━━ chapter one
secret girl

✿✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑

    ━━It is after Jason Grace's disappearance, that Fiona Midgrass's life changes. Before then, things in her life made sense (well, as much sense as the life of a demigod gets). She trained, and fought, won battles and helped bring her once disgraced cohort to victory that her ancestors would be proud of. Fiona Midgrass was an ambitious girl, and she wanted to be the best of the best, and when Jason Grace was in her cohort, she received just that. She won everything she put her mind to. Fiona made her mother proud in their little mantra: if you don't win at what you put your mind to, then you didn't try hard enough. She was a daughter of Victoria, the goddess of victory, so ... ambition and a must for winning runs in the family.

    But then Jason Grace disappears. And it seems after that point, everything in Fiona's life turns upside down. She loses her battles, the Fifth Cohort was back to being a joke, and she finds out she's not just a legacy, but also the daughter of one of the Big Three━Pluto. Which means (as Nico di Angelo so wonderfully told her), the balance of mortal and god in her blood must even out. She was stronger than most, but also weaker than the rest. Her life was held in the palm of a goddess's watering can (and yes, she means literally). Every day did Fiona check the pomegranate seed in her necklace to make sure it hadn't shrivelled up, and that she was still on Prosperpina's good side. Because if she wasn't ... well, then, Fiona's life just got a lot shorter.

    Fiona did get to have a sister, though. She's never had a sister before. She also got a brother, but it was a strange relationship. Fiona felt like she competing half the time with a dead girl. Which was wrong, but she couldn't help it. The amount of times whenever Nico comes here and almost calls her Bianca is like a punch to her gut. Bianca, Bianca, Bianca. Bianca died, and chose a new life. Bianca, Bianca, Bianca. It felt weird to compete with a ghost, but then again, she is the child of Pluto, so what's new?

    It's easier to have a relationship with Hazel. Mainly because Hazel is nothing like a child of Pluto. She's kind, happy, and an actual sweetheart with a lot of secrets but still a sweetheart. Usually, children of Pluto were like their father and his kingdom: dark and gloomy. Now, Fiona wouldn't call herself dark and gloomy. Perhaps sarcastic, a little ambitious (actually, scratch that, very ambitious and competitive; blame her mother) with a very short temper and a slight taste for the darker humour, but not dark and gloomy. Nico was dark and gloomy, Hazel was mysterious but a sweetheart, Fiona would say she kind of settled in between the two.

    It was actually her short temper that got her on border patrol outside the maintenance tunnel on the highway to Berkeley. Octavian told her that a fifth cohort legionnaire didn't deserve to hold a pugio as her weapon, and so, naturally, she punched him right across the face.

    It was satisfying until she lost that battle and Octavian declared she should be thrown into the Little Tiber for her actions. Reyna gladly, instead, just put her on border patrol for her discipline. But still, it was a loss. A very terrible loss, because it was cold, boring, and did she mention cold?

    Look, she knew she shouldn't have punched Octavian, but he insulted her pugio. It was a weapon usually held by high ranking officers, which she wasn't. But it was a gift from her mother, which had been a gift from her mother. It was engraved with the words victoria, and was supposed to bring victory to whoever brandished it. For a while, it had. And then Jason Grace disapperead ... (she went over this). But the point is, she holds it very close to her heart. She was determined to prove herself to her goddess grandmother. More than she wanted to prove herself to her father. She wanted to win battles that would bring her glory. She wanted to be praetor. She wanted all that glory so Victoria could look down from Olympus, see her granddaughter, and think: yes, I am proud to have her descend from my fruit.

    (And why should she push to prove herself to Pluto? He's the reason why her life is on the line constantly every day. He also made her an outsider at Camp Jupiter, so ... thanks dad?).

    Seeing Fiona storm out of the door, Hazel glanced back. Her gold eyes━like fourteen karate gold━glittered under her cavarly helment. (It was like she was begging for a horse). "Didn't expect you here, Fiona?"

    Grumbling, Fiona pulled out her pugio and sat down not far from Frank (He was bulky for his age, but instead of using it to his advantage, he hid it and used his talents with a bow and arrow instead). She dug it into the ground, scratching roman numerals into the concrete. "Octavian had it coming."

    "What did you do this time?" Frank asked her.

    "I punched his blond, skinny-ass arrogant face into his stupid teddy bear graveyard."

    Both Hazel and Frank gave her disappointed looks. Fiona stared at them. "What? I only punched him once this week!"

    "You shouldn't be punching him any time of the week," murmured Hazel. "I know he's annoying and the worst, but you won't get any higher in the ranks if you keep attacking our augur."

