━━ chapter twenty-three
terminus does not like rule breakers!

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    ━━Four hours.

    That's how long it took.

    Four Gods dam hours for Arion to get from Alaska to San Francisco Bay, heading straight over the water down the North-west Coast. It was impressive, but Percy was hella nervous for what they would arrive to. Destruction? Death? Carnage? All of the above?

    That's also how long it took for Percy's memory to return completely. The process had started in Portland when he had drunk the gorgon's blood, but his past life had still been maddeningly fuzzy. Now, as they headed back to the Olympian gods' territory, Percy remembered everything: the war with Kronos; his sixteenth birthday at Camp Half-Blood; his trainer Chiron the centaur; his best friend, Grover (who was obsessed with enchiladas); his brother, Tyson; and his other best friend, Annabeth. Best friend. No girlfriend. No boyfriend. Just friends. Which meant that he was perfectly free to date the girl beside him (who kissed him, by the way! Which was great!). But despite that good news that Fiona might just be his girlfriend, he was still annoyed. Eight months of his life was stolen. Next time Percy saw the Queen of Olympus, he was definitely going to give her a goddess-sized slap upside the head. His friends and family must be going out of their minds. If Camp Jupiter was in such bad trouble, he could only guess what Camp Half-Blood must be facing without him.

    Even worse: saving both camps would only be the beginning. According to Alcyoneus, the real war would happen far away, in the homeland of the gods. The giants intended to attack the original Mount Olympus and destroy the gods forever. Percy knew that the giants couldn't die unless demigods and gods fought them together. Nico had told him that. Fiona had mentioned it once or twice. Annabeth had mentioned it, too, back in August, when she'd speculated that the giants might be apart of the new Great Prophecy━what the Romans called the Prophecy of Eight (That was the downside of being best friends with the smartest girl at camp: you learn stuff). But he understood Hera's (Juno's━whatever, he couldn't give an ass about her) plan unite the Roman and Greek demigods to create an elite team of heroes, then somehow convince the gods to fight alongside them. But first, they had to save Camp Jupiter.

    The coastline began to look familiar. They raced past the Mendocino lighthouse. Shortly afterwards, Mount Tam and the Marin headlands loomed out of the fog. Arion shot straight under the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco Bay. They tore through Berkely and into the Oakland Hills. When they reached the hilltop above the Caldecott Tunnel, Arion shuddered like a broken car and came to a stop, his chest heaving.

    Hazel patted his sides lovingly, "You did great, Arion."

    The horse was too tired even to cuss: Of course I did great. What did you expect?

    Percy, Fiona and Frank jumped off the chariot. Percy wished there'd been comfortale seats or an in-flight meal. His legs were wobbly. His joints were so stiff he could barely walk. If he went into battle like this, the enemy would call him Old Man Jackson. But he didn't complain, because Fiona looked like she was about to drop dead from exhaustion right then and there, but she still held her ground, looking stunning in the sunset. She kissed me!

    Frank didn't look much better. He hobbled to the top of the hill and peered down at the camp. "Guys ... you need to see this."

    When Percy, Fiona and Hazel joined him, Percy's heart sank. He heard Fiona breath out a distraught, "No..." from beside him. The battle had begun, and it wasn't going well. The Twelfth Legion was arrayed on the Field of Mars, trying to protect the city. Scorpions fired into the ranks of the Earthborn. Hannibal the elephant ploughed down monsters right and left, but the defenders were badly outnumbered. On her pegasus Scipio, Reyna flew around the giant Polybotes, trying to keep him occupied. The Lares had formed shimmering purple lines against a mob of black, vaporous shades in ancient armour. Veteran demigods from the city had joined the battle, pushing their shield wall against an onslaught of wild centaurs. When Percy felt Fiona grab his hand, he figured she had seen her mother amongst them. Giant eagles circled the battlefield, doing arial combat with two snake-haired ladies in green Bargain Mart vests━Stheno and Euryale.

   (Ah! Percy thought sarcastically. Long time no see!)

    The legion itself was taking the brunt of the attack, but their formation was breaking. Each cohort was an island in a sea of enemies. The Cyclopes' siege tower shot glowing green cannonballs into the city, blasing craters in the forum, reducing houses to ruins. (Fiona held his hand tighter at this). As Percy watched, a cannonball hit the Senate House and the dome partially collapsed.

