Chapter Text
A few minutes after Apollo had returned to sit upon his throne, in a blinding flash of golden light that filled the chilly, humid Throne Room with the warmth of a lazy summer morning, two warriors strode in through the majestic, open oaken doors.
"This should be the Romans," Zeus, who had explained to them the whole deal- including Athena's absence- while Apollo was gone, declared their entrance in a solemn voice, torn between mild anticipation and muted pride that the two forces of the gods, separated for so long, were going to be reunited once more, hopefully without any animosity.
A few of the gods looked uncomfortable at the Romans' entry, Poseidon the most, shifting in his seat as he gripped the silver armrests of his throne with enough force to leave small dents on the divine metal. The Campers shared their apprehension, a few of them knowing of the exchange that had almost put Thalia's career as a demigoddess to an end and scarred Annabeth's arm horribly, and the rest nervous about how well the two would mesh together.
As per the Gods' plans, the Greeks and the Romans would have to cohabit on Long Island for the foreseeable future. The Titan War had been huge, to be sure, and its repercussions extended beyond the deceased and the rebuilding of the destroyed Olympus, and now, the Greeks and the Romans would be forced to a new way of life.
Some of them were apprehensive, wondering how the Romans would be, if all of them would be as aggressive as the two Thalia had met, while others were looking forward to it, especially to the idea of an entire City and a small Senate built entirely for the demigods. A lot of them, as rightly pointed out by Artemis in front of the Council, had nowhere safe to go to outside of Camp Half Blood, so this was a welcome surprise for all of them, especially the young ones whose hands were too small to hold swords and their minds too young to understand the grim nature of their survival, a City with a proper school and homes would not be amiss.
Thalia, who carried the blessing of Artemis' divine Huntresses, had picked up the newcomers' footsteps a few moments before they had swung into view, the sound sharp against the cracked marble stairs of the Throne Room. Her sharp senses were able to differentiate between two distinct strides of two proud demigods, one fast, sharp and smart, of pride and glory like a golden-maned lion, and the other heavy, cautious and muted like the padded footfalls of a prowling tiger.
Thalia was not a poet by any means. The analogies were drawn almost on primal instinct, laid bare by Artemis' blessing warning her of approaching danger, though her divinity, used to the animals of the forest, failed to accurately pinpoint the source.
And thus entered the Romans: the blonde Jason, clad in royal purple, making her breath catch in her throat; and following behind him as always, the large, rumbling form that Thalia remembered as Perseus.
Whispers broke out among the Greek campers, of intrigue and muted admiration for their appearance. Certainly, while the Greeks would not have been amiss among a regular group of fitter-than-average mortals, and certainly a bit worse off with their multitude of new injuries, making them look like a ragtag group of homeless, half-starved teens and young adults, the two Romans stood out like handsome immortals at two opposite ends of the spectrum. Their appearance, maybe just a tad bit shabbier and worse off than when they had met last, made Thalia wonder whether every single Roman looked as impressive as the two, or whether they were just outliers as the leaders of New Rome and the rest of the City looked similar to how the Greeks were.
Jason, her sweet baby brother whom she had reared as an infant in place of their mother, looked like a handsome prince, an imposing figure with strong, broad shoulders and a waist slim like a dryad, as if he were a marble statue plucked straight from the gardens of Ancient Rome and breathed life into by Venus. His skin was flawless ivory, lightly toasted in the Californian sun to a milky coffee colour, and his blonde hair, as if woven out of the most sacred of golden threads, was almost able to match Apollo's brilliance with its soft shine, cropped short like velvet upon his head. His royal purple toga, lined with a thick stripe of gold to match his hair, was wrapped around a body as strong as steel in what seemed like endless waves of soft, silky fabric that went almost to his feet. His toga fell slightly loose around his thick, sculpted arms, showing off his toned biceps lined by veins, and a teasing glimpse of his broad, muscle-packed chest and chiselled abs, making a few of the Campers swoon.
"I didn't know your brother was built like that." Piper wolf-whistled lowly with a shit-eating grin shot at the daughter of Zeus, being drowned by the cacophony of excited whispers of her sisters, and even a few of her brothers, around her.
Jason looked at them, his electric blue eyes mirroring the same shade as hers, bright and welcoming, but not giving a single bit of his thoughts away as he smiled warmly, showing off his set of pearly, perfect teeth at the Greeks despite knowing not of who or what they were. He glanced over them once, like a General surveying his assembled troops before a battle, apparently not even registering the familiar faces of Thalia and Piper, and the furiously scowling Annabeth Chase, before he turned away to face the Gods.
He was a natural-born leader growing into his shoes, his body language lacking any of the prickly smug pride that he had shown her the last time they had met, his smile and his confident posture as if meant to stand as a leader among the strongest of men, able to put the worries of the Campers at rest with a single smile that shone brighter than the sun on a spring afternoon.
If Thalia had not known better, she would have almost mistaken him for a son of Apollo, so bright was his disposition.
Behind him, the Roman juggernaut known as Perseus cut a stark contrast, large and lumbering, his sheer size large enough to cast a small shadow over Jason as if protecting his Praetor from the non-existent sun. His face carried a rugged, wild handsomeness that came with strength, discipline and good genes rather than regular care, a bear of a man with a dark and prickly, week-old stubble shadowing his sharp, chiselled jaw and framing his soft, pink lips.
He was as handsome as the last time Thalia had seen him, maybe a bit on the thinner side now- but that was not saying much seeing as his arms, rippling with corded muscle as thick as steel ropes, and lacking even the minuscule bits of padding fat that she had seen last time, were still almost as thick as her waist and his thighs the size of her torso. He was still built like a walking brick wall, and Thalia would not have it any other way.
But he had changed a lot over the few years since they had met; for one, his long, messy raven hair was gone, replaced with a short buzz that was marred by a twisted, bald scar that stretched from brow to occiput, and the scar that Thalia had given him had aged, now no more than a thin pale line across his right cheek, stark against his perfectly tanned bronze skin. His hands were wrapped in rags, once white, now a dirty grey, and the little black rings on his fingers, crooked and slightly twisted from endless cycles of breaking and improper healing, were missing. From under his sleeves peeked out twisting lines of tattoos, small dotted lines of black ink that formed indecipherable letters against his tanned skin, like serpents of ink that writhed and twisted along his strong arms. The tattoos extended from his wrists, hidden underneath his rags, to the sleeves of his shirt before they disappeared underneath the white cotton, only to reappear as similar lines on his legs and creeping up his neck to his sharp jaw.
He still wore his Imperial Gold trident as the singular earring on his right ear, a small golden band now no longer hidden by his long hair and still wore the same leather sandals and the same pair of Bermuda shorts as Thalia had seen last time, showing off his calves as if sculpted out of a thick bronze pillar. The only new addition was a new Hawaiian shirt, a button-down, thin cotton shirt of flawless white with pale yellow flowers that looked like it had been supplied by whoever decided Lord Poseidon's outfits, his awful sense of fashion apparently the only thing that made him still recognisable as a son of the sea god.