    (She was right, obviously, but Fiona wasn't going to admit that. She wasn't sure whether it was a Pluto trait, or something she learnt off her mother, but she was also very stubborn). Fiona finished scratching in the number fourteen: xiv, and held up her dagger into the light. The hilt had an intricate design of wings and the blade itself gleamed Imperial Gold. The sheath was also intricate in its designs. Like Fiona said, only high officers had a weapon such as this: like Reyna or Octavian. But Fiona's mother gave it to her the day she started her service. She handed it to her with a letter of reference to place her in the fifth cohort, and told her, "A true warrior always starts from the bottom, and makes her way up."

    She loves her Mom, honestly, but sometimes, she can be just a bit intimidating. Maybe that was why Pluto was attracted to her enough to break his oath. (Because, yeah, he did that in Fiona's case. She wasn't from the past like Nico or Hazel, it's why Prosperina is so claws out to her. So is Jupiter, which is just hypocritical. Uh, Jason, hello?)

    Fiona glared out to the highway. She was bored out of her mind. How long as she been here? Because three minutes honestly feels like three hours. It's actually so stupid. Like, she gets it, she's the legacy of Victoria and a daughter of Pluto, which means her battle reflexes are supposed to be naturally good (and they were, until Jason left━she's already explained this!), but why does it have to connect to ADHD? Fiona wants to be able to sit still without fidgeting! She wants to be able to conentrate long enough to count to one hundred without stressing over whether she forgot sixty-six or something. Like come on, was it a joke or something the gods made up? Oh, yes, our children will be warriors, let's give them ADHD and Dyslexia━

    (Wait, is that a person carrying an old lady across the highway with two gorgons following him? What?).

    Fiona immediately stood up. "Am I crazy or do you guys━?"

    "Yep," Frank said. He quickly notched an arrow. "Yep, I see it."

    The boy's eyes widened when he saw Frank's arrow and he shouted, "Wait!"

    But Frank wasn't aiming at him. The arrow flew over the boy's head and hit one of the Gorgons━why are they wearing Bargain Mart stuff?━and it wailed in pain. Hazel readied her spear and gestured frantically for the kid to hurry while Fiona held her dagger out. She soon realised that it would be no use so she joined Hazel by the door.

    (Remember when Fiona said that border patrol was boring? Um ... she takes that back).

    "Gotcha!" the second Gorgon shrieked. She went to grab the kid but Frank let lose another arrow and it thudded into her forehead. She went tumbling into the fast lane where a truck whammed right into her and launched her back a hundred yards. But the gorgon just climbed over the cab, pulled the arrow out of her head, and leapt back into the air.

    Fiona stared. Um ...

    The kid reached the door, "Thanks," he told them, breathless. "Good shot."

    "That should've killed her!" Frank protested.

    "Welcome to my world," muttered the boy.

    The first impression Fiona got of the boy━apart from seeing him carry an old lady across the highway━was that he stunk. Like really bad. He stunk worse than some of the kids at Camp who were children of the sewer god. His arms and legs were covered with dirt. His orange shirt that looked to once have words on it, but had faded away, was ripped almost to shreds showing more dirty chest and abbs (wow, he stinks, but gods does he have abbs). He was tanned, muscular, with dark, black hair that was all over the place━like unruly waves in a storm. His eyes were a sea-green; bright, but also cloudy with a sadness.

    Fiona hated to be that person, but she wondered whether he was actually a god. Because, if she ignored the smell, he sure looked like one.

    "Frank, Hazel," Fiona quickly snapped out of it and gestured to the door. "We gotta get them inside, quick! Those are gorgons."

    "Gorgons?" Frank squeaked. "Will the door hold them?"

    In the kids arms, the old lady chuckled. "No, no it won't. Onward, Percy Jackson! Through the tunnel, over the river!"

    "Percy Jackson?" Hazel frowned. "Okay, you're obviously a demigod. But who's the━?" she glanced at the old lady, before shaking her head. "Never mind. Just get inside. I'll hold them off."

    "Hazel," Frank argued. "Don't be crazy."

    Fiona tugged his arm, "She'll be fine, come on!"

    Frank cursed in Latin, something about underpants and opened the door. He, Fiona and the new kid Percy Jackson (and his old lady) ran into the tunnel that cut through solid rock. At first, the road to Camp Jupiter looked like a normal maitenance tunnel, with electrical cables, warning signs, the like. But as they ran deeper into the hillside, the cement floor changed to tile mosaic. The lights became reed torches, burning but not smoking. A few hundred yards ahead, was a square of daylight. Home, Fiona thought.

    Behind them, the gorgon's voices echoed in the tunnel. Fiona heard Hazel shout, and the entire tunnel shook with the rumble of falling stone. Percy Jackson glanced back, a little concerned.

    "Shouldn't we check on Hazel?" he asked.

    "She'll be okay━I hope," Frank said.