    "We're too late," murmured Hazel.

    "No," Percy shook his head. "They're still fighting. We can do this."

    "Where's Lupa?" Frank asked, desperate. "She and the wolves ... they should be here."

    He didn't think she would be here anyway. Lupa's first rule was self-sufficiency. She would help her children as much as she could, train them to fight━but in the end they were either predator or prey. Romans had to fight for themselves. They had to prove their worth or die. That was Lupa's way.

    "She did what she could," said Percy. "She slowed down the army on its way south. Now it's up to us. We've got to get the gold eagle and these weapons to the legion."

    "But Arion is out of steam!" Hazel said. "We can't haul this stuff ourselves."

    "Maybe we don't have to," Percy scanned the hilltops. If Tyson had got his dream message in Vancouver, they might be in luck. Raising his fingers, he whistled as loud as he could━a good New York cab whistle that would've been heard all the way from Times Square to Central Park.

    Shadows rippled in the trees. A huge black shape bounded out of nowhere━a mastiff the size of an SUV, with a Cyclops and a harpy on her back.

    "Hellhound!" Frank scrambled backwards. Fiona let go of Percy's hand and immediately went to attack, but he stopped her with a grin.

    "It's okay!" said Percy. "These are friends!"

    "Brother!" Tyson climbed off and ran towards Percy. Percy tried to brace himself, but it was no good. Tyson slammed into him and smothered him in a hug. For a few seconds, Percy could only see black spots and lots of flannel. Then Tyson let go and laughed with delight, looking Percy over with a massive (and tearful) baby brown eye. "You are not dead!" he said. "I like it when you are not dead!"

    Ella fluttered to the ground and began preening her feathers. "Ella found a dog," she announced. "A large dog. And a Cyclops."

    Was she blushing? Before Percy could decide, his black mastiff pounced on him, knocking Percy to the ground and barking so loudly that even made Arion jump. "Hey, Mrs O'Leary," said Percy, laughing. "Yeah, I love you, too, girl. Good dog."

    Hazel made a squeaking sound. "You have a hellhound name Mrs O'Leary?"

    "And she's your pet?" added Fiona, looking quite stunned.

    Percy hoped it was impressing her.

    "Long story," he managed to get to his feet and wipe off the dog slobber. "You guys can ask your brother..." his voice wavered when he saw Fiona and Hazel's expressions. He'd almost forgotten that Nico di Angelo was missing. They had told him what Thanatos had said about searching for the Doors of Death in Rome, and Percy was anxious to find Nico for his own reasons━to wring the kid's neck for having pretended he didn't know Percy when he first came to camp. Well, he would do it, nicely, considering Nico was also his new girlfriend's (well, they weren't together yet, that conversation was for later, but━like━he's her girlfriend) brother, and that would not be the best way to stay in Fiona's good books. But finding him was (also) a conversation for another time.

    "Sorry," he said gently. "But, yeah, this is my dog, Mrs O'Leary. Tyson━these are my friends, Fiona, Frank and Hazel." Percy turned to Ellla, who was counting all the barbs in one of her feathers. "Are you okay?" he asked. "We were worried about you."

    "Ella is not strong," she said. "Cyclopes are strong. Tyson found Ella. Tyson took care of Ella."

    Percy raised his eyebrows. Ella was blushing. A grin returned to his face as he turned to his baby brother, "Tyson," he taunted, "you big charmer, you."

    Tyson turned the same colour as Ella's feathers. "Um ... No," he leaned down and whispered nervously, loud enough for all the others to hear: "She is pretty."

    Frank tapped his head like he was afraid his brain had short-circuited. "Anyway, there's this battle happening."

    "Right," agreed Percy. "Tyson, where's Annabeth? Is any other help coming?"

    Tyson pouted. "The big ship is not ready. Leo says tomorrow, maybe two days. Then they will come."

    "We don't have two minutes," Percy sighed, but quickly got his brain together. He had to save this place. "Okay, here's the plan."

    As quickly as possible, he pointed out which were the good guys and bad guys on the battlefield. Tyson was alarmed to learn that bad Cyclopes and bad centaurs were in the giant's army. "I have to hit pony-men?"

    "Just scare them away," Percy promised.

    "Um, Percy?" Frank frowned at Tyson with trepidation. "I just ... don't want our friend here getting hurt. Is Tyson a fighter?"