When Thalia looked up, done with her quick glance over, she found Percy looking at her, his dark sea-green eyes still wary and just the slightest bit curious, though lacking the murderous intent they had carried the last time the two had met. His face showed no signs of the warmth that Jason practically exuded, his expression guarded and his jaw tense as if he were ready to snap to action at a moment's notice, and the only time he looked away from her was to scan the Greek crowd for Piper and Annabeth, as if hunting for prey that had slipped through his crushing fingers.
"Father." As if he could not become more perfect, Jason's smooth, deep baritone, a confident voice that belonged on a melancholy Hollywood blues singer, made a few girls squeal as he knelt in front of Zeus, and Thalia watched as the King of the Gods flickered for a brief moment, before he became solid once more.
Percy stared at Thalia a few moments more, as if waiting for her to pounce again like a rabid dog, before he followed Jason, bowing once to Zeus before kneeling at the feet of Poseidon's throne. Similar to his brother, Poseidon flickered for a few times, his form shimmering and becoming slightly incorporeal for a brief moment, before he settled into a once-more solid form with a comfortable smile.
Or that is what Thalia assumed, since the god of the sea was probably Neptune now; it was difficult to tell.
"Rise, Jason, son of Jupiter, Breaker of Thrones, and Praetor of New Rome. Rise, Perseus, son of Neptune, Bane of Titans and the Gladiator Maximus." Once Jupiter- or so Thalia assumed- was done listing off the highly abridged version of their titles, the two demigods rose in unison, as if they shared the same mind, with Jason clasping his hands behind his back as straight as a metal rod, like a soldier facing his drill sergeant. His face was as still as a marble statue, lacking the wariness painfully obvious in Perseus' expression. "Turn and face the Greeks."
The way their jaws tensed and their temple pulsed was not lost on the most observant of demigods, and they remembered what Zeus had told them just a few minutes prior.
If there was one thing that a full-blooded Roman hated more than a monster, it would be a Greek, and there was no monster for miles around the divine Mountain.
Maybe Thalia should have exercised a bit more caution while approaching her brother, seeing as how she had almost killed his best friend the last time they had met, but her feet were already moving before she had a chance to register what she was doing. As she walked forward, under the intrigued eyes of the Gods, her soles felt heavy and leaden, as if stuck to the floor with magnets and making every step a small struggle.
The entire Throne Room quietened down, the only sound being her thick boots, muffled against the marble floor as she approached her estranged brother, and Thalia was hyperaware of how the two were watching her steps, quiet and confident, Perseus' sea-green eyes widening as he prepared to break her single-minded beeline headed for his Praetor.
Despite the agony she had inflicted upon his body still being fresh upon his mind, the son of Neptune stepped in between her and Jason, standing protectively with his thick arms crossed over his broad chest, his size so overwhelming that she could not even see Jason behind him. Now that the two were so close again, Thalia was reminded of just how big he really was, towering over her in her thick-soled boots in nothing but thin, flimsy sandals, with arms that looked like he could snap her in half like a twig.
"Step aside, you dumb brute." She growled, coming to a halt a few feet from him, angry arcs of lightning flickering across her skin. Even in her thick soled boots, she only reached till his nose, having to tilt her head back just a tad bit to be able to meet his steely gaze. "Or maybe I will see whether you have become any more resistant to lightning since the last time I fried you?"
Perseus narrowed his eyes until they were like the slits of a serpent, a deep, rumbling growl escaping his lips, a predatory sound of warning which Thalia could almost feel in her bones. He finally uncrossed his arms, wiggling his fingers as if trying to hypnotise her with the Mist.
"Yeah, so, I don't get what you are trying to do, but I know what my answer is going to be." Thalia cracked her knuckles, shaking her wrist at him. Her silver bracelet dangled from her wrist, and Thalia felt a bit of satisfaction at the way he cringed away almost imperceptibly, the memory of her silver spear biting into his flesh and carving his face open still fresh on his mind like a festering wound.
She thought that it would be enough deterrent, but in response, Perseus squared his shoulders as if bracing for impact, and began to glow like a blue lightbulb- no, like a blue lanternfish. His tattoos, which she had thought were only for decoration, glowed a bright, azure blue, a few shades darker than her own eyes and almost the same shade as an unpolluted Alaskan lake, so bright that it gave a light golden tint to his tanned skin and made his veins glow crimson underneath his skin. She felt the divine power rolling off him in thick, intimidating waves that she could almost feel upon her skin, slightly prickly and making the hair on her nape stand up, stronger than any minor god and almost on par with the weakest of the Olympians, but he was in for a rude awakening if he thought that would frighten her, the Hero of Olympus, who had divine power as a demigod to rival even Zeus on some of his bad days.
"Perseus, step aside." Zeus'- or was it Jupiter's? - voice reverberated through the throne room, so deep and booming like thunder rolling among stormclouds, and carrying with it a hint of a warning that made the demigod bristle angrily.
Almost as soon as it had appeared, the blue glow was gone, Percy's dark bronze skin stained with black ink without any lingering traces of blue and making her wonder momentarily whether it had existed at all. Perseus tilted his head in obedience, like a dog kicked in the gut, and he stepped aside, standing to Jason's side like a faithful bodyguard and staring at her, ready to interrupt once more if things went awry.
"Hello. I am Jason Grace, and I think we have met before." The young Praetor tilted his head towards her slightly with a wry smile, his expression warm and inviting but in the wrong way, as if tempting her to give him a reason to fight once more.
Thalia felt her palms get sweaty and her throat dry up as she stared at Jason's brilliant blue eyes, warm yet calculating like a leader, so identical to hers as if she were staring into a mirror, ignorant of all the gazes upon the two. She stared at Jason unblinkingly, almost unable to believe that the young baby brother whose diapers she had had to change was now so big and strong, the leader of an entire City of demigods. At such close range, she could make out the smallest of stubbles on his chin, like a small golden fluff disguised against his warm, pale skin, hammering into her mind that this was no longer the baby she knew.
Her soft lips opened and closed, but no words came out. There was no dramatic reunion, and no shedding of tears as the two long-separated siblings reunited; whatever scenarios Thalia had imagined in her head were turned to mush now that she was actually living through them.
In the end, it was Zeus who had to step in, seeing his daughter flounder like an electrocuted eel.
"Jason Grace, meet Thalia Grace, strongest and bravest of my demigod daughters, Bane of Kronos- or Saturn- and the Hero of Olympus." It was Jupiter who introduced the two, as if the King of the Gods could not settle on a single form, so strong was Jason's faith among the huddled Greeks.
"So you are Thalia... Grace?" Whatever Jason was about to say, died on his tongue as the colour drained from his face. He turned around to look at her with a blank gaze, and for the first time since they had met again, Thalia saw her brother falter and fumble, no longer the perfect specimen of Roman leadership but just... a demigod whose world was coming down around him. "What is the meaning of this, Father?"
"I have never told you about your life before the Wolf House, have I?" Jupiter sounded like he was just telling Jason a story of a legend long gone, as if the young Praetor had not just had his entire world thrown into turmoil. "As far as anybody is concerned, Jason Grace's story starts at the Wolf House, at the young age of one year old, fed on Lupa's milk and reared by the Roman wolves. But of course, that is not where your story begins."
