"Right," Percy nodded, "no that that's settled let's focus on the big thing. Kronos is coming for round two and this time he's bringing the big guns."
"How many monsters are we talking here?" Julia asked.
"I'm not sure," Percy admitted with a shrug.
"No wait," Lee spoke up, he took out a scroll and passed it to Percy, "the Hermes squad told me everything they could find about the titan's army."
Percy opened the scroll and his eyes winded immediately. "Oh fuck!" he cursed reading the scrolls contents:
Titan army, observation for the past week and a half.
Confirmed units:
Enhanced animals: 50,000
Satyr: 2,400
Gergosas: 1,000
Empousa: 200
Wyren: 20?
Ice Giants: 10
Undead?: ?
Cerberus: 150
Flaming thing?: ?
Cyclops: 120
Centaurs: 300
Minotaur is seen, but not confirmed
Total possible strength: ~54,200
Unknown number of undead, necromancers have been spotted, unknown number of them, maybe able to conjure more.
Note this is not the extent of the full Titan army. Many more have been hidden, possibly powerful enough to take on a demigod one on one and win.
Percy glared at the sheet, "we are so screwed."
Julia asked for the sheet, and when she read the contents she couldn't help but feel a shiver run through her back. She looked up at Percy, "how accurate is this?"
Percy sighed, "this is a team composed by Mercury himself, it has two children of Hades, I mean, Pluto and a child of Pan. Believe me when I say everything they have reported on can be counted on. It's what they haven't reported on that worries me."
"What do you mean?"Julia asked.
"They said they couldn't be sure this was the extent of the army's might, meaning there could be more coming for us. And if they can't detect them I can' help but wonder just how strong these guys are."
Julia nodded in deep thought, just then Octavian snatched the parchment from her hands and began to read it.
"Octavian," Julia hissed snatching the scroll back, "I am the praetor here, you cannot just do as you please!"
"You cannot hide this from rome Julia!" Octavian hissed, "and I saw what was on that paper! We have over 50 thousand soldiers coming at us! We can't fight against that!"
Percy rolled his eyes, "we can, 50 thousand of those are mostly just enhanced animals, easy to fight off. It's the other 3,000 I'm worried about. They are too many varied fighting figures, too many unknowns."
"This isn't a battle we can win," Edgar spoke up in a silent tone that drew everyone's attention to him, "you all have just fought another battle, and this time army isn't tired in the least. These aren't odds we can face."
"Well do you have any suggestions?" Julia spat out, "because unless you can transport nearly twenty thousand romans we are screwed!"
"Maybe...but I can," Percy spoke up, "Julia, you once told me you could have the city and the fort disassembled and moved in three to four days, right?"
Julia narrowed her eyes but slowly nodded, "yes...but just disassembleing everything would take the entire day, moving it-"
"Don't worry about that bit, I can help with that," Percy grinned, "if you can have everything taken down into small enough pieces I can store them in my inventory and then we could use the Labyrinth to take everyone away. Then we can reassemble everything whenever we want."
Julia obviously didn't like the idea, but Edgar did. "This is very much possible," the senator nodded, "we can have the city and fort broken down at least by the end of the day, sixteen hours at the most."
"And where will we live?" Octavian asked defiantly, "we have no place to stay!"
"You could stay at camp," Thalia offered looking back to see if there was any objections. Finding none from the greek demigods she continued, "we should have plenty of room at camp, and maybe later we could expand or somthing."
"Staying on greek land?!" Octavian scoffed, "we are Romans, it is bad enough that we are running away instead of staying and fighting, but to run to the Greeks?!"
Percy growled, "I would watch your tone Octavian. This is our home, and we are offering it to you. I thought Romans were supposed to be cultured, not ungrateful little shits," Percy's anger seeped into his voice, activating his bloodlust skill;
Ping!
You have successful scared Octavian!
Percy dismissed the notice before turning to Julia, "what do you think? Would it be enough?"
Julia sighed, "I'm sorry, but no. Octavian is right," Julia looked constipated just admitting that, "the camp wouldn't be big enough for us all. And certainly not enough to build New Rome on. And it wouldn't be right to rob you of your home."
Everyone looked disappointed to hear that. And then Thalia spoke up, "well, there is one other place you could use," she trailed off looking at Percy.
