━━━a battle won
.・゜゜・───・゜゜・
Percy Jackson's hot.
That's the simplest way Callahan could explain what was going in her head. She was slashing through some monsters, having a grand old time, when she watched him charge forward on Mrs.O'Leary's back, legion's eagle held high above his head. She watched him call lightning forward, and she watched the hundreds of Romans cheer for him as he destroyed thousands of monsters.
As she said, Percy Jackson's hot.
The battle had been going well since they got there with their shiny gold reinforcements. Callahan was covered in an inch of monster dust herself when Percy made his way over to her.
"Frank, Hazel, Tyson," Percy said, "help the Fourth Cohort. I've got a giant to kill."
He raised Riptide, but before he could advance, horns blew in the northern hills. Another army appeared on the ridge—hundreds of warriors in black-and-gray camouflage, armed with spears and shields. Interspersed among their ranks were a dozen battle forklifts, their sharpened tines gleaming in the sunset and flaming bolts nocked in their crossbows.
"Amazons," Frank said. "Great."
Polybotes laughed. "You, see? Our reinforcements have arrived! Rome will fall today!"
The Amazons lowered their spears and charged down the hill. Their forklifts barreled into battle. The giant's army cheered—until the Amazons changed course and headed straight for the monsters' intact eastern flank.
"Amazons, forward!" On the largest forklift stood a girl who looked like an older version of Reyna, in black combat armor with a glittering gold belt around her waist.
"Queen Hylla!" said Hazel. "She survived!"
"Hell YEAH!" Callahan cheered. Percy laughed beside her.
The Amazon queen shouted: "To my sister's aid! Destroy the monsters!"
"Destroy!" Her troops' cry echoed through the valley.
Reyna wheeled her pegasus toward Percy. Her eyes gleamed. Her expression said: I could hug you right now.
She shouted, "Romans! Advance!" The battlefield descended into absolute chaos. Amazon and Roman lines swung toward the enemy like the Doors of Death themselves. But Percy had only one goal.
He pointed at the giant. "You. Me. To the finish."
He turned to go after Polybotes when Callahan grabbed his arm. She spun him around, grabbed his face, and kissed him hard.
She poured everything into it. Her fear, her anxiety, her hope, her need, her love.
"You better come back to me, Seaweed or I'm gonna kill you." She whispered against his lips.
She pushed him away and he grinned at her before jogging off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For a moment, the battlefield was silent except for a few fires burning, and a few retreating monsters screaming in panic.
A ragged circle of Romans and Amazons stood around Percy. Tyson, Ella, and Mrs. O'Leary were there. Frank and Hazel were grinning at him with pride. Arion was nibbling contentedly on a golden shield. Callahan was nowhere to be found.
The Romans began to chant, "Percy! Percy!" They mobbed him. Before he knew it, they were raising him on a shield. The cry changed to, "Praetor! Praetor!"
Looking over the crowd, Percy caught a glimpse of Callahan's black and pink hair. She was covered in a thick layer of dust, grinning up at him from the crowd. Her shirt was ripped and her hair was a mess, but she looked beautiful, gorgeous, godly even. Her eyes shone with tears. The two of them never broke eye contact as the crowd cheered Percy on, and she mouthed 'I love you' over the crowd. Percy grinned back at her and mouthed 'I love you' in response. His heart was bursting with warmth as they carried him away, around the Pomerian Line, carefully avoiding Terminus's borders, and escorted him back home to Camp Jupiter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Feast of Fortuna was beautiful. The tables were weighed down by food, and Campers, Amazons, and Lares crowded the mess hall for a lavish dinner. Even the fauns were invited since they'd helped out by bandaging the wounded after the battle.
Wind nymphs zipped around the room, delivering orders of pizza, burgers, steaks, salads, Chinese food, and burritos, all flying at terminal velocity. Despite the exhausting battle, everyone was in good spirits. Casualties had been light, and the few campers who'd previously died and come back to life, like Gwen, hadn't been taken to the Underworld. Maybe Thanatos had turned a blind eye. Or maybe Pluto had given those folks a pass like he had for Hazel. Whatever the case, nobody complained.