Jason took an alarmed step back as Jupiter started on a tangent, like a bard of days long past regaling the tales of a legendary hero, his eyes darting to Thalia once more as he tried to pull his toga closer around his body, as if the silk would shield him not only from the cold, but also, from the truth, which came unraveling like a sliced Gordian knot.
Jason's escape was cut short, unfortunately, as he stumbled into Perseus' chest, as strong and unyielding as a fortress wall, having the young Gladiator support him with a steady, strong hand and leaving him with no choice but to meet Thalia's silent, pleading gaze.
For her part, the daughter of Zeus was trying her best to put her brother at ease, standing at a comfortable distance with the most genuine expression that she could muster. Nothing fabricated, only the pure years of longing she had for her brother, to be reunited once more.
"I am sorry we had to meet this way, Jason." She shuffled her feet a bit, anxious. "I know our last meeting did not go so well-" Her eyes darted to Perseus' expression, trying to gauge his reaction. He remained unperturbed. Her soft gaze returned to the blonde. "But what Father says is true. I am your sister, your full-blooded sister. You are my family."
"Your mother was a young mortal woman by the name of Beryl Grace. Her voice was like the first songbirds of spring, and her black hair was like the night sky woven into threads." Jupiter chose this moment to barge in, shifting in his throne for a moment, his voice slightly wistful. His Roman toga fell loose around his arms, slightly thin and arthritic now that he had assumed an older form from the lack of divine power, and his milky blue eyes darted once to his wife, seething silently beside his throne like a simmering cauldron of jealous hatred.
When he was sure that Juno would not interrupt, he continued in the same wistful tone. "I... visited Beryl as Zeus, and from our union was born Thalia Grace, your older sister and the most powerful of my demigod daughters, and now, the Hero of Olympus."
Thalia glanced down at her boots at Jason's shellshocked silence, her hands fidgeting behind her back and shuffling her feet, her ADHD showing as she worried about the part of the story that was to come, wondering whether it was really necessary to tell Jason about what had brought about his abandonment.
Jupiter did not share her concerns. "This was around the time the Great Prophecy was pronounced by the Oracle of Delphi, and a few years later, the three of us brothers entered a pact not to sire any more demigod children." He fell quiet for a moment, as if wondering what to say that would not anger his wife. "After we signed the pact, there were still a few months left before it would come into force, so I had one last chance to sire a demigod before I entered eternal chastity. And of course, with a deadline approaching, I could never forget the succubutic beauty of Beryl Grace."
Jupiter paused for a moment, as if gauging Jason's reaction. The young Praetor seemed to be taking it very well, having known in the back of his mind that his creation was brought about by his father's lust rather than the grand legends of Rome's saviour that some of the bards back at New Rome preached, but it was still a punch to the gut to have it spelled out so wantonly. Beside him, Perseus was a comforting, if somewhat big, presence, his silent stature that had accompanied the Praetor ever since the latter had left the Wolf House like an anchor for the glorious son of Jupiter.
The King of the gods continued after a moment. "But the Ancient Laws dictated that a God cannot... visit the same mortal twice. So I improvised a loophole, and visited Beryl Grace as Jupiter." At this point, he sighed deeply, his chest rising and falling with an exhale that was like a late autumn draught through whispering pine trees, full of regret that even he, the King of the Gods with all his immortal might, could not resolve. "Unfortunately for her, she recognised me as Zeus and fell even deeper in love with me. She believed that I would give her godhood and stay forever with her, and when the inevitable time came for us to separate once more, she..."
Jupiter trailed off, as if searching for the right words, and taking advantage of his silence, Thalia took the opportunity to drop in her own two cents' worth of the story.
"When she was pregnant with you, Mom completely lost it." The daughter of Zeus spat the word like it was a curse which burnt her tongue. "She grew neglectful at best and abusive at worst. I...."
Thalia bit her tongue, feeling the rage bubble up inside her as her bloodshot eyes got slightly watery, inevitably.
She knew that Jason was now an adult; not only that, he had lived through a bloody war as leader of New Rome and knew all about the bad aspects of demigod life, but still she was reluctant to tell him about the details of his pregnancy and infancy, of the number of times she had to dial 911 because their mother had OD'ed right in front of her. Of the way the young Thalia had been beaten by the one who was supposed to care for her, or the struggles she had gone through to make sure that Jason was alive and fed at the end of the day, her only saving grace being that he was sturdier than most babies, being a powerful demigod, not that she had known at the time.
Seeing how distraught the powerful demigoddess was, even Percy felt a bit uncomfortable, feeling a bit bad for trying to block the reunion between brother and sister. He shifted nervously, trying to make himself seem smaller despite his big size and knowing that he was now the villain of their story, glancing between Jason and his sister. Against his better judgement, he tried to offer a comforting hand to the Greek just like he had done for her brother, knowing not what to tell her, but Thalia began speaking again, her voice slightly shaky, making him go still.
"When you were almost one year old, a few days before your birthday, Mom took you out for a walk on her lap, and returned without you." Thalia tried to blink away the tears welling in her eyes. "I ran away from home then, and I have been searching for you ever since. For the last fifteen-something years I have been searching for you until I met you a few years ago in New York."
"Jason, my son, my pride, you owe your life to your sister. She sacrificed her childhood to see you through the age of one year, and without her, you would not be standing here today. But fear not your story; your mother did not abandon you." Jupiter tried to smoothen over the parts that Thalia had, thankfully, left out, being able to tell how lost the young Praetor was feeling. "She was going insane, but my wife, Juno, offered to take you in as her Champion, a position which you have faithfully served and brought glory to. This is why Beryl left you at the Wolf House, knowing that Lupa would take you in and raise you to be the strong warrior you are today. You are the glory of New Rome, Jason, and now, the Fates have given back your family, tied by blood."
Jason stayed silent for a moment, shifting his gaze from Jupiter's proud expression and his flowing, dark grey beard, to Thalia's anxious eyes, as if waiting for him to accept her once more as his older sister. For once, the raucous Campers of Camp Half-Blood were as silent as a dead hellhound, unused to the insecure expression on the daughter of Zeus, known for her brazen and straightforward ways, who dealt with every problem by stabbing it with her spear.
Unknown to her, standing right beside the two, Perseus was also staring at Thalia in a new light, his sea-green eyes softening just a tad bit as he looked at the beautiful Greek demigoddess. She looked ethereal, with rebellious beauty that was like a storm, unrestrained, the hints of Beryl Grace bleeding into her features, the messy, raven hair as dark as night, and the flawless ivory skin that she shared with her brother, making Percy sympathise just the tiniest bit with Jupiter's insatiable lust.
"I have wondered sometimes who my mother was, and that was it." Jason hesitated for a brief moment, breathing deeply. "As you said, Father, Jason Grace was born at the Wolf House, and until now, that has been my story. But..."
He trailed off, glancing back at her, before extending his hand towards Thalia as if in a silent truce.
