledge and expertise were invaluable, and he needed every asset available to him to win against the Annunaki.

"So this uh…this Itzpapalotl. Who is she?" Percy asked, his eyes leaving the page and following Annabeth as she became increasingly preoccupied with staring at the floor.

"Oh, she's a goddess…of death actually. She's um…from the Aztec mythos. She rules over an afterlife of victims of infant mortality."

"Like…dead kids?"

Annabeth nodded, turning her attention back to the folder, "It explains why she wanted the children. She could sacrifice them, add them to her army."

"An army of dead kids," Percy muttered, "As far as shitty goes…this has got to be up there."

"Oh yeah, she's a piece of work. Her wings are made of Obsidian knives, and according to lore she can appear as a skeletal warrior or a, and I quote, 'beautiful and seductive woman'."

Percy sighed, "I would have preferred the beautiful and seductive woman over the skeletal warrior."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "Of course you would. The only thing I don't know about her is what she did to your arm, and why she's attacking New Rome."

"Well I can answer one of those questions," Percy said, "She's attacking New Rome because she is working with the Annunaki."

"How do you know?"

"She told me."

"You spoke to her? In what language?"

"Greek," Percy replied, as though the answer was obvious.

Annabeth rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "So she's an Aztec goddess that speaks Greek, is attacking the Romans, and works for the Babylonians."

"We should rename her Mrs. 305, Mrs. Worldwide."

"Y'know the twenty years you were dead really made me forget what an enormous dumbass you are."

Percy shrugged, "For me, I'm the same dumbass I was two weeks ago. Doesn't feel like twenty years."

If Annabeth had any thoughts on his comment, she kept them to herself.

"Did Apollo say anything before he left?" she asked as she walked over to the chair she had been sleeping in and began folding the blanket.

"That I would be dead without you and the Senate wants to meet."

Annabeth smiled to herself and she finished her folding, "Well the first one has been true since we were twelve. As for the second…are you sure about this?"

"We need all the help we can get."

"You're openly defying Zeus," the daughter of Athena warned, "And you're asking Camp Jupiter to provide soldiers when it's barely able to defend itself right now."

"Your mom is the goddess of strategy," Percy argued, "Itzy is attacking New Rome to keep them distracted and us divided. You know that as well as I do"

"Knowing something and being able to do something about it are two different things," Annabeth countered, "Their plan is working. And if you go in front of the Senate, a hero of New Rome, and ask them to sacrifice their friends and families to come fight for you against a threat we barely understand you are putting them in a horrible position. Because they will refuse because they have to refuse. Because if they don't refuse their children are going to be taken by this crazy butterfly bitch, and that's going to be on your conscience. And that's ignoring the fact that Zeus is going to smite you on sight if you do this."

"So what," Percy growled, "I'm supposed to just sit on the smile and wave and pretend the world isn't going to end if we don't do something?"

"Percy," Annabeth pleaded, "The time isn't right. The time to rally Rome to the cause will come. But now is the wrong time. We have other battles to fight, other obstacles to overcome before it's time to fire up the drums of war."

Percy lowered his head and gripped the table, his knuckles turning white, "We only get one shot at this Annabeth. If everything goes perfectly there's still a good chance we lose. But if there a monumental fuck-up…if I make a mistake…then our chance goes from minuscule to zero."

"Then please listen to me. Heed my counsel, it's why you brought me."

Percy closed his eyes, his mind pulsing as he weighed up his options. He needed the Romans, and more than that he needed them on a war footing. Any delay in their preparation could prove fatal, especially if what Ishatr said was true and they were approaching the endgame.

"Then what do you suggest we do instead?"

Annabeth sighed, twisting her wedding ring nervously around her finger, "We leave them be."

Percy turned to her, frowning, "So not only are we not getting their help, but they're not getting ours?"

"Percy, listen to me. Camp Jupiter isn't like Camp Half-Blood, their power doesn't come from the individuals it comes from them united as a group. They can only learn to be strong as a group if they get experience as a group."

"Annabeth, they trained in their legions for years. They go through thousands of hours of training and preparation for combat."

"And how much real world experience do they have, huh? Outside of fighting Itzpapalotl the current iteration of the Twelfth Legion has less experience combined than either of us. This isn't the same legion that fought Krios, Gaea and the Giants. This is fresh meat, they're rookies. The legionnaires are legionnaires because of political influence and length of service, not leadership. Who gets the praetorship is based on greasing the right palms. The legion is corrupt, inexperienced, poorly led, and, as you saw firsthand earlier, ineffective on the battlefield. Is that the mighty force you're going to bring to bear against the Annunaki?"

Percy was silent, the reality of the situation and the truth of Annabeth's words beginning to sink in.