    Percy smiled. "Is he a fighter? Frank, you're looking at General Tyson of the Cyclops army. And, by the way, Tyson, Frank is a descendant of Poseidon."

    "Brother!" Tyson crushed Frank in a hug.

    Percy stifled a laugh. "Actually he's more like a great-great ... oh, never mind. Yeah, he's your brother!"

    "Thanks," Frank mumbled through a mouthful of flannel. "But if the legion mistakes Tyson for an enemy━"

    "Oh, easy fix," Fiona reached into the chariot and dug out the largest Roman helmet she could find, plus an old Roman banner embroidered with SPQR. She handed them to Tyson. "Put those on, General Tyson of the Cyclops army━" Tyson was very happy with her calling him that, Percy couldn't help but smile despite the sitation they were in. "Then our friends will know you're on our team!"

    "Yay!" Tyson said. "I'm on your team!"

   The helmet was ridiculously small, and he put the cape on backwards, like a SPQR baby bib.

    "It'll do," said Percy. "Ella, just stay here. Stay safe."

    "Safe," Ella repeated. "Ella likes being safe. Safety in numbers. Safety deposit boxes. Ella will go with Tyson."

    "What?" Percy blinked. That wasn't what he━ "Oh ... fine. Whatever. Just don't get hurt. And Mrs O'Leary━?"

    "ROOOF!"

    "How do you feel about pulling a chariot?"

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    ━━Mrs O'Leary felt great about pulling a chariot.

   They were━without a doubt━the strangest reinforcements in Roman military history. Hazel rode Arion, who had recovered enough to carry one person at normal horse speed, though he cursed about his aching hooves all the way downhill. Frank transformed into a bald eagle━which Percy still found totally unfair, by the way━and soared above them. Tyson ran down the hill, waving his club and yelling, "Bad pony-men! BOO!" while Ella fluttered around him, reciting facts from the Old Farmer's Almanac. As for Percy and Fiona, well, they rode Mrs O'Leary into battle with a chariot full of Imperial gold equipment clanking and clinking behind, the golden eagle standard of the Twelfth Legion raised high above them. Fiona had her arms around his waist, which, in a battle, was not something to focus on, but he focused on it for a second and was very happy. She was so tiny and so vicious and violent and smart and pretty━

   Focus! his common sense told him.

    But Fiona, he whined.

    Focus!

    They skirted the perimeter of the camp and took the northernmost bridge over the Little Tiber, charging onto the Field of Mars at the western edge of battle. A horde of Cyclopes were hamming away at the campers of the Fifth Cohort, who were trying to keep their shields locked to just stay alive. Seeing them in trouble, Percy felt a surge of protective rage. These were the kids who'd taken him in. This was his family.

    He shouted, "Fifth Cohort!" and slammed into the nearest Cyclops. The last things the monster saw were Mrs O'Leary's teeth.

    After the monster disintegrated━and stayed disintegrated, thanks to Death━Percy and Fiona leaped off Mrs O'Leary and slashed widely through the other monsters. Percy could barely keep an eye on where Fiona was, because she was nothing but a blur, but he saw Cyclopes wail and scream when a dagger all of a sudden appeared in their necks, or their calves, or their stomachs, or arms ... Fiona with her momentum could jump up their backs like they were stepping stones and leap across to the next once she was finished with her last. Tyson charged at the Cyclops leader, Ma Gasket, her chain-mail dress splattered with mud and decorated with broken spears. She gawked, "Who━" Tyson hit her on the head so hard she spun in a circle and landed on her backsie. "Bad Cyclops Lady!" he bellowed. "General Tyson says GO AWAY!" he hit her again, and she broke out into dust. Meanwhile Hazel charged around on Arion, slicing her spatha through one Cyclops after another, while Frank blinded the enemies with his talons.

   Once every Cyclops within fifty yards had been reduced to ashes, Frank landed in front of his troops and transformed into a human. His centurion's badge and Mural Crown gleamed on his winter jacket. "Fifth Cohort!" he bellowed. "Get your Imperial gold weapons right here!"

    Fiona reappeared next to Percy with a flash and helped him as the campers recovered from their shock, mobbing the chariot. Percy and Fiona did their best to hand out equipment quicly.