"I cannot say that I have not been jealous of the families I have seen at New Rome and the Twelfth Legion, of which I am in command. I have seen the way parents care for their young ones, and the way the older siblings look after the younger, and in the deepest recesses of my heart, I have envied them. I know it is not fair to Reyna, whom I love, or Perseus-" He glanced back at the silent Gladiator, towering over him, and Thalia had to do a double take at the friendly, almost teasing grin that the latter had, giving an almost new, annoyingly friendly look to his rugged features. Jason continued, "-who has been my sole friend for the longest of times, for they too have no family save for me, but I have found myself yearning for someone like that."
The son of Neptune put a big, comforting hand on Jason's shoulder with a firm squeeze, a warm smile on his face and an acknowledging nod, which the Praetor returned with a matching grin of his own.
"It feels strange to say that I have a family, that I have a sister, and the years we have lost and our differences make us no more than strangers at best, and foes at worst. But the same blood flows in our veins, and I would like to forget our past and give the future a fair try. Both for our sake, and the sake of unity between New Rome and Camp Half-Blood." He extended a friendly hand towards the demigoddess, but Thalia was having none of it.
"I'll be damned if I don't get a hug from my baby brother after twenty years." Thalia grabbed his offered hand with a grin before tugging him towards her with a sharp yank that sent Jason stumbling right into her waiting arms, only to get captured by a bone-crushing hug. "I missed you so much, Jason."
"I miss being able to breathe." Jason gasped out with a laugh before he returned the hug, somewhat hesitantly. The idea that he had a sister, a full-blooded sister, still seemed like a bit of a stretch, but it was like a breath of fresh air for the Roman. For someone who had to shoulder the burdens of an entire race of demigods, crowned Praetor when he was just fourteen, and with unconditional loyalty only from Perseus and Reyna, looking over his shoulder for a potential backstabber got tiring quickly. "Since my earliest memories, I have had no family save for Perseus, so this is a bit new to me, but still..."
Despite being built tall and strong, Jason was still a bit shorter than his older sister- a fact which would undeniably become a source of incessant teasing in the days to come- and Thalia's height was further boosted by her thick-soled boots, meaning that Jason's head of soft golden hair was nestled perfectly in the crook of his sister's neck, making Thalia relax imperceptibly. The Praetor breathed in her scent, feeling her warmth, so strange yet so familiar, like only family could recognise. The similarities in their appearances were blatantly obvious now that he knew they were family, tied together by the threads of Fate woven in the blood that flowed in their veins.
They hugged for a few moments longer, a bone-crushing union between two superhuman siblings that conveyed the years of longing they had endured, before they finally separated, and Jason met Thalia's teary eyes with a warm grin. "I hope we can be family again. Real family, not whatever shit the gods have going."
"See, now we don't even need a DNA test to know that you are my brother." Perseus took a step back as the two demigods hugged again, Thalia's pride as the Hero of Olympus the only thing keeping her from sobbing openly in front of everyone. At the hearth, Lady Vesta smiled, wistful at the display, yet heaping her blessings on blood reunited once more.
"Let me explain further, my son." Jupiter raised his hand, and the two siblings separated once more, holding hands. Thalia's cheeks were flushed pink in embarrassment at her outburst, and she looked a bit sheepish, while Jason was smiling warmly at her, his hand still holding on to hers as if on instinct, and Thalia did not even seem to register the feeling of her brother's large, rough hand in hers; it felt so natural, like they were back home once more and the past few years of war had just been a persistent nightmare.
"The Olympian Council has taken a bit of a radical decision, thanks to your Lady Diana." Jason turned to her with a deep bow out of Roman habit, while Thalia looked a bit puzzled, wondering what Artemis had done. She did not really know about Artemis' Roman form, like at all, barely able to deduce her identity from her familiar position, atop the throne in front of which Thalia had knelt so many times before. "We have decided that it is in everybody's best interests to integrate Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter on Long Island as a single, unified demigod stronghold."
"What?" The alarmed sound that escaped Thalia's lips seemed to mirror what everybody was feeling.
Jupiter's- or was it Zeus now- words were like the thunder rumbling across the ashen sky, herald of a furious tempest brewing. The King of the Gods ran his hand through his flawless silver beard, wise, weathered fingers setting up flashes of sparks in his beard as he looked thoughtful.
"A wise decision. Not only can we grant both of your wishes with a single stroke- Thalia's wish to be reunited with Jason – but also Jason's wish for a new home and safety for New Rome. A combined fortress of New Rome and Camp Half-Blood will be a boon to the demigods, both Greek and Roman, for each can learn skills from the other." For a moment, he looked distracted. "While the Romans have grown too dependent on the City's comforts and lack the basic survival skills needed to survive on quests, the Greeks lack the safety and the prosperity of the City. If that was not enough, the Golden Fleece and Terminus are both strong barriers to protect the demigods within, and with the increase in numbers, we will always have forces available to defend both the Camp and New Rome."
"We will learn from the mistakes we have made in the Titan War, and be prepared to face worse foes in the future." Zeus put his elbow on his throne's armrest, resting his temple on his knuckles like a truly exhausted King putting to rest an immortal argument. "For that, the safety and wellbeing of our demigods are paramount. And equally important is not stretching our forces thin and trying to fight on five frontiers at once."
A few moments of ringing silence succeeded his speech, allowing it to reverberate through the marble halls where even a pin dropped would be an unbearable noise, like thunder rolling across dark stormclouds, before it was broken by a sea of whispers among the assembled Greek demigods, half terrified and half excited at the thought of an entire City being built just for them and also at the sudden influx of new demigods they would get to mingle with. Two completely opposite cultures, with a history of violence and bloodshed, are forced to coexist.
Perseus could not keep the incredulous look from seeping into his expression either, as he looked at the assembled gaggle of demigods, half-starved and in matching, dirty orange t-shirts that made them look like a particularly bad social help project, chatting animatedly and branching off in ill-defined huddles and gossip circles. He could not help but compare them to the disciplined and well-equipped Roman legions that he had trained with his own hands, even starved; the silent lines of their formations and their glistening, well-oiled shields simply seemed... better.
"I asked to meet my brother again, not lock the Greeks on an island with an entire City of bloodthirsty brutes; no offence, Jason."
"Romans aren't bloodthirsty brutes. We have an entire civilised City, for fuck's sake." Jason crossed his arms, a bit irritated, but nonetheless, he did not seem to want to argue with his sister. "And none taken, sis."
"Look, they have just met, and they already have a better chemistry-" Lord Apollo tried his best to whisper to his sister, sitting across from him, the words loud enough for all the demigods to hear even as the two mortal siblings continued their own bickering in the middle of the marble floor.
Artemis shot him a venomous glare, her silver eyes blazing as she grit her teeth. "Maybe when you stop trying to woo my Huntresses."
Apollo seemed like he was about to say something more but decided that it was in his best interests- and out of concern for the health of Apollo Jr.- that he keep his trap zipped.
Zeus shot them a look to quieten their bickering, flickering between forms like a particularly badly glitched-out antique radio television, before he turned to his demigod daughter. "I am sure that the Greeks mean no ill will. And whatever animosity the Romans might hold, they would not dare to cross Jason. You do not know, but Jason's big friend here-" he gestured towards Perseus with a lazy wave of his hand – "-as long as he is there, Jason's word is law. Even the Senate falls into line when our Gladiator Maximus finally speaks- well, he does not speak, but you get the idea."