Colorful Amazon and Roman banners hung side-by-side from the rafters. The restored golden eagle stood proudly behind the praetor's table, and the walls were decorated with cornucopias—magical horns of plenty that spilled out recycling waterfalls of fruit, chocolate, and fresh-baked cookies. The cohorts mingled freely with the Amazons, jumping from couch to couch as they pleased, and for once the soldiers of the Fifth were welcome everywhere. Percy changed seats so many times, he lost track of his dinner. Every time he had to move, he dragged Callahan along with him. She took to carrying her burger with her. There was a lot of flirting and arm-wrestling—which seemed to be the same thing for the Amazons.
At one point Percy was cornered by Kinzie, the Amazon who'd disarmed him in Seattle. He had to explain that he already had a girlfriend. Two, actually. Callahan a spike of jealousy coursed through her, but she ignored it and laughed at Kinzie's reaction. The girl took it well telling him what had happened after they'd left Seattle—how Hylla had defeated her challenger Otrera in two consecutive duels to the death so that the Amazons were now calling their queen Hylla Twice-Kill.
"Otrera stayed dead the second time," Kinzie said, batting her eyes. "We have you to thank for that. If you ever need a new girlfriend...well, I think you'd look great in an iron collar and an orange jumpsuit."
Percy couldn't tell if she was kidding or not. He politely thanked her and changed seats. Callahan made fun of him the whole way to their new seats.
She slapped his arm and grinned. "This is nice," she yelled over the din.
Percy grinned and got lost in her eyes, "yeah it is." he muttered. Cal arched an eyebrow in response, and he shook his head.
Once everyone had eaten and the plates stopped flying, Reyna made a short speech. She formally welcomed the Amazons, thanking them for their help. Then she hugged her sister and everybody applauded.
Reyna raised her hands for quiet. "My sister and I haven't always seen eye to eye—"
Hylla laughed. "That's an understatement."
"She joined the Amazons," Reyna continued. "I joined Camp Jupiter. But looking around this room, I think we both made good choices. Strangely, our destinies were made possible by the hero you all just raised to praetor on the battlefield—Percy Jackson."
More cheering. The sisters raised their glasses to Percy and beckoned him forward. Everybody asked for a speech, but Percy didn't know what to say. He protested that he really wasn't the best person for praetor, but the campers drowned him out with applause.
Reyna took away his probatio neck plate. Octavian shot him a dirty look, then turned to the crowd and smiled like this was all his idea. He ripped open a teddy bear and pronounced good omens for the coming year—Fortuna would bless them! He passed his hand over Percy's arm and shouted:
"Percy Jackson, son of Neptune, first year of service!" The Roman symbols burned onto Percy's arm: a trident, SPQR, and a single stripe. It felt like someone was pressing a hot iron into his skin, but Percy managed not to scream.
Octavian embraced him and whispered, "I hope it hurt."
Then Reyna gave him an eagle medal and purple cloak, symbols of the praetor. "You earned these, Percy."
Queen Hylla pounded him on the back. "And I've decided not to kill you."
"Um, thanks," Percy said. He made his way around the mess hall one more time, because all the campers wanted him at their table. Vitellius the Lar followed, stumbling over his shimmering purple toga and readjusting his sword, telling everyone how he'd predicted Percy's rise to greatness.
"I demanded he join the Fifth Cohort!" the ghost said proudly. "Spotted his talent right away!"
Don the faun popped up in a nurse's hat, a stack of cookies in each hand. "Man, congrats and stuff! Awesome! Hey, do you have any spare change?"
All the attention embarrassed Percy, but he was happy to see how well Hazel and Frank were being treated. Everyone called them the saviors of Rome, and they deserved it. There was even talk about reinstating Frank's great-grandfather, Shen Lun, to the legion's roll of honor. Apparently he hadn't caused the 1906 earthquake after all. Percy sat for a while with Tyson and Ella, who were honored guests at Dakota's table. Tyson kept calling for peanut-butter sandwiches, eating them as fast as the nymphs could deliver. Ella perched at his shoulder on top of the couch and nibbled furiously on cinnamon rolls.