    Fiona nodded and continued to surge forward. "She'll be fine. She's good underground. Just keep moving! We're almost there."

    "Almost where?"

    The lady in his arms chuckled once again. "All roads lead there, child. You should know that."

    "Detention?"

    "Rome, child," said the old woman. "Rome."

    Fiona began to wonder what this old woman's deal was. Why is she here? Why is this kid Percy Jackson carrying her? Yes, she's heard stories of men carrying old women out of the kindness of their hearts across the road, but like, she's annoying and has no relevance whatsoever.

     They kept running. The glow at the end of the tunel grew brighter, and finally, they burst into sunlight. Fiona felt a breath escape her lips in seeing her home. It was a beautiful place, with the Little Tiber running along with multiple stone bridges arching across it. Right before them was the fortress, where they all slept and got their weapons and such. Further up was Temple Hill, and then over to the left was New Rome, a brillaint assortment of red-tiled roofs and white columns. A safe-haven. The only safe-haven for people like them.

    "Camp Jupiter," Frank explained to the new kid. "We'll be safe once━"

    Footsteps echoed in the tunnel behind them. Hazel burst into the light. She was covered with stone dust and breathing hard. She had lost her helmet, and so her curly brown hair fell around her shoulders. Her armour had long slash marks in front from the claws of a gorgon. She was also tagged with a 50 per cent off sticker, which Fiona found very strange. (But then again, they were monsters, so, she's gotten used to it).

    "I slowed them down," she said, accepting the high-five Fiona held up (hey, she's a legacy of Victoria and Hazel's sister, she will celebrate her victories even if she can't have any of her own anymore). "But they'll be here any second."

    Frank cursed. "We have to get across the river."

    The old lady squeezed Percy Jackson's neck tighter. "Oh, yes please! I can't get my dress wet."

    Fiona held back from saying, you call that a dress?

    Percy stumbled a few times as they ran for the river. Fiona, Frank and Hazel kept him on his feet. They reached the river bank, and Percy Jackson stopped to catch his breath.

    "Go," Frank nocked two arrows at once. "Escort Percy so the sentries don't shoot him. It's my turn to hold off the baddies."

    Fiona went to object, mainly because she wanted to have a go at fighting the monsters. But then she realised she would probably lose knowing her luck, so she just nodded and she and Hazel waded into the stream.

    Percy started to follow, but he hesitated. Fiona stopped halfway through the Little Tiber with water lapping at her calves to glance back and frown. "What are you doing, Jackson?"

    The lady in his arms clicked her tongue sympathetically. "The Little Tiber," she said. "It flows with the power of the original Tiber, river of the empire. This is your last chance to back out, child. The mark of Achilles is a Greek blessing. You can't retain it if you cross into Roman territory. The Tiber will wash it away."

    Fiona's frown deepend. A Greek blessing? Why does this kid have a Greek blessing?

    Percy stared at the water, tired, "If I cross, I won't have iron skin anymore?"

    The old lady smiled. "So, what will it be? Safety, or a future of pain and possibility?"

    Behind them, the gorgons screeched as they flew from the tunnel. Frank let his arrows fly. Fiona had had enough of the old lady's talk and shouted, "Gods, Jackson, hurry up! Come on!"

    Up on the watchtowers, horns blew. The sentries shouted and swivelled their crossbows towards the gorgons.

    Percy finally forged into the river. Fiona nodded and continued. Reaching the other end, she was glad to be out of the water. Her feet were much better on solid ground without the possibility of Neptune drowing her because her father decided to break his oath.

    Percy reached the otherside and put the old woman down as the camp's gates opened. Dozens of campers in armour poured out. Hazel glanced back, turning with a relieved smile. Then she looked over Percy's shoulder, and her expression changed to horror. "Frank!"

    Fiona swivelled around, and her stomach clenched. Frank was halfway across the river when the gorgons caught him. They swooped out of the sky and grabbed him by either arm. He screamed in pain as their claws dug into his skin.

    Fiona found him sometimes annoying, a bit clumsy and always the source of trouble. But he was begrudgingly her friend because he's Hazel's friend, and so, she's grown attatched to his face and sometimes random quips. She didn't want him to be scratched by gorgons.

    The sentries yelled, but they wouldn't be able to get a clear shot without killing Frank. Fiona gripped her dagger, ready to charge into the water with everyone else, but she knew full well she would be too late.

    And then the craziest thing happened.

    Percy Jackson thrust out his hands, and the Little Tiber erupted.

    Giant, watery hands burst out from the river. They copied Percy's movements, grabbing the gorgons, who dropped Frank in surprise. Fiona's lips parted, both in fear and awe as the hands lifted the sqawking monsters in a liquid vice brip. Percy made a smashing gesture with his fists, and the giant hands plunged the gorgons into the Little Tiber. The monsters hit bottom and broke into dust, struggling to re-form, but the river pulled them apart like a blender. Soon, every trace of the monsters was swept downstream. The whirlpools vanished, and the current returned to normal.