"This guy?" Thalia's voice showed her disbelief as she got up close to Perseus, doing her best to shove her face in his to appear as intimidating as she could, which was not much, seeing as how she had to stand on her tippy toes. "This dude is the case in point, like the type specimen for a bloodthirsty brute."
Percy remained silent as he stared back at Thalia, sea-green eyes locked with electric blue as the two had another stand-off, whatever uneasy truce the two powerful demigods had settled into completely gone as Thalia riled him up, seemingly intent on getting a reaction out of him to drive her point home.
"Yeah, no." Given Perseus' seemingly eternal vow of silence, Jason had to step in on his behalf. "He may look angry, but Perseus is the most loyal friend that I could ask for. You cannot judge him by his past actions; both of us mistook you for powerful monsters- the Titan War was in full swing, and we were already a bit on edge."
"Loyal? Loyal like a dog?" Thalia grinned up at him, looking smug at the angry vein that throbbed in his forehead. For a moment, Perseus looked like he was about to strangle her, his handsome features overcome with frustrated rage before he schooled himself, his Roman discipline barely winning out over his desire to put Jason's sister in her place.
He shoved his hands into the pocket of his shorts as he stepped back, the sound of cracking knuckles making Thalia's grin widen.
"Yeah, go away, Per-cy~" She did not know why, but teasing him came like second nature to her. She knew exactly what buttons were waiting to be pressed; maybe it was the way he tried to be all grim and serious, like the entire responsibility of New Rome was borne on his broad shoulders, or the hilariously angry reactions she knew he was capable of, but Thalia just loved to ragebait the son of Neptune. Or maybe it was simply the nature of powerful demigods, especially two as strong as them and as far apart as the sea and the sky, unable to coexist without establishing who is on top, with their last bloody bout having left them unsatisfied and longing for more, having ended too soon.
"I am glad to see you getting along." Zeus' definition of getting along might have been a bit off with all the centuries of immortal bullshit he had had to live through, but for a moment, he looked genuinely content, like an enormous load had been lifted off his shoulders. The secrecy between the Greeks and the Romans had been a powder keg with a lit fuse waiting to run out, and this gave him the same relief as ripping the bandaid on a particularly nasty wound.
"I will leave the rest of the rebuilding to you all, leaders of the demigods, Greek and Roman, Chiron, and the Senate. You have competent architects-" Annabeth preened under the gazes shot her way, clutching Daedalus' laptop to her chest like it was her firstborn child, "-and the most experienced of planners. I will leave the layout and the city planning up to them. If you need resources, you can always pray to my sons, Hermes and Apollo, and as for labour, my brother Poseidon will be sending along the most experienced of his Cyclops craftsmen to do the heavy lifting on your behalf."
"The demigods can stay for a few moments longer in the Throne Room to get acquainted with the Leaders of New Rome. If you are brave enough, you can pay a visit to the Roman encampment near the Temple of Apollo, though I would not recommend it." Zeus stood up, as if in declaration that the Council Meeting was over. "As for the honoured gods assembled today, the Council is dismissed!"
_____________________
"I am gonna go talk to him."
Piper watched Perseus from a distance, separated by the massive Greek crowd swarming Jason. Compared to the sunny-dispositioned blonde, Perseus seemed as far apart as their looks were, a naturally broody behemoth of a man, whose dark sea-green eyes seemed painfully alert and sharp like a barbed wire, warding off any from approaching him.
He was standing all alone, a few feet from where his best friend was being swarmed by Campers of all ages alike, drawn to the latter by his natural charisma and warm, approachable nature.
His soothing words and handsome features were like a healing balm on hearts and bodies torn asunder by bloody war, and his smiles reassured the Greeks that the Romans, despite their rumoured hatred for the Greeks and the differences in their culture, weren't too different. Although their circumstances could not be more apart, in the end, the Greeks realised with increasing relief the Romans were just like any other demigod, a helpless individual in a world out for blood and seeking any help that they could get.
While the Greeks valued individual strength, with Camp Half-Blood being built with the sole purpose of equipping the demigods with the skills necessary to survive, Roman culture seemed to revolve all around serving Rome, as evidenced by Jason's proud brags, with demigods moving not as friends but as seasoned military units and the City being administrated by a Senate built out of those who had contributed most to the Twelfth Legion.
Despite their differences, the Greeks soon came to know about the grand festivals that were held in New Rome; the cobbled streets lined by pizzerias (since the Romans were, after all, Italian in origin); the school and college meant entirely for demigods; and homes where they could spend their adult lives starting a family and living their lives in as normal a way as demigods were entitled to. It was as close to a normal life as they could get while not exposing themselves to the danger of the numerous monsters lying in ambush in the mortal world, and only a fool would willingly give up such a gilded opportunity.
Given all these, the pros seemed to far, far outweigh the cons; the threat of a civil war was almost imaginary to the Greeks who were tired of fighting for so long and only wanted a safe bed to rest their weary heads in.
"Well, you already have Mrs. O'Leary." Annabeth observed quietly, not entirely warm to the idea of approaching the person who, willingly or not, was responsible for her almost losing one arm. "He is not a lost puppy, Piper. You don't have to entertain him."
"But he looks so lonely. And handsome."
"He looks murderous. And mutilated." Annabeth stood beside her best friend, watching the young gladiator and hoping that he could not spot the two of them hidden behind the crowd of rowdy demigods interrogating Jason.
Much like Thalia had observed, he seemed somewhat smaller than before, having lost a bit of his overwhelming muscle mass, the oversized, obnoxious Hawaiian shirt not doing him any favours. But that was not saying much as he was still a hulking behemoth, especially in the eyes of the short and scornful daughter of Athena, with rippling muscles and arms that were like thick bronze pillars stained with dark tattoos.
He stood a bit away from the boisterous crowd, alone in front of his father's vacant throne with his arms crossed over his broad chest like a hired thug waiting for his Master, his dark sea-green eyes focused on Thalia as she was glued to his Praetor's side, fussing over him.
The realisation made Annabeth bristle even more- half at the fact that Thalia was fawning over her newfound brother (and not her, a traitorous part of her mind reminded her) and the way Perseus was looking at her made her even more irritated.
Earlier, she might have even admitted that he was handsome, however begrudgingly, but now, with his crooked fingers, thick and ungraceful as could be, and the scars marring his face and twisting across his scalp hid whatever hint of the masculine, rugged beauty she had managed to appreciate last time. It was not helped at all by his identity, a son of Neptune who was all brawns and no brain, the absolute polar opposite of the smart and strong daughter of Athena.
And maybe, just maybe, her bristling animosity stemmed from how she was jealous of the way Piper had dreamily said his name so many times over in all those meandering, late-night chats they had had at Camp.
When she turned back to Piper, it was to find the restless and over-friendly daughter of Aphrodite gone, disappearing into the thick crowd of Campers as she made her way across the Throne Room to the solitary Roman.
