"It's not every day a king graces us with his presence," Julia spoke in a teasing tone.
"Please don't call me that," Percy tapped the crown, "stupid thing."
"You can't really blame them Percy," she argued, "they are in awe of what you did for them. The way you fought back Saturn, I mean Kronos, the way you fought him off, it was nothing short of a legend from old."
"How do they even know about that?" Percy asked, "didn't we send most of them back here before the battle?"
Julia looked surprised, "you mean you don't know?"
"Know what?"
"Morpheus did send them back, but they were still asleep. They watched the entire war from a third person's perspective. They saw everything Percy, they were there when you were crowned king, and didn't object when Morpheus asked them."
Percy looked stunned, "r-really? But I thought...damn." Percy hung his head, feeling the crown become even heavier knowing that the entire city had essentially put it on his head.
Julia saw the weight on Percy and sighed, "I'm sorry Percy, I suppose in a way this is my fault."
"What are you talking about?" asked the surprised demigod.
"Morpheus...before the battle he asked me why I, a praetor of Rome, would willingly follow a greek demigod son of Neptune. I told him it was because I had faith in you...that you would be the one to save us, to guide us through the war. I told him how much I believe in you and...I think that's what pushed him to do what he did."
Percy stopped, Julia mirroring his actions. He looked into her eyes and she into his. After a moment he sighed, "well, now I really can't fuck up. I mean if the you belive in me then I would be an asshole to through that faith away."
Julia smiled as Percy took the lead, her following in his footsteps. She looked at him and felt a pang in her heart. She didn't have to be a daughter of Venus to know it was love, and she didn't have to use her godly powers to know that it would never work out. Julie found herself cursing the fact Thalia got to him first, it really wasn't fair.
They reached the steps of the Senate and found the marble steps to be filling with the people of New Rome. Everyone was here, the shopkeepers, the workers, the teachers. Everyone came and waited at the steps, and when Percy approached they parted like the Red Sea, opening his path towards the Senate door.
As Percy walked inside he could feel their eyes trailing him, their hopes, their hate, sometimes it sucked having empathic powers.
Percy pushed open the doors of the senate and was immediately bombarded by the sounds of the senators and high ranking legionnaires arguing with each other. They looked ready to start throwing around more than just insults when Percy stepped in.
Immediately they all stopped and turned to him. They watched as he and Julia walked up to the stage and stand in the center before everyone else. The stands were packed, the seats were all filled, people even stood in the aisles, alongs the sides, in the back and even more were peeping inside form the open doors.
"Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears," Percy began smirking as they realised the play he was ripping off.
"Stop quoting Shakespeare!" someone yelled out causing everyone else to laugh.
Percy chuckled as well, "right, right sorry. But you all looked so tense I couldn't help it. Plus I have always wanted to say that," he smiled causing them to chuckle once more.
After a moment he spoke once more, "but I didn't just pick those lines by accident, nor was it because it was the only lines I knew about Rome. It was because that play resembles the situation right now very much. Where Caesar was rumored to be crowned emperor of Rome, where Brutus, who loved Rome far more than he loved Caesar, stabbed his friend with those who hated him."
The senators looked ready to protest, but one sharp glare from Percy silenced them, forcing them to shut up and listen.
"Brutus came to the people of Rome and made his case, claiming how he only did it because Caesar grew greedy and was planning on robbing Rome of its democracy. And then Anthony came and proved how everything Brutus just said was a pile of pegasus shit."
No one laughed that time, they were too focused on him to do anything else.
"I'm not here to rule over you. I am not here to be a fucking emperor of a king. I hate authority, even my fellow greek demigods consider it a joke, I am their friend, not their king. I don't wish to rule, only to protect. I'm not going to order you people to do anything, but I will tell you this. Saturn is coming, and we can't stop his army as we are right now.
We have only one option, to run and live to fight another day."
"You want us to run like cowards?!" a senator asked enraged, "we are Romans! We stand and fight!"
Percy narrowed his eyes at the man. He was fat and balding, he didn't look like he had fought anything except a burrito for lunch.
"Julia," Percy turned to the Praetor, "did this senator stay and fight with us in the Dreamworld? Did he stand and fight against the titan's army like a proper Roman?"