"Leave them here," She continued, "Let them fight for their lives against a force that threatens them. You sweeping in like a god from on high will save lives in the short term, and cost many more lives in the long-term."

"Annabeth…you're talking about sacrificing children. You're a mother…how can you be so-"

"So what?" Annabeth interrupted, "So cold? So heartless? Wise counsel isn't always what you want to hear. It's not always sunshine and rainbows. It's about strategy, and knowing when to give something up to gain a greater strategic advantage in the long term. It's your choice Percy, I'm just giving you the options at your disposal.

"And what are the other options at my disposal?"

"You have three options total. The first is the one I outlined previously, leave the Romans to fight the…Aztecs…I guess…and let them gain combat experience. Pros: An experienced Roman Legion available further down the line. Cons: Dead children and there will be a delay in their preparation for the Annunaki."

"Rough con." Percy muttered.

"Next option is the one you want. Warn the Romans now about the coming threat, prepare them for the Annunaki, and get them ready to be on the move. Pros: The Romans are where we need them when we want them. Cons: New Rome will be undefended, many more kids may die, Zeus will consider you to be in open rebellion, and the Roman legion will be inexperienced going into a fight against the Annunaki."

Percy scratched his neck, "Well when you put it like that…"

"The third option is to go after Itzpapalotl now. You lead the legion after her, root her out of wherever she's hiding, and defeat her. Pros: Itzpapalotl is defeated, New Rome is secured, and you're a hero to the Romans once more. Cons: The Roman Legion remains completely incompetent because their only ability to win a fight is when you're leading them, Hazel, Frank, Piper and Leo are abandoned at the hands of the government doing who knows what to them, and we lose precious time in the fight against the Annunaki."

Percy turned and leant against the table, suddenly feeling weary. There were so many powerful forces at play. Gods, Primordials, Annunaki. And yet somehow the weight of the world was his to bear. He'd lost twenty years of his life and had now been brought back for the sole purpose to lead. He'd had to save the world before, but the danger hadn't felt quite as hopeless as it did right now. His best option was one that involved children dying. How could he live with himself if that was the order he gave? How had fate left him in such an unenviable position?

The thought of the Fates brought a heat up from his stomach, a deep seated rage that he hadn't quite realised he had been carrying. At this point those blasted old ladies owed him a few favours. He thought about what Apollo had said, about accruing debt and favours. An idea took root in his mind, and he pushed up from the table with a start.

"Tell the praetors we won't make it to the Senate meeting," he told Annabeth, "Offer them my apologies, but that I had to campaign on their behalf and couldn't be present. Go to Terminus on New Rome's border. Ask when Piper came, and when they left. Then go to Frank and Hazels house, I'll meet you there."

"Where are you going?" the daughter of Athena asked, frowning.

Percy was already walking through the door, "To cash in a favour."

Percy marched out of the infirmary, down the hill and towards the Little Tiber flowing through the camp. He wasn't quite sure how long he had been out, but as he approached the river the sky was turning from orange and pink to a deep indigo. There were a few soldiers hanging around, and they nodded to him as he passed. The son of Poseidon glanced up above him and felt a weight fall off of his shoulders as he saw the crescent moon hanging defiantly in the sky. There was something comforting about knowing Artemis was out there, watching his back.

He reached the bank of the river and knelt next to it, reaching out and dipping his hand beneath the surface of the water. It was cold, the warmth of day having receded with the sun beneath the horizon. He didn't mind it though, he was coming to appreciate the cold.

"Father," he said quietly, "I request an audience with you."

An empty gust of wind greeted his request, followed by silence.

"Father," he repeated, "I request-"

"You presume much boy," a gruff voice sounded beside him, "Mortals do not just request audiences with gods."

Percy stood and turned to the voice, and found himself staring at his father. Except…it wasn't quite his father. The figure that stood alongside the river was similar to his father, but lacked the same warmth that Percy associated with the sea god. Neptune's presence was like a storm held in perfect control, power coiled tight beneath the surface. His stern face was carved with lines of authority, his jaw set as if it had never known the indulgence of a smile. His bronze skin gleamed like the polished armour of a Roman general, and the trident in his hand seemed less a tool for summoning waves and more a sceptre of dominion. His dark hair and beard were neatly trimmed, and he was decked in armour, unlike the casual fisherman look that his fathers Greek form usually sported. There was no playful mischief in his eyes, only a piercing, calculating gaze that weighed and measured Percy in an instant. Every ounce of Neptune's being radiated discipline and power, and Percy understood why the Romans had been so cautious of the god.

"I'm no ordinary mortal," Percy replied, "In fact, I'm your son."

"You are a son of Poseidon, boy, not of mine."