"Don't worry, Annabeth." Leo puffed out his chest, thumping it with a wrench he had pulled from his newly acquired all-purpose toolbelt. The red, metal tool clinked against his dirty white shirt, making her look at him with raised eyebrows, and somehow leaving even more grease than what was already there. "If he wants to hurt Piper, he will have to get through this lion first."
He grinned at her, his messy brown hair waving slightly in the chilly draught that entered through the gaping hole in the Throne Room's dome, his brown eyes gleaming. The slightest beginnings of a warm, brown stubble were beginning to darken the bronze skin of his jaw.
The Latino did not wait for her response, diving headfirst into the Greek crowd in an effort not to have his small body swept away in their midst in excitement.
"Ugh." Annabeth dragged her hand against her face, exhaling sharply. Her breath was warm against her face. "That idiot. He is gonna fold you like a pretzel."
When Annabeth finally managed to catch up to Piper, thanks to Percy's height being just enough for her to use him as a landmark, the daughter of Aphrodite was already chatting up the Roman gladiator with ease, like they were long-lost friends reunited and had not been at each other's throats the last time they had stumbled across each other. And as expected, Leo was nowhere to be seen, having been either swept away by the crowd or distracted enough by something or other to forget his original objective.
Piper looked small in front of Perseus, lacking both of Thalia's Amazonian size and her intimidating presence, in her loose sweats and friendly, orange CHB t-shirt, having to lean back a bit to lock eyes with him. She reminded Annabeth of just how she had been when she had charmed both Cerberus and Mrs. O'Leary, small but fiercely friendly, and it made her slightly relax as she put away the laptop in her little leather bag.
/Hey, I am Piper. It is nice to meet you./ Piper signed at him, making sure that he had his attention on her so that he could read her hands properly.
Percy looked down at her with a slight frown as Annabeth sidled up to her. Although she hated him with every fibre of her being, maybe even a bit more than she hated Luke at that point, the daughter of Athena could not help but feel intimidated. Standing so close to him, having felt the divine power he had exuded merely half an hour ago, almost on par with Thalia when she was going all out, and not to mention his overwhelming size and brutish, ungodly strength that she had seen firsthand, even Annabeth felt- not exactly frightened, per se- but naked and helpless without her dagger in her hands and her trusty Yankees cap atop her head of golden blonde hair.
The atmosphere between them hung thick with tension for a brief moment, before the Roman relented.
/I am Perseus Jackson. The strongest soldier of New Rome./ He signed with his clumsy, bandaged hands. /And you can just talk normally; no need to trouble yourself for me./
"Oh, I was worried for a moment there." Piper breathed a soft sigh, smiling sweetly up at him, enjoying the sight of his lips twitching upwards in the tiniest of grins to match her own. "Given your size, we thought you were a monster when we first met you. I am glad you are on our side, though. Wouldn't wanna face you again."
/And you were so beautiful; I thought you were a monster the first time we met./ Percy's grin solidified on his rugged features, showing off his sharp teeth in a not entirely unwelcome manner. /And for what it's worth, I am also relieved I won't have to fight you or your friends again./
"I am a daughter of Aphrodite." She offered in manner of explanation, as if offering an excuse for her otherworldly beauty. It certainly explained her charmspeak, something that Perseus had suspected earlier.
But the flirtatious compliment did not fail to elicit its desired reaction, and Piper's cheeks darkened with a deep blush that crept up her neck, almost invisible against her dark, chocolate skin, and the young Cherokee demigoddess felt her lips twitch upwards of their own volition. "If you want, you can keep calling me succubus. And I will call you Percy. Perseus is a bit of a mouthful."
Beside her, Annabeth's frown only deepened at the way the two naturally flirted with each other. They had just met, for fuck's sake, and Perseus had tried to kill them!
Percy's chest rumbled with a deep hum of agreement, a sound that the two demigoddesses felt as a rattle deep in their bones. He shoved his hands into his pockets, flashing another quick smile at them, as if afraid to get caught having fun, before his eyes darted to Annabeth's scowling features.
Following his line of sight, Piper elbowed her best friend, prompting her to break her self-imposed vow of silence.
"Ow, what was that for?" Annabeth's frown deepened as she looked at her friend, rubbing her sore, offended arm. "Yeah, you're kidding me if you think I am going to chat with this troll. I feel myself losing brain cells just being in his presence. Maybe he wants to try and pluck my arm again?"
Annabeth practically hissed at him like an angry cat sprayed with boiling hot water, her furious grey eyes blazing with righteous anger. Despite herself, she could not help but turn slightly to try and protect her arm, cradling it like a sick child. Underneath the orange sleeve of her Camp Half-Blood t-shirt, an entire full-sleeve tattoo crept up to her wrist, the dark ink making flowery patterns and intricate geometry to hide the unsightly, twisting scars, uneven and rough against her otherwise smooth, flawless bronze skin, that marred the entirety of her forearm, from elbow to wrist.
"Listen, Piper. Remember the time I told you children of Poseidon and Athena don't mix? Yeah, that is even truer, especially for a Roman one." She refused to address him directly, even as she locked eyes with him, stormy grey with sea green, baring her gleaming, sharp pearly teeth as if threatening to rip his carotid with her bare teeth. "I just came here to ensure that you will be okay, and now that that's done, I am going. I will send Leo to keep you company. Maybe he is the only one who will find this dude fun."
Annabeth did not even stop for their reaction as she turned on her heel and marched away, her sneakers muffled against the cracked marble floor of the Throne Room, cracking her knuckles as if looking for something, or someone, to punch with her entire strength. Her ears were flushed red in barely restrained wrath, Percy's presence like grating sandpaper on her conscience, the phantom pain that she remembered in her limb, ripping flesh and snapping bones in his grip like a hydraulic press, like a thorn that made her want to stab his neck.
For a few moments, the two stood in shocked silence, still unable to process the impromptu verbal lashing Perseus had received.
"What was that?" Piper complained loudly, before turning to her newest friend, or so she assumed. "I am sorry, she isn't normally like that. Well, she is a bit unhinged, but not that much."
Perseus tilted his head, staring at the spot where she had merged into the crowd, going invisible easily thanks to her height disadvantage. /It is okay. She is right, I almost ripped her arm off the last time we met, it is normal to hate me. If I were in her shoes, I don't think I would have been able to hold back right then./
"You're surprisingly... okay." Piper narrowed her eyes as she looked at him, his expression devoid of the mirth that she had managed to elicit just a few moments earlier. Despite the scar running up his cheek and messing with his scalp, he still managed to look handsome, with a sharp, strong jaw and sea-green eyes that were as deep and melancholic as a lonely sea. A gentle stubble, as black as his hair and a few days old, darkened his cheeks.
/I will take that as a compliment./ He signed back, in a futile attempt to salvage the humour that Annabeth had drained from their conversation.
For a moment, a tense silence hung between the two. Piper stood beside the newly dubbed Percy, her arms crossed over her chest as she looked up at him with her kaleidoscopic, ever-shifting eyes, which shifted through shades to eventually reflect his own dark, sea-green colour.
She found herself unexpectedly growing fond of the unique shade.