    Percy Jackson stood on the river bank. His clothes and skin steamed━as if the Tiber's waters had given him an acid bath.

    Fiona was frozen━much like the rest of her fellow campers━agape and staring at Percy. She's never seen ... he just ... how did he ...?

    In the middle of the Tiber, Frank stumbled around, looking stunned but perfectly fine. Hazel waded out and helped him ashore. But Fiona kept staring at Percy, bewildered at what she had just witnessed. The only one unfazed, was his old lady passenger.

    "Well, that was a lovely trip," she said. "Thank you, Percy Jackson, for bringing me to Camp Jupiter."

    Reyna━their Prateor and daughter of Bellona━made a choking sound. Her dark eyes, like obsidian, widened at the sight of him. "Percy ... Jackson?"

    She sounded as if she recognised his name, which confused Fiona.

    The old lady laughed in delight. "Oh, yes. You'll have such fun together!"

    Then, the old lady began to glow and change form. Fiona stumbled back slightly, watching her grow until she was a shining seven-foot-tall goddess in a blue dress, with a goat's skin cloak over her shoulders. Her face was stern and stately, clutching in her hand a staff topped with a lotus flower.

    The old lady was Juno, Queen of the Heavens.

    Immediately, the campers around them━including Fiona, Frank and Hazel━stumbled to kneel. One kid got down so hasilty he almost impaled himself on his sword; some third cohort idiot. Fiona had a feeling he was a child of Mercury.

    Hazel was the first to speak. "Juno."

    The ony person yet to kneel was Percy. Fiona gave him a glance, motioning him to follow and kneel, but he stubbonly stood, narrowing his gaze at the goddess "Juno, huh?" he said. "If I passed your test, can I have my memory and life back?"

    (Does this kid have a death wish?).

    The goddess smiled. "In time, Percy Jackson, if you succeed here at camp. You've done well today, which is a good start. Perhaps there's hope for you yet." She turned to the campers, her reflection shimmering in the waters of the Little Tiber. "Romans, I present to you the son of Neptune. For months he has been slumbering, but now he is awake. HIs fate is in your hands. The Feast of Fortune comes quickly, and Death must be unleashed if you are to stand any hope in the battle. Do not fail me!"

    Juno shimmered and disappeared. Percy looked at Fiona, Hazel and Frank for some kind of explanation, but they couldn't give him one. Fiona felt her stomach churn again. She rembered the chats she has had with Nico and Hazel about the problems in the Underworld at the moment ... she hoped that that wasn't what Juno meant.

     Reyna stepped forward. She examined Percy warily. Fiona knew that look. She wanted to run him through with her dagger, which Fiona was sure would be a sight to see. But why? "So," she said coldly, "a son of Neptune, who comes to us with the blessing of Juno."

    "Look," said Percy, "my memory's a little fuzzy. Um, it's gone, actually. Do I know you?"

    Reyna hesitated. "I am Reyna, praetor of the Twelfth Legion. And ... no, I don't know you."

    Even Fiona could tell those were lies. She stood up, frowning next to Hazel. Reyna turned to the two girls. "Hazel, Fiona, bring him inside. I want to question him at the principia. Then we'll send him to Octavian. We must consult the auguries before we decide what to do with him."

    "What do you mean, decide what to do with me?" Percy frowned.

    Reyna's fingers gripped the hilt of her dagger tighter. She wasn't used to having her orders questioned. Fiona arched a brow at Percy. He had guts. She was slightly impressed (not that she already wasn't impressed by his showcase just moments before). "Before we accept anyone into camp, we must interrogate them and read the auguries. Juno said your fate is in our hands. We have to know whether the goddess has brought us a new recruit..."

    Reyna studied Percy as if she found that doubtful.

    "Or," she said more hopefully, "if she's brought us an enemy to kill."

　✿✼:*ﾟ:༅。.。༅:*·ﾟﾟ·⭑

    a/n: first chapter, dONE!

    (What have I done?)

    Anyway, happy 2021! (At least, where I am). Let's hope this year will be better than the last. Starting with a new fic, it would seem ahaha. also, like, i already love fiona. she and claire are my sassy-i-will-murder-you-but-i'm-still-cute babies. also can i say, fiona's first description of percy omg. she's already head over heels i cAN'T.

    (this is only slightly edited so if there are any mistakes i is sorry).

      UPDATE; Sep, 2021: I am working through and fixing Frank's descriptions and dialogue stemming from Rick's problematic writing that I didn't realise I had in my own. I'm really sorry for it being offensive, that wasn't my intentional at all, so I'm going ahead and fixing these chapters.