The Praetor caught onto Percy's scheme quick. "No Percy, he did not."
Percy nodded before turning to the senator who was now gulping in fear, "what right do you have to send all these people to death when you yourself would sooner turn and run away? Why should they die for your ego?"
The senator could feel the eyes of the people in the room turn to him, he quietly sat down, refusing to meet Percy's narrowed eyes.
The newly crowned king turned to the people before him, "I don't want to be your king. I don't want to be anything more than a demigod, hell some days I don't even want to be a demigod. Some days I curse the day my parents meet, and those days are the worst. And that's when I look to my friends, to my girlfriend and I realise why it was all worth it. I'm going to fight for you, I have no intention of robbing your freedom. That is all."
Percy stepped aside, motioning Julia to step forward. The praetor cleared her throat, "we don't have much time, as Percy says we cannot stand up to him, not now, most are still exhausted from the battle in the Dreamworld. We need to move, fast. I propose unto the Senate a motion to relocate New Rome."
The people exploded into whispers, each talking to their loved ones on what they should do. As they spoke Edgar got up and walked onto the stage. He cleared his throat silencing them all.
"We have no choice Romans, the monsters that are at our door will not stop until we are all dead and sent up the Styx. We must move."
"It will take us at least four days to move!" a woman argue holding her infant daughter in her hands, "we can't hold them off for that long!"
"No, we can't," Percy agreed turning everyone's attention to him, "but we won't need to. First you will all need to break down New Rome and I can carry it for you."
"How will you do that?" another civilian asked.
Percy sighed "I have a gift from the Fates, it allows me to store items away in a pocket dimension for later use. The only requirement is that I am able to carry the item to store them away."
"How much can you carry?" another one asked.
Percy grinned, "dude, you have no idea." More and more questions came at Percy regarding his abilities, and he answered them all. It took him half an hour, but eventually the Romans agreed. They quickly went about breaking down their city, they focused on the big government buildings first, like the college, the schools, the senate, before going to the housing areas.
It was honestly amazing for Percy to see them work so efficiently like that. It was almost magical the way everyone knew exactly what needed to be done and did it as a single unit.
But Percy and Julia couldn't stay, they left the civilians to do their part while returning to the fort to do theirs.
"That was quite a speech Percy," Julia told him as they entered the Roman fort, which was also not being slowly dismantled. The defensible locations were kept, like bunkers and armories, but everything else, like the baths, the shops, the now empty stables were all gone.
"Thanks, it was something I figured you guys would react to well."
"Did you make it up on the spot?"
Percy shrugged, "kind off, I thought about along the way really. Just kind of came to me."
Julia whistled, "impressive."
Percy nodded, "thanks", 'but not if you have my kind of WIS score'.
They entered a giant red tent, which now served as their base. The praetor office had already been torn down, it was after all just for show and not really important. This took it's place.
Percy and Julia entered finding Rob, Thalia and Zoe waiting for them looking over a topographical map of camp Jupiter.
"How did it go?" Thalia asked smiling at Percy.
"As well as it could have gone," he sighed as she walked over to him, placing a gentle kiss on his lips.
Thalia ruffled his hair, "relax sea brain, you can't have everything easy can you?"
Percy snorted, "whatever you say, Sparky."
"You are so going to pay for that," Thalia shot back. Zoe looked on in utter surprise. What the little she had spoke with Thalia Grace she had found a strong independent woman, but now she was no better than a puppy wrapped around Jackson's fingers. Zoe narrowed her eyes, she didn't like this, not one bit.
"How soon before the civilians are evacuated?" Rob asked.
"Soon," Julia nodded, "everything will be packed by the end of the day."
Percy sighed as he and Thalia stepped up to the table, "that's too long. Can't they hurry it up?"
"No Percy, they can't," Julia sighed, "at the worst case scenario we will have to leave certain things behind, like businesses and luxury homes, taking with us only what we need."
Percy nodded, "agreed. And if you want I can come back here at a later date and move everything, that is if Kronos leaves anything behind."
Rob growled, "look let's not go there. Let's focus on the here and now. Do we know when he's attacking?"
