The Legion roared in approval on the rising of the Praetor. The last of the heroes of the Prophecy. The one fated to die, once again.
Walking through the Roman lines, Tony noticed that the kids didn't seem as welcoming of Percy as they had voiced a few minutes before.
Dirty glares to the boy, spitting on the floor, cursing in his direction. Percy paid no attention to them, although Tony noticed the resignation in his eyes.
"Didn't they say they welcomed you?" Tony asked him in a whisper. Wanda seemed to have noticed too and she wasn't leaving Percy's side.
"The Romans are extremely versed in politics." Percy explained. "Since the Gods approved of my idea, going against my idea implies questioning the choices of the Gods. That, the fact that I'm a veteran hero, and the little show I put up in front of both mortals and demigods, gives me a little room."
"Didn't they make you Praetor or something?" Tony asked. "That has to mean something."
Percy shrugged. "Not really. I stepped down after a former Praetor came back. I already had the position. Since I left, it was left vacant. They didn't give it to me, I just reclaimed it. In terms of power and politics, nothing has changed salve the fact that now they can openly blame me."
"That's..." Tony didn't know what to say.
"Politics." Percy finished. "They will grant me my final wish, but they won't like me being a leader figure around. The best I can do is keep distances and let them talk shit about me."
"Figures." Tony grumbled.
Percy smiled sadly at him. "This is far better than what the Greeks threw at me." He said. "I'll take it any day." He sighed.
They approached a tent that was disposed at the bottom of the mountain. Reyna was waiting for them inside. The whole team, including the three soldiers, was accompanied by a Centurion towards the tent.
On the entrance, two more Centurions were guarding. Percy was on the head of the group. As the guards saw him, they straightened and saluted him. "Ave, Romana!"
"Ave." Percy greeted. "Praetor Reyna is waiting for us inside."
"Step inside, Praetor." One said. "Your soldiers can wait outside."
Percy rose an eyebrow. He felt the mood shift behind him. Everyone was glaring at him. "They are not my soldiers, Centurion." He said. "They are allies and friends that have agreed to aid us in this war. We need to get inside."
The Centurion shifted uncomfortably. "Only you can step inside, Praetor." This time, Percy's title left his voice much more aggressively.
"Malcom." A voice called from inside the tent. "Stand down. They are all welcome to step inside."
Both Centurions on the entrance reluctantly stepped aside. "Yes, Praetor."
Percy sighed and stepped inside, followed by everyone.
The tent was bigger on the inside, like the ones from Artemis' hunt. It was decorated with weapons and tools. Maps, strategies and lists were hanging by the wall. In the middle, Reyna was seated behind a desk.
There was enough space for everyone, but not enough chairs. Percy decided to approach his old friend before starting with the formal meeting. "Good to see you, Reyna."
She smiled at him. "Likewise." She said. "Although you are not extremely popular along the Roman lines."
"Nothing unexpected." Percy said. His tone turned stern. "We come as a delegation of the Army of the United States." He explained. "But I know that means trash to anything gods-related, so, in essence, it's me, Calypso, the Avengers, and the soldiers that think they are the head of the operation."
"Hey!" The woman said with a frown, glaring at him. "We are in charge of the operation."
Reyna turned to her. "The mortal armies are always like this." She said. "It'd be entertaining to have them train with demigods for a month." She turned to Percy. "I heard that you, Greeks, train with a lava climbing wall."
Percy smiled and nodded. "On spot." He said. "It's quite cool when you get the hang of it. Although it really hurts when you fuck up."
The mortals were looking at him with horrified expressions. All but Wanda's, who had seen the wall in Percy's memories. "Do you still have Hannibal around?" Percy asked back.
Reyna nodded with a fond smile on her face. "The old elephant still sticks around. It's entertaining to see the Legionaries wrestling against him."
The looks of bewilderment of the mortals didn't falter. Their widened eyes jumped from Percy to Reyna.
"I really want to wrestle an elephant." Peter whispered. Everybody heard as Calypso smacked him.