Percy was looking at the crowd, making her wonder briefly what he was so focused on, but only for a moment, the daughter of Aphrodite was soon overcome with her endless curiosity about the mute Roman.
"So, what do you do in your free time?" She asked him softly, and Percy immediately turned to look at her, his furrowed brows clearing as the hints of a smile tugged at the corner of his soft lips, his expression as warm as he could muster on his scarred features.
/I mostly train by myself. Weight lifting and working out. Sometimes I train the other Romans and spar with them as well. We have-/ He immediately corrected himself. /-had an entire Colosseum for that. The stands were almost eight stories tall and the field as big as a soccer pitch./
For the first time since they had started talking, Piper saw a familiar, friendly gleam in Percy's sea-green eyes, not too dissimilar from Thalia's when she began to brag about Camp Half-Blood, as if it were a personal passion project for her.
"Lols, that's work though. What do you do when you are free?"
/Well, free time is a bit hard to come by in New Rome, when you are a part of a militarized Legion like us; there are a lot of chores to do./ Percy seemed to muse on it for a moment. /I get a bit more free time, though, thanks to my position. Although I spend most of it sleeping or eating. Or I take long walks. The streets of New Rome are lit with Greek fire lamps at night; we have the best pizzerias in this half of America, and the stars overhead are beautiful./
"Well, that is a bit simple. So you spend most of your time eating and sleeping." Piper summarised with a shit-eating grin. "Maybe you really are a brute."
/You forgot the wandering part./ Percy added, and Piper felt the slightest hint of humour from his words, similar to how his tone might have sounded had he spoken. /I am not only a hunter, but also a gatherer./
She felt her lips blossom into a beautiful smile of their own accord, more at his lame attempt at making her laugh than the joke itself, and Piper gave a little chuckle.
At the sound, like the familiar, warm tinkling of temple bells at the morning prayers of New Rome, Percy's expression brightened almost instantaneously, his eyes warm and a small smile playing on his lips, his expression so detached from the stoic, macho look that Piper had unknowingly conjured in her mind that she could not help but laugh again, louder this time.
"Oh god, that was so lame." Piper had to wipe a stray tear from the corner of her eye, her full, pink lips stretched ear to ear in a wide grin. Her cheeks were beginning to hurt, her chocolate skin flushed dark. "I have a tiny friend who is as tall as your waist, but I feel like the two of you would get along superbly. Like Mario and Luigi."
In response, Percy made a shushing motion, putting his index finger to his lips as if she were a child.
/I don't want to be hit with copyright infringement. Nintendo is always listening./ Percy grinned at her, making Piper chuckle quietly. /Anyway, what about you? What do you do at the Greek Camp?/
"It's called Camp Half-Blood, by the way, a much better name than Camp Jupiter." Piper waved her hand in a manner fit for a braggart as bad as Herakles, as if she had personally chosen that name.
"And our routine is kinda same, I guess? Like, we wake up, do our morning chores, and make sure that our rooms are kind of clean before we go to breakfast. And then it's train and train all day long until lunch. Sometimes the training is fun, like we can just go swimming or boating in the Lake, or do somersaults on our literal lava wall-" Piper waggled her eyebrows at him, and Percy gave a little hum of appreciation at the dangerous training.
One important observation that he made was that the survival skills that were taught to the Greeks were sorely lacking in the Twelfth Legion's training, so obsessed they were with their numbers and formations, and it was something Percy would be looking forward to rectifying once the two Camps merged.
Piper continued on her monologue, "-but sometimes the training is kinda tough, like when Thalia decides to hold a sparring session or when I hold cardio. Maybe we can workout together."
/You sure you will be able to keep up?/
"I think you should be the one who should be worried. If you remember, last time, I ran circles around you." Piper's eyes, having shifted to electric blue and warm brown, returned to a similar shade of sea green as his, and making Percy wonder briefly whether she was doing that intentionally, gleamed at the idea.
/Well, it looks like your schedule is not too different from mine. All work and no play./ Percy's grin widened just a tad bit as he signed at her. /And I thought I was the brute here./
"Oh shut up." Piper's cheeks warmed in embarrassment, and she had to resist the urge to smack his arm. Maybe she would do that once the two got a bit more acquainted and comfortable with each other, but despite the free-flowing conversation and the effortless way he made her smile, she could not help the way her stomach was getting twisted into nervous knots, unable to pin the exact reason. Was it because of how her instinct warned her of how dangerous this particular demigod was, or was it Annabeth's ominous warnings that he was no good? Or was it simply because of how hot he was?
"And then the afternoons and evenings are just spent lazing around. The children of Demeter like to spend the time tending to the strawberry gardens, and we have got television installed in the Cabins recently, so Thalia and I have been trying to binge-watch everything we can. Sometimes we drink on the beach. Oh, and on Fridays, we have a game of Capture the Flag, and then a Campfire Night. So that's fun."
/That does seem fun. We also have war games, which is sort of like Capture the Flag, I guess?/ His confused tone was reflected in his expression, Piper's inherited ability to read others leaving no gap in their communication. /Except we have like a fortress with a defending team and attacking team, and we storm that. It is a bit more technical./
"That sounds complicated." Piper hummed in agreement, turning away from him to look at the Greek crowd as she stepped closer to him. The two demigods stood side by side, Piper able to almost physically feel his sheer size as he towered over her, his broad, muscle-packed chest that could benchpress mountains and his thick arms that had crushed a Titan's skull. It was a warm and comforting, if a bit intimidating, presence, but knowing that the large, lumbering juggernaut was on her side, and not the bristling, bloodthirsty warhound she had fought, made Piper feel a lot more relaxed than she would have normally been.
They fell into comfortable silence for a moment, merely content with their newfound friendship in the most unexpected of places. As the excitement of the Campers began to die down like the dancing embers of a dying fire, a few at the edge of the crowd seemed to notice his silent, if large, presence and even later, to register the familiar daughter of Aphrodite standing at his elbow like they were long-separated friends reunited. Even their postures matched, a comfortable, smooth confidence in the way Percy lounged with his hands shoved into the pockets of his Bermuda shorts, mirrored by Piper, who had her hands in the warmth of her trackpants' pockets.
"I feel like we are going to be good friends, Percy." Piper whispered to him almost conspiratorially, as if she had just shared a long-lost secret of creation with him.
/I think so too, Pipes./ Percy signed back in response, using the ASL sign for the object, 'pipe', instead of spelling out her name, enjoying the way the beautiful demigoddess sputtered and blinked in response.
"Did you just-" She blinked again as a slight blush dusted her cheeks. "Pipe? I am a pipe?"
/That's what you get for calling me Percy./
"I feel like you have made a new friend, Perseus." It was Jason's voice, a warm, smooth baritone that made the entire room go silent as all eyes turned to the two Romans, especially the son of Neptune, who stood frozen like a deer in the headlights with a beautiful Greek demigoddess at his side. "Good for you."
/See I told you I can make friends./ Percy signed, before he looked past Jason at Thalia standing there behind him, and crossed his arms in an attempt to appear intimidating.
