They met with a clash of metal, the girl dodging Percy's strike and rolling out of the way, slamming her elbow into his kneecap.
Percy pretended to be injured and fell, blocking the strike to his face with a dagger.
Andromeda leaped back and watched him warily, green eyes on her opponent.
Percy smiled and lunged, throwing a pair of blades hidden in his boot.
Andromeda did a backflip, kicking Percy in the chin as she avoided the knives.
All this in ten seconds.
Percy spun, Andromeda leaping like a high jump athlete over his blade, before delivering a painful looking blow to his shoulder with the but of her sword.
They backed off, watching.
The entire audience was waiting with baited breath, several guardians who Nat suspected were well aware of the identity of Andromeda's opponent, were cheering for the girl.
Percy looked at this in mock betrayal and Andromeda took the chance and lunged, nearly slicing open Percy's throat.
Percy dodged and delivered a painful punch to her stomach, leaving her gasping.
Only for Marc to be slammed into by a stream of water coming from the cooler.
Well, it tried to hit the disguised god, but it stopped in midair, swirling around him like a loving pet.
He raised his hand and it fell.
Andromeda gasped as Percy helped her to her feet. "What just happened?"
"Well trying to impale myself with ice definitely wasn't my idea so that means your-"
A glowing green trident appeared over Andromeda's head.
"Hail, Andromeda Marshall! Daughter of Poseidon!" A demigod yelled as the claim faded.
"Little sister!"
The stunned demigod was suddenly hugged by 'Marc' who for some reason now had black hair and sea green eyes.
"What?"
"Oh, sorry. Percy Jackson. Leader of the Guardians and your big brother."
"What?"
He sighed. "I'm Perseus."
She immediately tried to bow but Percy wouldn't let her. "Its alright. We're family. I'm going to show you how to use your powers and be the best swordsman out there."
"Oh gods, there's two of them." Clarisse said.
Percy's eyes narrowed and the clouds darkened. Rain began to pour, pelting the lieutenant with small pieces of hail.
The rest of the Guardians laughed as she ran for it.
"What kind of powers, if I may ask, Lord Perseus.
"Our father is the Storm Bringer, Earthshaker and Father of horses. We can bring rain, hurricanes, shake the earth and speak to any equine or sea creature. We can breath underwater and control it to our will. It can even bring us back from the brink of death. Well, it can bring you back from death. Anyways, we'll start with talking to horses and water balloon fights. You know, without the balloons."
The guardians and Campers laughed at her expression when faced with the prospect of training under her older immortal brother.
Nat smiled. Siblings reunited. Families made. Oaths remembered. This world of theirs seemed perfect.
"Hey Guardian!"
Natasha turned from watching Percy lead Andromeda away to a brown haired boy with red eyes.
"Are you a Roman?"
Nat shook her head. "No. But I just joined recently."
"Whose your Godly parent?"
"Dont have one. Im Mortal."
His eyes flared with rage. "Well, mortal. Lets see what you got. I challenge you."
Kayla nodded to her from across the arena. "Get some experience it. Always worth it."
Nat nodded. "Alright." She walked down into the dirt ring and drew her knives.
"First Killing strike." The Satyr said. "You may begin."
The boy ran at her with terrifying speeds but Nat dodged the sword aimed at her stomach and kicked him in the ribs.
He went sprawling in the dirt but rolled up and charged again.
This time, he had a dagger in his hand, forcing Nat to defend with her knives from the sword and twist away from the knife.
She jumped, doing a backflip over her opponent, getting some applause.from the audience, and landing on his shoulders.
Two widow stings later and he was out cold.
"Eíste ilíthioi thnitoí!" One of the other red eyed campers yelled before charging.
She was surrounded, doing her best to dodge the blows of what she would later learn to be the Ares cabin, whose counselor she had just beaten.
Nat quickly figured out that they were angry she was a mortal. A term that seemed to have a negative, but not derogatory connotation. And a mortal in the Guardians, an elite group sworn to protect demigods from monsters and other dangers.
Well, they were either angry she was chosen instead of them or they were testing her.
Both were true, although the tester was Perseus, who was holding his Guardians back from the fight when they had lunged to help their sister, hiding them from sight.
They winced as Nat was clipped in the side with a knife, blood soaking her gear but on she fought until she had been restrained by two huge boys.
The Ares cabin had 15 members currently.
And 6 were unconscious, 5 were bloody and swearing but still moving and the rest were in various states of pain.
Nat was angry. That much was obvious. She had been punched and kicked, and stabbed.
But she was tired and against that many opponents, with a fighting style she was unfamiliar with. She had once again impressed the Master of the Guardians.
Nat spat in her assailants face as he slapped her. "Pós tolmás na nikíseis tous Theoús."
Nat barely registered the fact that she had understood him.
How dare you disgrace the Gods.
It must be Perseus's blessing. She decided as she was punched again.
"Have you learned your lesson, mortal? Will you bow to those above you?"
Now it was Percy being restrained by Clarisse, Thalia and Nico.
Use my gift. Let it well up within you until it had nowhere to go. Show them the meaning of the word Guardian.
Natasha heard Hestia's voice inside her head and at the same moment felt a spark in her gut.
It grew and grew until it felt like her skin was on fire. She whispered her thanks to the goddess.
"What was that?"
"I said get away."
The Ares cabin was blown backwards in a wave of flames so massive that Percy had to put up a shield, dropping the one that had hidden them.
Leo raced through the inferno, reaching Natasha just as she collapsed from exhaustion, the flames put out by Thalia and Percy's rain.
"Would you look at that." Percy said, examining the unconscious assassin who was glowing a soft orange. "When I saw her talking to you Lady Hestia, I never thought you would bless her. Shes on the same level as a minor demigod now."
"What can I say. I am the Goddess of Family." The 12 year old girl said, appearing next to Percy as everyone bowed. "How could I not offer up protection to someone trying to keep other families from being torn apart like hers was."
"Torn apart? What happened to her."
"I'm afraid I cannot tell you that. It's her story. When she wakes let her know that she will always be welcome at the hearth."
She erupted into a ball of fire and vanished.
"Sir. We have a problem." Jake said, holding his guinea pig. "There are men approaching the border. They dont know were here but their getting close."
"I will deal with them. Leo, take her to her tent. Have Will and Katie look over her. Send her to meet me at Thalia's Pine when she wakes."
"Gotcha."
And with that they went their separate ways.