The demigod frowned for a moment before his eyes lit up in realisation, "that's brilliant!" he beamed as he kissed Thalia on the lips, hard.
Julia and other looked confused. "What are you talking about?" Julia asked.
Percy broke the kiss and turned to Julia with a smile, "I have an island you guys can use."
Julia blinked, "I'm sorry what now?"
Percy grinned, "I own an island called Gardiner island, it's just off the coast of Long Island and just a few miles away from camp. You guys can stay at camp before we get everything evacuated and then I can take you to that island. Theres plenty of room there for New Rome and the fort. Heck there's enough room for your city and mine!"
"You city?" Octavian asked surprised.
"Oh, right, look that's not important. What is important is that we have a chance of surviving this day, Edgar's right, we probably won't come out of this unscathed, so for now we need to move back, get our wits about us."
Julia looked at the others and unspoken words passed between them. Finally she sighed and nodded, "alright...you're right. We can't win this. Octavian, you and Edgar get every senator and everyone in New Rome into the Senate building now. We need to have an emergency meeting."
"Understood praetor Julia," Edgar nodded as he and Octavian took off towards New Rome.
"We are on a schedule here Julia," Thalia pressed, "we don't have time for meetings and debating. We need to act now!"
"I know, I know," Julia waved Thalia down, "but with everything that's been going on," she looked to Percy's crown, "the last thing we need is me pulling rank. We need to be calm and orderly about this. We are already breaking too many traditions by running away, we need the Roman factor in this moving."
Percy grumbled, "right. But still, stupid senate. Would be so much easier if they just did what they were told instead of debating everything."
Julai chuckled, "careful there Percy, you're starting to sound like a dictator."
Percy shrugged, "I'm a dick, what can I say?" Thalia and the others groaned at the pun, rolling their eyes at his lame joke.
Julia did as well before turning around and calling for a legionnaire. The roman came to her at once, "tell everyone to begin disassembling the non-combat buildings immediately. I want everything that that can't be used to hold back an attack reduced to nothing but wood and stone, got that?"
"Yes ma'am!" the soldier saluted before he ran into the fort yelling out her orders.
"Weren't we going to wait for the senate?" Percy asked with a smirk.
"The senate has power over the city, but I command the fort. I'll leave the walls and other buildings that can be used for shelter intact, but everything else will be done in around three hours. Think you can be ready by then Percy?"
The demigod nodded, "not a problem. Until then can we help out in anyway?" Percy motioned to the patient army standing behind him, "we could help Rob with the parameter, I see you have the entire valley blocked off, but we could help fill up your ranks."
Julia nodded, "that would be great. Can I assign them duties?" Julia asked, Percy realised she was asking permission to order around what was effectively, 'his men'.
The demigod nodded, "sure," he turned around and spoke aloud, "LISTEN UP YOU GUYS, WE ARE GOING TO BE HERE FOR SOME TIME! LISTEN TO WHAT JULIA SAYS AND TRY TO STAY OUT OF TROUBLE! GOT THAT?!"
"Yes!" the greek drawled out.
Percy nodded to Julia who quickly began dividing up people into groups. She remembered the squads in which they operated, remembered their faces and what they were good at, putting them in the most optimal location.
Percy had to admit, that was very impressive. No wonder she was a war general, she must have barely had time to learn all their names, but she still remembered what each of them could do. Percy's opinion of her was already high, this just made it even higher.
As the greek demigods were divided up a rainbow appeared before Percy revealing the face of Percy Decker, the son of Pan.
Percy grinned, "Decker! Where are you? I thought the Hermes squad was supposed to be here already?"
Decker sighed, "I'm sorry Percy, but we ran into some trouble."
Percy narrowed his eyes, "where are you? I'll come and get you right now."
"No, that's the worst thing you can do right now!" Decker hissed, "they have this sort of.... Magical barrier up. Bianca could explain it better, she said it was something she saw Mera use, it keeps magic from getting in. If you come here the monsters will know and they will attack quicker. Right now they are all...well kind of stupid really. They aren't doing much."
"I see...how long will it take for you to get here?"
"Bianca and Nico are working on a tunnel to take us under the barrier, we should be at camp Jupiter by the afternoon."