Reyna sat back down behind her desk, her expression changing again at that of seriousness. "We've got business. Let's get this dealt with. In short time the gates of the Garden will be open and I need to know everything from your side."
"There isn't anything to talk or negotiate." One of the soldiers said. "You children must evacuate this place and let us deal with this crisis."
Reyna rolled her eyes. "Shut up or I'll have you butchered in five minutes." She told him. "You won't even be coming with us. Your weapons will be useless against our enemy."
"What can someone do against a metal bullet shot at 450 miles per hour, pray tell me?" One of the soldiers asked.
Reyna cocked an eyebrow while staring at the man as if he was the most pathetic living being in the universe. "They can do little against us. Us, demigods, have had few problems dealing with cops during our quests." She turned her head to Percy. "Am I right?"
Percy nodded. "Last time I was shot at I was 14, in Maine, by Krono's mercenaries." He said. "They shot me with a machinegun from a helicopter. Parried the bullets with my sword."
"You did what, kid?" Stark asked. "I- I want to see that in action."
"Regardless." Reyna cut in. "Mortal metals are useless against Ancient Monsters. Only some metals blessed by the Gods are able to harm them. If you truly want to have bullet ricochet off the monsters towards our allies then go ahead."
That shut the man up.
"I really want to test that out." Clint said, sending Percy a knowing look and a small smirk. Percy mimicked his smirk.
"Another day." Reyna said. "We're dealing with major forces. Ouranos should have been dead since the beginning of life. Now he's not. Why?"
"To ally himself to the rising Primordials?" Banner asked from behind, everyone stepped aside and disposed themselves in a circle so they could see each other. "They could have brought him back."
"What other Primordials?" Reyna asked, a sudden sense of dread tingling on her voice. "The prophecy doesn't say anything about more Primordials."
Percy frowned. "It talks about them." He said. "But it didn't talk about Ouranos coming back to life."
"No." Reyna said, shaking her head. "The prophecy only talks about Ouranos."
"The feared Pit and the endless Night,
Shall rise at everyone's sight.
The foretold hero must withstand,
After sentenced to banishment by the Fates hand.
One last toast shall remember his feats,
After the upcoming threats have been beat."
Everyone shifted uncomfortably as Percy ended reciting the prophecy. His death ringing on the air wasn't something they were comfortable with.
Reyna paled considerably. Her stoic demeanor almost dropped as her eyes watered. "The foretold hero..." She drawled.
Percy nodded in confirmation. Reyna sighed deeply, rubbing her eyes. "Fuck." She breathed. She tried to compose herself. "Rachel and Ella have been working on the Sybil books." She said. "And a new prophecy was found to be coming into play." Her grim look struck everyone in the tent. "And it has nothing to do with your prophecy."
Percy froze. Two major prophecies coming into play would mean that they no longer had present the bigger picture. That, along with the occupation of Delphi, could only mean that they were practically blind against the advances of the enemy.
"What does it say?" Natasha asked, making herself vocal for the first time.
"The sky yearns for the Earth's embrace again,
As the Curse presses upon the Titan's pain.
The allies crumble as the mountain folds.
The starred firmament falls, Answering to the desperate call.
Arrow and blade must triumph for the sake of all."
Reyna's voice filtered through the tent as a heavy feeling settled inside everyone's hearts. They were not happy with the verses.
Percy's jaw clenched. So did his fists. Suddenly feeling that breathing was becoming harder inside the tent, he stormed outside. Wanda followed him close behind, silent. Knowing that there was nothing she could say that would ease his anger.
As the rest of the Avengers rose from their seats, Reyna stopped them with a simple sign. "He needs time." She said. "It's hard on him."
The Avengers hesitantly took their seats again. "The allies crumble as the mountains fold." Captain America said. "That doesn't sound good."
"It isn't." Calypso agreed. "But there few we could do. Prophecies are to come to pass. It's been like this since the beginning of time."
Everyone looked at the floor, frustrated that they couldn't do more in behalf of their friend.