Thalia shook her head, "no, Hermes squad just managed to escape their notice and are making their way here, but before they left it just looked like the Titans aren't doing much."
"What do we know about the army we face?" Zoe asked.
Percy took out the list he got from Lee and gave it to her, "here."
She read it over and cursed, [fucking Hades we are screwed.]
Percy chuckled, "couldn't agree more."
"We can't give up faith," Julia argued, "we don't need to fight them, just hold them back long enough."
"And how exactly do you expect us to retreat?" Rob asked, "we can't get away fast enough Julia."
"I think we can help with that," Thalia spoke up, "I asked the Demetre kids and Castor to make more ropes for use. If Percy can tie it from one end of the labyrinth to the other we could use the Labyrinth as a way to retreat."
"That's a dangerous plan," Rob warned, "I have heard stories about that place. We can't afford to lose men inside."
"If we don't do this then everyone dies Rob," Julia warned, "we have no choice." the son of Mars argued some more, but eventually gave in to the smarter Praetor.
"We need a plan of defence," Zoe spoke, "there is a lot of ways the Titans could vanquish us."
"Agreed," Percy nodded as they looked over the map, "I had a few suggestions."
It was decided that the main focus of worry for them would be the giants and Gregoras the Titan's possessed. They would be the most dangerous opponents and would probably be used for as a tank to break through their defences.
Luckily the Romans' cannons and catapults could take care of them.
Trenches would also have to be dug up, and traps, pitfalls, arrow volleys, the works. Zoe volunteered the hunters for the trap designing, after all those girls did know a thing or two about them.
Just as they laid down the final plans for defence a legionnaire came charging in. "Ma'am! Sir! You need to come quick!"
The entire tent went tense. "What is it Greg?" Rob asked grabbing his blade's handle, "are they here already?"
"No sir," Greg said smiling, "it's the civilians!"
The Praetors grew worried as they quickly ran out with Percy, Thalia and Zoe following suit. They stopped outside the gates of the fort where standing in neatly arranged rows were the adults of New Rome wearing the armour and weapons they were bestowed upon in the Dreamworld by Ares and Aphrodite.
Julia looked confused, "what is this?"
"We couldn't just let you have all the glory now could we?" one legionnaire said as he took off his helmet revealing Saito underneath. The scientist looked aged and tired, but he also looked ready for battle. He had strange white tools strapped to his belt, and something told Percy they weren't computers.
"Saito? What's going on here?" Rob asked, "what are you all doing here?"
"Well a bunch of us got together and realised we all still had a part to play in the battle," Saito smirked, "we wish to rejoin the roman army sir. If you'll have us."
Julia and Rob were stunned, amazed and stunned. Fighting in the Dreamworld was one thing, it was a matter of survival. But rejoining the army and risking your own life? Well that was another thing entirely.
Julia smiled, breaking out of her stunned surprise, "then I would gladly have you all. Welcome back, sixth cohort."
"Aye!" the cheered. The title was temporary and didn't mean much. But it was feeling of pride that it aroused which was important.
Julia and Rob set out to quickly assign the newly rejoined legionnaires. Most were simply sent back to New Rome to help with the dismantling while the others were assigned to sentry duty, especially those who were legacies of Apollo.
Thalia, Percy and Zoe stayed back for most of this, simply watching them all at work. Eventually though they grew bored.
"I shall return to the Hunters," Zoe informed the couple before nodding to them and leaving.
Percy narrowed his eyes, he felt like he was forgetting something, but for the life of him he couldn't remember what it was. Just then his hand graced his jeans, feeling Riptide and Waverider inside and it hit him.
"Thalia, I'll meet up with you and the others later," Percy kissed her forehead, "there's something I have to do."
Thalia looked at Zoe and smirked, "you do realise she'd take a vow of chastity right?"
Percy rolled his eyes, "oh shut up you," Thalia giggled as she gave him a kiss and left, allowing Percy to catch up with Zoe. "Zoe! We need to talk."
The lieutenant of the Hunters turned around, "about what?"
"About this?" Percy reached into his pocket and pulled out Riptide, he flicked the cap open revealing its true form. The bronze shined in the sun, it's metal polished like the day he stole it from Chion. And upon seeing it's from Zoe gasped in recognition.