"Cinnamon rolls are good for harpies," she said. "June twenty-fourth is a good day. Roy Disney's birthday, and Fortuna's Feast, and Independence Day for Zanzibar. And Tyson."
She glanced at Tyson, then blushed and looked away.
After dinner, the entire legion got the night off. Percy and his friends drifted down to the city, which wasn't quite recovered from the battle, but the fires were out, most of the debris had been swept up, and the citizens were determined to celebrate. At the Pomerian Line, the statue of Terminus wore a paper party hat.
"Welcome, praetor!" he said. "You need any giants' faces smashed while you're in town, just let me know."
"Thanks, Terminus," Percy said. "I'll keep that in mind."
"Yes, good. Your praetor's cape is an inch too low on the left. There—that's better. Where is my assistant? Julia!"
The little girl ran out from behind the pedestal. She was wearing a green dress tonight, and her hair was still in pigtails. When she smiled, Percy saw that her front teeth were starting to come in. She held up a box full of party hats. Percy tried to decline, but Julia gave him the big adoring eyes.
"Ah, sure," he said. "I'll take the blue crown."
She offered Hazel a gold pirate hat. "I'm gonna be Percy Jackson when I grow up," she told Hazel solemnly.
Hazel smiled and ruffled her hair. "That's a good thing to be, Julia."
"Although," Frank said, picking out a hat shaped like a polar bear's head, "Frank Zhang would be good too."
"Frank!" Hazel said.
Julia handed Cal a bright pink crown that match Percy and smiled shyly at her, "I like your hair."
Cal grinned and squatted down to her hight. "You're hair's better." She whispered into Julia's ear. Julia giggled and ran off.
The four of them put on their hats and continued to the forum, which was lit up with multicolored lanterns. The fountains glowed purple. The coffee shops were doing a brisk business, and street musicians filled the air with the sounds of guitar, lyre, panpipes, and armpit noises.
The goddess Iris must've been in a party mood too. As Percy and his friends strolled past the damaged Senate House, a dazzling rainbow appeared in the night sky. Unfortunately the goddess sent another blessing, too—a gentle rain of gluten-free R.O.F.L. cupcake simulations, which Percy figured would either make cleaning up harder, or rebuilding easier. The cupcakes would make great bricks. For a while, Percy wandered the streets with Hazel and Frank, who kept brushing shoulders.
Finally he said, "I'm a little tired, guys. You go ahead."
Hazel and Frank protested, but Percy could tell they wanted some time alone. He glanced at Cal and she nodded back at him, excusing herself from Hazel and Frank.
As the duo headed back to camp, they saw Mrs. O'Leary playing with Hannibal in the Field of Mars. Finally, she'd found a playmate she could roughhouse with. They frolicked around, slamming into each other, breaking fortifications, and generally having an excellent time. At the fort gates, Percy stopped and gazed across the valley. It seemed like so long ago that he'd stood here with Hazel, getting his first good view of camp, Callahan by his side with her twisted ankle. Now he was more interested in watching the eastern horizon.
Tomorrow, maybe the next day, his friends from Camp Half-Blood would arrive. As much as he cared about Camp Jupiter, he couldn't wait to see Annabeth again. He yearned for his old life—New York and Camp Half-Blood—but something told him it might be a while before he returned home. Gaea and the giants weren't done causing trouble—not by a long shot.
Callahan stood behind him and watched him survey the camp. She could tell just by his tense shoulders that he was thinking about New York and Camp Half-Blood. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, propping her head up on his shoulder.
"She'll be here soon." She whispered, the wind whipping her hair around.
Percy nodded and turned, "I know, it's just--"
"Gaea's not done." She responded, and the look in his eye was enough to tell her that she was right.
He wrapped an arm around her waist, "Will you stay with me tonight?"
Cal smiled lightly at him, "Wild horses couldn't drag me away."
She kissed him softly, and his hands were warm against the cool air.