   "Let's go, let's go!" Dakota urged, grinning like a madman as he swigged red Kool-Aid from his flask. "Our comrades need help!"

    Soon the Fifth Cohort was equipped with new weapons and shields and helmets. They weren't exactly consistent. In fact, they looked like they had been shopping at a King Midas clearance sale. But they were suddenly the most powerful cohort in the legion.

    "Follow the eagle!" Frank ordered. "To battle!"

    Fiona rejoined Percy up on Mrs O'Leary as the campers cheered, and they charged onward. The entire cohort followed━forty extremely shiny gold-plated warriors screaming for blood. They slammed into a herd of wild centaurs that were attacking the Third Cohort. When the campers of the Third saw the eagle standard, they shouted with cries of courage and fought with renewed effort. The centaurs didn't stand a chance━the two cohorts crushed them. Soon, there was nothing left but piles of monster dust and assorted hooves and horns. Percy hoped Chiron would forgive them, but these centaurs weren't like the Party Ponies he had met before. They were some other breed. They had to be defeated.

    "Form ranks!" the centurions shouted. The two cohorts came together, their military training kicking in. Shields locked, they marched into battle against the Earthborn.

    Frank shouted. "Pila!"

    A hundred spears bristled. He yelled, "Fire!" and they sailed through the air, a wave of death cutting through the six-armed monsters. The campers drew their swords and advanced towards the centre of the battle. With one hand around Percy's waist, and the other extended out, he saw Fiona clench her hand into a fist, and he watched, amazed as the whole army of shades wailed in agony, shrivelling into black fire and vapour━melting and dissolving through the ground. It took a lot out of her, and she was already exhausted as it was. But that didn't stop her from defending her home. Percy found himself a little terrified of her━watching her brown eyes blaze with fury and her hair fly in the wind. But she was beautiful. Insanely beautiful.

    At the base of the aqueduct, the First and Second Cohorts were trying to encircle Polybotes now that the shades had metled away, but they were still taking a pounding. The remaining Earthborn threw barrage after barrage of stone and mud. Karpoi grain spirits were rushing through the tall grass abducting campers at random, pulling them away from the line. The giant himself kept shaking basilisks out of his hair. Every time one landed, the Romans panicked and ran. Judging from their corroded shields and smoking plumes on their helmets, they had already learned that the snakes could breath poison and fire.

    Reyna soared above the giant, diving in with her javelin whenever he turned his attention to the ground troops. Her purple cloak snapped in the wind. Her golden armour gleamed. Polybotes jabbed his trident and swung his weighted net, but Scipio was almost as nimble as Arion. But then, Reyna noticed the Fifth Cohort making their way over. She was so stunned that the giant almost swatted her out of the air, but Scipio dodged. Reyna locked eyes with Percy and gave him a huge smile.

    "Romans!" her voice boomed across the fields. "Rally to the eagle!"

    Demigods and monsters alike turned and gawked as Percy bounded forward on his hellhound with Fiona behind him.

    "What is this?" Polybotes demanded. "What is this?"

    "Our victory!" shouted Fiona bravely, grinning.

    Percy felt a rush of power coursing through the standard's staff. He raised the eagle and shouted, "Twelfth Legion Fulminata!"

    Thunder shook the valey. The eagle let loose a blinding flash, and a thousand tendrils of lightning exploded from its golden wings, arcing in front of Percy like the branches of a enormous deadly tree, connecting with the nearest monsters, leaping from one to another, and completely ignoring the Roman forces.

    When the lightning stopped, the First and Second Cohorts were facing one surprised-looking giant and several hundred smoking piles of ash. The enemy's centre line had been charred to oblivion. The look on Octavian's face was priceless. He stared at Percy with shock, the outrage. Then, when his own troops started to cheer, he had no choice except to join the shouting; "Rome! Rome!" Fiona sent two middle fingers right at the giant, and Percy believed he may as well be head-over-heels.

    Polybotes backed up uncertainly, but Percy knew the battle wasn't over. The Fourth Cohort was still surrounded by Cyclopes. Even Hannibal the elephant was having a hard time wading through so many monsters. His black Kelvar armour was ripped so that his label just said ANT. The veterans and Lares on the eastern flank were being pushed towards the city. The monsters' siege tower was still hurling explosive green fireballs into the streets. The gorgons had disabled the giant eagles and now flew unchallenged over the giant's remaining centaurs and Earthborn, trying to rally them.