"Well Poseidons a lot more agreeable, so if you could find him-"

"Are you dismissing a god, boy?" Neptune thundered, his eyes flashing and the earth shaking beneath them.

Percy felt the air between them simmer, but he wasn't afraid of the Roman sea god. He needed something, and if his father wasn't going to come then his Roman counterpart would have to do.

"I need a favour," Percy said, eying Neptune's trident warily.

Neptune's grip on the trident tightened, "I should smite you for your insolence."

"I get it from you," Percy retorted, "Whether you want to acknowledge that or not."

Neptune growled under his breath, cursing in Latin before turning away from the demigod and back towards the river. "Why did you summon me?"

"I already told you, I need a favour."

"And what makes you think you are owed one?"

Percy looked up at the moon for a moment, contemplating his response, "Because your fate is tied to me. So I'm asking for advance payment on when I inevitably save the world."

Neptune let out a hearty bellow of a laugh, "Perhaps you do get your insolence from me, because that ego is definitely mine."

"You doubt me?"

"I don't doubt your abilities so much as I trust in the Annunakis. They are playing chess, you're still playing checkers."

"So how about you help me get back into the game?"

Neptune sighed, "My brother, in both his aspects, seems to find ignorance bliss. How ironic, that in our time of crisis it is my offspring that takes up the mantle of leadership, while it is his offspring that defects to the allure of power."

"Oh so now you claim me?"

Neptune shot him a glare, but it softened after a moment, "When it comes to my brother, I'll do anything to get under his skin."

"So you'll help me?"

"You still haven't made your request."

"It's simple enough," Percy breathed, "I need Triton to train the Twelfth Legion and protect New Rome while I'm gone."

Neptune snorted, "You ask me to sacrifice my right-hand as I prepare my realm for war?"

"I'm asking you to give something up now to gain us a strategic advantage in the long-term."

The sea god was quiet for a moment before he responded, "You sound like Minerva."

"If I'm going to beat the Annunaki, I need to stop thinking like a soldier, and start thinking like a general."

"Rumours from the grapevine say you almost died today, not a great start to your generalling," Neptune noted.

"The generalling started after I woke up in the infirmary," Percy shot back, "If I'm going to win I need people I can trust in positions to give me advice. The people I trust to train the Twelfth Legion are Frank Zhang and Hazel Levequze. As of right now they aren't able to do that, so I need someone to fill the gap until I can get back."

"The last time I sent a son to Camp Jupiter-"

"This won't be like last time, I already made sure of that."

Neptune scratched his beard, "I guess I do have to thank you for that. The shift in sacrifices towards me since you arrived here a couple decades ago was significant."

"Then consider that part of the favour I'm calling in."

Neptune looked him in the eyes, the dark green of a stormy sea meeting his own icy blue, "You ask much of me."

Percy met his gaze without wavering, "Much more will be asked of me in the days to come."

Neptune nodded, turning his attention back to the river. "I see why he favours you…Poseidon that is. You have a certain swaggering arrogance that only our most impactful children possess. You are a force of nature…just like us."

"It's not being a son of Poseidon that makes me a force of nature sir."

Neptune raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"It's being the son of Sally Jackson that makes me so dangerous."

"And why is that?"

"My father gave me power, my mother gave me restraint. When my mother wins out is when I'm at my most dangerous. When I take a moment to analyse the situation, and make a calm, rational decision with the weight of the world on my shoulders…that's when I'm fucking terrifying."

"You seem terribly sure of yourself."

"If a man giving orders isn't sure of the order she gives, how can he expect men to follow them?"

"You're starting to speak like a general."

"I'm starting to feel like one. So does this mean I can borrow Triton?"

Neptune tilted his head, as though listening to something, "Poseidon says yes, I'm still sceptical."

"Poseidons older than you," Percy noted, "So I guess technically he outranks you."

Neptune rolled his eyes, "I miss when children were disciplined…fine, you can borrow Triton. But as soon as your friends return, Triton returns to my domain. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Percy replied.

"Consider that your favour cashed in. Next time you need help, ask your father, not me."

Percy nodded, "Understood sir, thank you for your help."

The sea god didn't respond, instead he simply vanished in a salty spray of sea breeze, leaving Percy alone along the Little Tiber.

Author's Note: I know, I know, it's been ages. I am sorry, it's just been a hectic past few months and I haven't had the chance to write. That being said, we are approaching an arc I have been really excited about for a while, so I'm sure that will provide me with plenty of fuel to keep writing. If you want me to write even faster, have you considered….reviewing?

I'm sure you're all well aware that reviews are the fuel that keeps me writing on these cold winter nights. So please, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW.

Hopefully you'll see me soon with chapter 38. Until next time.