Reyna had given him the second praetor's house on the Via Principalis, but as soon as Percy looked inside, he knew he couldn't stay there. It was nice, but it was also full of Jason Grace's stuff. The room looked lived in, but cold at the same time. Too formal. Things would be awkward enough when Jason came back—and Percy was sure that he would be on that dragon-headed warship.
The two of them went back to the Fifth Cohort, and Percy pulled Callahan down with him when he flopped onto the bed.
The two of them went out like a light.
Cal hummed softly to herself. She watched the trees sway in front of her, the leaves shaking in the wind. A couple of birds danced among them, their wings flapping fervently. Cal felt calm, serene.
A soft whoosh echoed behind her, and a warm bloomed on her back. A hand wrapped around her bicep, and when she turned her mother was sitting behind her.
"You did well." Tyche whispered, smiling slightly at her daughter.
Callahan nodded and turned back to the trees, watching as a baby bird joined the two.
"And you survived."
"Is that what you were talking about when you said Percy's gonna be my doom?" Cal asked, turning her head to look at Tyche.
Tyche shook her head. "No, I'm sorry." She sighed and scooted closer to her daughter, resting a hand on Cal's shoulder. "Your journey isn't over my dear."
Cal sighed and rolled her mother's hand off her shoulder, "I guessed as much." She turned to look at Tyche, "What's coming?"
Tyche looked out at the trees in front of them, watching them sway. "You know, I used to come to a park just like this. Your father would take me."
Cal smiled to herself, "yeah, he does that with all the women in his life."
Tyche laughed, light and soft like the wind, and Cal could tell that they were related. "Your father's a very special man, Callahan, and you are too."
Cal looked back at her, and her eyes were sad. They looked like they were weighed down by something, something she couldn't tell them.
"Mom, what's coming?"
Tyche smiled at her calling her mom, "Lots of things, my daughter, and not all of them are good."
"Am--" Cal's throat grew thick, "Am I going to die? Is-is-Is Percy still gonna kill me."
Tyche's palm reached up and touched her cheek. Cal couldn't help but lean into it, finding comfort in the parental gesture. Her eyes were wet.
She nodded and Cal threw up.
Callahan woke up to her stomach rolling. She lunged out of bed and ran to the communal bathrooms. Arched over the toilet, Cal emptied her dinner into the bowl. She leaned back, her cheeks wet, and she shivered against the cold tile.
"Cal?" a voice whispered behind her, and Callahan turned to see Frank standing behind her.
"I'm ok, Frank." She whispered back. She leaned her head back against the cold tile, and Frank sat down next to her.
"You sure?" He asked, and Cal shrugged.
"I don't honestly know." She swallowed and her stomach rolled again, "my mom, she told me something a while ago and I--I--"
Her head rocked forward, and she was crying before she could stop it. Frank's arm wrapped around her shoulders, and he pulled her into his chest and ran his fingers through her hair.
"I--I'm really fucking scared, Frank."
Frank nodded lightly, "Who isn't these days?"
She scoffed and sniffled, "yeah. I'm just pissed, and scared, and really hungry."
Frank laughed, his head thumping back against the wall, "you know, if you go to bed breakfast will be here before you know it." He stood up and offered a hand. Cal grabbed it and he hoisted her up, steading her as she wobbled. She smiled at him and walked to the doorway.
Ahead of her, Percy snorted in his sleep and drooled a little onto his pillow. Cal smiled softly before turning back to Frank.
"Thanks, Frankie."
Frank smiled back and nodded at her, "You know, I'm always here if you wanna talk."
Cal grabbed his hand and squeezed it once. She mouthed a 'Thank you' at him as she walked off.
Climbing back into bed, she turned to face Percy. As if he sensed her presence, he turned to face her and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into his chest. She sighed there, surrounded by his warmth.
"Goodnight, seaweed."
━━━a battle won
.・゜゜・───・゜゜・
A///N: Important question y'all. Do the birds work for the bourgeoisie?
dudes, this chapter has 3012 words. I mean,,,damn...
not to mention, the next chapter is the last chapter!!!