    Polybotes bellowed━a dozen fresh basilisks fell out of his hair, turning the grass to poison yellow. "You think this changes anything, Percy Jackson? I cannot be destroyed! Come forward, son of Neptune. I will break you!"

    Percy dismounted, and Fiona followed. He handed Dakota the standard. "You are the cohort's senior centurion. Take care of this."

    Dakota blinked, then he straighted with pride. He dropped his Kool-Aid flask and took the eagle. "I will carry it with honour!"

    "Fiona, 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-grey camouflage, armed with spears and shields. Interspersed among their ranks were a dozen battle forklifts, their sharpened tines gleaming, and glaming bolts knocked in their crossbows.

    "Amazons," said Frank. "Great."

    Polybotes laughed. "You see? Our reinforements have arrived! Rome will fall today!"

    The Amazons lowered their spears and charged down the hill. 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 gear and a glittering gold chain-link belt around her waist.

    "Queen Hylla!" Fiona beamed. "She survived!"

    The Amazon queen shouted, "To my sister's aid! Destroy the monsters!"

    "Destroy!" her troops cry echoed.

    Reyna wheeled her pegasus to face Percy, eyes full of gratitude. She shouted, "Romans! Advance!"

    The battlefield descended into absolute chaos. Amazon and Roman lines swung towards the enemy like the Doors of Death themselves. But before Fiona would join them, she turned to Percy and said, "Be careful, Barnacle Biceps."

    Before his bravery would disappear, he pulled her towards him and kissed her. He knew that any battle could be his last, and Percy didn't want to leave the world with any regrets. Pulling away, he nodded at her, "You too, Fi Fi."

    Fiona nodded, and like that, was gone in a flash. Flash. Like the superhero. Percy grinned despite himself. New nickname!

    Percy narrowed his eyes back at the giant, and pointed his blade at him. "You. Me. To the finish."

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     ━━A giant━aside from Alcyoneus━could be destroyed only one way: with the joint team of a demigod and a god; and Percy knew just the god to ask. Percy ran for his life towards the Promerian Line with Polybotes in pursuit right behind him. He passed Mrs O'Leary, who looked up curiously with a gorgon wriggling in her mouth.

    "I'm fine!" Percy yelled as he ran by, followed by a giant screaming bloody murder.

   He jumped over a buring scorpion and ducked as Hannibal threw a Cyclops across his parth. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tyson pounding the Earthborn into the ground. Ella was fluttering above him, dodging missiles and calling out advice. "The groin. The Earthborn's groin in sensitive━" SMASH! "━Good. Yes. Tyson found its groin."

   "Percy needs help?" Tyson called.

    "I'm good!"

   "Die!" Polybotes yelled, closing fast. Percy kept running.

    In the distance, he saw Hazel and Arion galloping across the battlefield, cutting down centaurs and karpoi. One grain spirit yelled, "Wheat! I'll give you wheat!" but Arion stomped him to dust. Queen Hylla and Reyna had joined forces, forklift and pegasus riding together, scattering the monsters on the eastern flank. Frank turned himself into an elephant and stomped through some Cyclopes, and Dakota held the golden eagle high, blasting lightning at any monsters who dared to challenge the Fifth Cohort. Fiona reminded Percy of a missile, darting through ranks and causing panic. Everytime she slowed to look around, it was like she was in some super hero movie, her hair whipping around and showing a face that was bruised, bloody, dirty, but radiating with power that made the monsters around her cower. Percy couldn't help but think: I'm glad I'm on her side.

    He glaced back and saw the giant almost within arm's reach. To by some time, Percy ducked behind one of the aqueduct's columns. The giant swung his trident, and when the column crumbled, Percy unleashed the water to guide the collapse━bringing down several tons of bricks onto Polybotes's head.

    Percy bolted for the city limits. "Terminus!" he yelled.

    The nearest statue of the god was about sixty feet ahead. His stone eyes snapped open as Percy ran towards him. "Completely unacceptable!" he complained. "Buildings on fire! Invaders! Get them out of here, Percy Jackson!"

    "I'm trying," he said. "But there's this giant, Polybotes."

    "Yes, I know! Wait━excuse me for a moment," Terminus closed his eyes and the flaming green cannonball that sailed overhead suddenly vaporised. "I can't stop all the missiles. Why can't they be civilised and attack more slowly? I'm only one god."