"I see...and you said the monsters didn't look like they were moving?"
"No Percy, it's like they are waiting for something."
Percy narrowed his eyes, "they are waiting for Kronos."
"How? Didn't you like take that Golden Fleece thing from him?"
"Yeah...he's up to something. Tell Bianca and Nico to keep at it. If anything happens contact me at once. I don't care about the monster's, I'll make sure nothing happens to you all. Got that Decker?"
Decker nodded, "right...and Percy...there's something else."
"What?" Percy asked curiously.
"In the Dreamworld I....I fought against those enhanced animals and I...I felt something."
Percy sighed, "I figured you would."
"What?" Decker's eyes' shot open, "what do you mean?"
"Those enhanced animals are a part of the wild, Argo," Percy spat out the name, "experimented on them. What you felt was probably the little of the poor animals that was left inside."
Decker sighed, "no Percy, that's not what I mean."
Percy looked surprised, "really? Then what did you mean?"
"I...I think I felt my dad Percy," Decker spoke softly, looking around to see if he was being overheard, "it was just for a second, but I swear it was him! He told me to come find him! He looked hurt Percy, he looked like he was suffering!"
Percy closed his eyes in thought, Decker eagerly waiting for the son of Poseidon's opinion on the matter.
'So that's why so many satyr's are fighting on the titan's side,' Percy realised, 'Argo probably captured Pan and used his powers for his own end...which means...,' Percy spoke up, "it could be a trick."
"It wasn't!" Decker hissed, "you once said you're dad was like a bigger version of you, well that's what this felt like Percy! It was like I staring at myself!"
"Decker calm down," Percy cut the boy short, "I'm not saying I don't believe you, what I'm trying to tell you is that it could be a trap, or at the very least very dangerous."
"But-"
"-Which doesn't mean we aren't going to try and help Pan," Percy cut his protests, "his family Percy, of course we're going to help. But we need more information." Percy thought for a moment before speaking, "how did you find out about Pan last time?"
"I-I connected with one of those enhanced animals, tried to control it with my mind. And when I did I felt my dad, I felt him speak to me."
"How did he sound?"
"Weak."
"Then we have to assume he won't last for long and the little power he does have is probably being used to contact you," Percy cursed, "I always wondered how Argo got so many animals to obey him so easily, guess now I know."
Decker grew furious at Percy's words. The plant life around Decker started to rustle angrily in response to his anger. Percy noticed this and spoke up, "calm down Percy, you need to be calm for this."
Decker nodded as he slowly sighed, "yeah...sorry."
"It's fine," Percy nodded, "listen we have to assume that Pan can't always reach out to talk to you, and that we have limited chances for this to work...for now stay where you are. We'll sort this out after we get the Romans to safety."
"Isn't there something we can do now?" Decker asked, Percy could hear the pain in the boy's voice, he was begging for something, anything that could lead to the rescue of his father.
Percy sighed, "well I suppose we could try and catch some animals. If what you're saying is true and that Pan is somehow forced to control the animals into doing the titans bidding then we can establish a connection with him thought them. Get here as fast as you can Decker, then we can figure out have to catch these things and find out how to save your dad. Alright?"
Decker nodded, determination etched into his face, "alright."
Percy wished the boy well and waved the message away. He turned to see everyone on their way to their assigned slots, even Thalia was with the fifth cohort speaking to her brother who held in his hand the other half of the broken Eagle.
Percy felt sad seeing the beautiful thing broken in half, he had a connection with it, after all he and Thalia did return it home, it stood as a symbol of the union between both camps, but now...well he supposed it still was a symbol of union, just not like before.
Percy realised for the first time since this whole debacle began he had nowhere to be and nothing to do. He had maybe five minutes of free time on his hands and he knew just what to do with it.
He took off into the surrounding forests and ran until he was a mile away. He looked around making sure he was alone and then reached into his inventory and pulled out a crescent shaped device that turned on the moment it left his inventory.
Percy let it go allowing it float above him projecting a screen on a tree trunk before him. Luke appeared on the screen and he did not look pleased.
"Where were you Percy?! I've been trying to contact you for the last hour!"
"We needed to get into position Luke, we couldn't risk the romans being attacked so quickly. I'm sorry I wasn't able to pick up sooner."