"Perseus, meet my sister, Thalia Grace. Sis, meet my sworn brother and the best soldier New Rome has to offer, Perseus Jackson." Jason offered by means of a quick greeting before he rubbed his nape sheepishly. "Although I guess you have already met before, and not in the best of circumstances."
"Hey, there, big guy." Thalia grinned up at him in her own typical way before she extended a friendly hand towards the silent gladiator. "Just because we are maybe friends now doesn't mean I will go easy on you when we spar later. And spar we will; both of us have grown a lot since we last crossed spears, and I want to see which one of us is better now."
The unsatisfying end to their last bout still grated on her mind, and Thalia made it clear for him to see. Percy didn't mind it either; he was of the same mind as her. The three Greek demigoddesses had been the only ones Percy had not been able to best in combat, though it had been unfair for him the last time they had fought, it still weighed uneasily on his perfect track record, a fact he was looking eagerly to rectify.
He looked at her offered hand for a good moment, as if trying to guess whether she would shock him or not if he shook her hand, but decided that she would not pull something so childish in front of so many people.
He was wrong.
"Hah." Thalia's amused laughter rang through the throne room as Percy rubbed his hand with a deep frown to get rid of the lingering, tingling sensation, and behind her, the Greek demigods shuffled uneasily. The daughter of Zeus always kept provoking beings much stronger than her, and the Campers had to bear the brunt of their wrath, so it was not too surprising to see how wary they were of the hulking Roman. "I see you're as gullible as the last time we fought. Managed to expand your very limited vocab yet?"
"Uh, Thalia." Piper sidled up to her, shooting an apologetic look at her new friend as her cheeks warmed in embarrassment. "I think he's mute. He talks in ASL."
"Oh." Thalia's expression blanked for a moment. "Well, that at least explains all the squiggly gestures. I just thought he was severely autistic."
The words were out of her mouth before she could register what she was saying, and it was Piper's outraged look that finally got through to her. Thalia's pale cheeks flushed red in shame as she glanced at her brother first, who was barely able to contain his laughter before turning to his friend, who was staring at her with sea-green eyes brimming with mirth.
"I am so sorry." She had the decency to look embarrassed, and Percy gave her a humored snort in response.
/And just for that, I will be looking forward to kicking your ass like I did last time./ He signed.
"Uh, what did he say?"
"He said that he will kick your ass." Piper paused for a moment. "Like he did last time."
"Oh, you didn't, you bastard. I am Camp Half Blood's resident expert on whoop ass, and I will be the one doing the ass-kicking around here." Thalia grinned up at him. The two were almost close in height; Thalia's well-muscled Amazonian build boosted by her thick-soled combat boots helping her to almost reach his chin.
She crossed her arms over her sizeable bust to match the gladiator's posture, her thick biceps stretching the thin cotton of her t-shirt and accentuating her arms. "I think we will make nice friends. Any friend of my brother's is a friend of mine, and anyone who can keep up with me in combat is a friend not needing introduction."
"Well, I am glad you get along." Jason placed a familiar hand on Percy's shoulder with a gentle, friendly squeeze. "Perseus here has been a major reason why I have been able to hold the position of Praetor for so long. My friend, look after my sister with even greater zealousy than we have watched each other's backs with since we were at the Wolf House."
"But it is getting a bit late, and the Romans will be getting angsty if I am gone for too long." Jason looked down at his sandaled feet with a thoughtful expression, pulling his purple robes closer around his chiselled body. "How about it- Perseus, you accompany the Greeks back to their Camp. You have made two good friends; go and check out how their Camp is, and make sure the Greeks are comfortable with Roman presence. As for the Romans, Reyna and I will handle it. Breaking this news will require a bit of finesse, and you are definitely lacking in that department."
/It hurts when you tell your best friend that he is useless./ Percy signed with a crestfallen expression, making Piper stifle a giggle in the back of her hand. Thalia looked at the exchange with confused bewilderment, lost in translation, before she sought Piper to interpret what Percy had just said.
Communication between the son of Neptune and the daughter of Zeus was definitely going to become a headache.
Jason took the opportunity with the practised ease of a seasoned politician, taking advantage of the momentary distraction of the two Greek demigoddesses to shoot his best friend a meaningful look. Percy met his gaze with clear understanding, electric blue and sea green; their relationship was thicker than blood and left no need for words to be exchanged.
His jaw tensed as a brief look of determination flitted across his features, like a true Roman soldier commissioned with a confidential mission, before he returned to the same old half-grumpy half-joking expression, as if he could not decide whether he wanted to crack the best joke of the century or not.
Underneath the facade, the gears were turning, a sharp mind that had manoeuvred in the shadows underneath the Roman Senate for the better part of the past decade, coming to a few quick, obvious conclusions.
While the Greeks might have seemed harmless on the surface, it would be inevitable that there would be those among them hostile to Roman presence, running as deep as Rome's mutual hatred for them. This was especially alarming given the reaction of the blonde girl earlier- Annabeth was her name- children of Athena did not mix well with Rome, and it was aggravated by the bad blood between the two of them.
It was clear that Annabeth bore a deep-seated grudge against him, and the last time they had met, she had been the one calling the shots. Thalia might have been the powerhouse of the lot, but that meant nothing if the blonde was the scheming type the children of Athena were infamous for, and Percy was unable to gauge how deep she could go.
"I guess you're stuck with us, then." Piper smiled up at him as she hooked her arm around his, tugging him away from Jason and towards the Greek crowd. Percy staggered forward, thrown off balance for a moment by strength that he had not expected from the beauty, before he stepped forward with a frown on his scarred face. The sharp sound of his sandals against the marble floor was like a gavel sealing an execution, and he loved the way the crowd stepped away from him like the Red Sea from Moses, the Campers staring at Piper like she was about to have her head ripped off.
/That doesn't sound too bad. I have two beauties that many would wage war for, one on each arm./ Percy signed, tugging on her arm gently to make sure that Piper could see his hands.
She blushed prettily. "Oh, shut up, you flirt."
"Uh, what did he say again?" Thalia's features appeared as lost as she had been, and she looked a bit irritated at having been kept out of the loop, making Piper blow a raspberry at her.
"You don't want to know." Her arm tightened around Percy's, and she glanced up at him as if weighing his worth. "He is getting a bit too bold. Maybe you can knock him down a few pegs in the arena later?"
Thalia looked at Piper's reaction with raised eyebrows, her warm, flushed cheeks and her sweet smile. "Forget I ever asked."
While the two devolved into bickering, Percy glanced back once at Jason to see he was still standing at the same spot he had left him, staring thoughtfully at Lord Jupiter's throne, as if contemplating the great epics like a philosopher. He had given Percy his mission, and now, the Gladiator Maximus did not need to trouble himself with what his brother was about to pull off as long as he carried out what was asked of him with no room for criticism.
He turned back to the Greeks, his sea-green meeting a pair of stormy grey eyes staring at him in the middle of a sea of faces.
He smiled, his obvious animosity reciprocated in the Athenian's gaze, and his smugness at having her two best friends on either arm met with a silent promise of bloodthirsty vengeance.
There was a silent challenge.
And he held the title of New Rome's Protector.