    "Help me kill the giant," asked Percy, "and this will all be over. A god and demigod working together━that's the only way to kill him."

    Terminus sniffed. "I guard borders. I don't kill giants. It's not in my job description."

    "Terminus, come on!" Percy took another step forward, trying not to get angry, but the god shrieked indigantly. 

    "Stop right there, young man! No weapons inside the Pomerian Line!"

    "But we're under attack!"

    "I don't care! Rules are rules. When people don't follow the rules, I get very, very angry."

    An idea clicked, and Percy smiled. "Hold that thought."

    He sprinted back towards the giant, "Hey, ugly!"

    Polybotes burst from the ruins with a roar. The water was still pouring over him, turning to poison and creating a steaming marsh around his feet. "You ... you will die slowly," he promised. Picking up his trident, Percy saw it was dripping with green venom.

    All around them, the battle was winding down. As the last monsters were mopped up, Percy's friends started gathering, forming a ring around the giant.

    "I will take you prisoner, Percy Jackson," Polybotes snarled. "I will torture you under the sea. Every day the water will heal you, and every day I will bring you closer to death."

    "Great offer," said Percy. "But I think I'll just kill you instead."

    The giant bellowed in rage. He shook his head, and more basilisks flew from his hair.

    "Get back!" Frank warned.

    Fresh chaos spread through the ranks. Hazel spurred Arion and put herself between the basilisks and the campers. Fiona brandished her knife, distracting the snakes as Frank changed form━shrinking into something lean and furry ... a weasel? What the actual━has he lost his mind? But when Frank charged the basilisks, they absolutely freaked, slithering away with Frank chasing after them.

    Polybotes pointed his trident and ran towards Percy. As the giant reached the Pomerian Line, Percy leapt aside like a bullfighter and Polybotes barrelled across the city limits.

    Terminus was livid. "THAT'S IT!" the statue cried. "That's AGAINST THE RULES!"

    Polybotes frowned, startled that he was being told off by a statue. "What are you?" he growled. "Shut up!"

    He pushed Terminus over and turned back to Percy. This only made the god's anger worse. "Now I'm MAD!" he shrieked. "I'm strangling you. Feel that? Those are my hands around your neck, you big bully. Get over here! I'm going to head-butt you so hard━"

    "Enough!" the giant stepped onto the statue and broke Terminus into three very angry pieces━pedestal, body and head.

    "You DIDN'T!" screeched Terminus. "Percy Jackson, you've got yourself a deal! Let's kill this upstart!"

    Thought you'd never ask, Percy thought sarcastically, but readied his sword. The giant laughed so hard that he didn't realise Percy was charging until it was too late. He jumped up, vaulting off the giant's knee and drove Riptide straight through one of the metal mouths on Polybotes's breastplate, sinking the Celestial bronze hilt-deep in his chest. The gaint stumbled backwards, tripping over Terminus's pedestal and crashing to the ground. While he was trying to get up, clawing at the blade in his chest, Percy hefted the head of the statue.

    "You'll never win!" the groant groaned. "You cannot defeat me alone!"

    "I'm not alone," Percy raised the stone head above Polybotes's face. "I'd like you to meet my friend Terminus. He's a god!"

    Too late━awareness and fear dawned on the giants face. Percy smashed the god's head as hard as he could into Polybotes's nose, and he did far more than just break bone. Polybotes dissolved, crumbling into a steaming heap of seaweed, reptile skin and poisonous muck.

    Percy staggered away, completely exhausted.

    "Ha!" said the head of Terminus. "That will teach him to obey the rules of Rome!"

    For a moment, the whole battlefield was silent except for the few fires burning, and the few monsters retreating and 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, as was Fiona, for once absolutely beaming. Arion was nibbling contentedly on a golden shield.

    Then Romans began to chant, "Percy! Percy!"

    They mobbed him. Before Percy knew it, he was being raised on a shield, and the cry changed to: "Praetor! Praetor!" Among the cheers was Reyna herself, who held up her hand and grasped Percy's in congratulation. Then the mob of cheering Romans carried him around the Pomerian Line, carefully avoiding Terminus's borders, and escorted him back home to Camp Jupiter.

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    no one:
    percy in the middle of a battle: *simps for fiona*