Hello dear readers,

In the past I've gotten requests to do a Camp Jupiter story. I've entertained the idea in the past, but I always preferred writing about Camp Half-Blood and Greek mythology since it's more interesting to me. Also, I always sided with the Greeks back when the second series was being published. I'm just testing this out, to kinda see what response this gets. I'm not entirely sure where it'll go, and the updates for this story will probably be slow at first while I piece things together, but it's a shot at a Roman Percy. Just so that we're clear, even though I don't say it in the summary, this is a complete switch of the story - Percy Jackson is Roman, Jason Grace is Greek. However, they are still a year apart, meaning Percy's story will be told from the ages of 13 to 17 (if I even get there).

The Greek Great Prophecy will not apply to the Romans - yeah, I know, lame loophole but assume that the Greek and Roman aspects are distinct personalities. Although of the same entity, the Roman personalities developed and appeared much later. As such, the Roman aspect Jupiter is younger than the Greek aspect Zeus. Hence, the eldest gods are Zeus, Hades and Poseidon rather than their Roman equivalents.

Anyway, this is an attempt. I'm not sure it'll go well.

Later,
Sharky

Chapter 1

Percy waited for what felt like an eternity before he felt her tap his shoulder.

He rolled over slowly, just in case it wasn't actually her, and eyed the shadowy figure hovering above him. Blinking groggily like he'd just been woken from a deep slumber, he saw the girl's shoulder-length dirty blonde hair dangling above him like spider webs.

"Wake up, idiot," she hissed.

Percy opened his eyes wide and sat up in his bunk. Leah made it, just as planned. He could hardly believe it. They'd attempted this three times before, and they'd gotten caught each time before Leah could even get into the boys' barracks. He quietly slipped out of bed and grabbed his dagger.

"Quietly," she warned, taking point.

He slipped his shoes on and they exited the barracks. There were a few campers on guard duty, but the Feast of Fortuna had been extra rowdy this year. Most were passed out after hours of eating and dancing. He would have liked to believe there wasn't any alcohol involved, but you never know with Bacchus' kids.

"I don't get why they restrict leaving camp during the summer," Percy grumbled as they made their way down the Via Principalis.

"There are still restrictions in winter," Leah reminded him.

"Yeah, but not as many," he argued. "During the winter, all you need is the approval of the praetors. During summer, you need to be approved by the Senate. You know how biased they are."

She nodded. "Yeah, I know."

"Then—"

"There's no point in arguing, Percy," she sighed. "The rules, as stupid as they are, are the rules. If I could change the rules, I would. But since I can't change the rules, I'll break them instead. It isn't like anyone treats the Fifth Cohort well anyway. Who cares if I get stuck cleaning the unicorn stables again?"

Percy wrinkled his nose. "I can't forget Timmy saying he was going to take a dump just before he did."

"Perks of being a son of Neptune?" Leah grinned.

He scowled. "You should be glad you don't understand them. All they do is talk about eating and pooping."

She covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, and Percy grinned. He didn't think the girl would still find that funny at her age. They continued toward the section of the wall where the guard Leah had paid off was standing.

"You sure you want to climb out this way?" the guard, Bobby, said, gesturing below to the wooden spikes and earthen ramparts. "You could kill yourself."

"Better here than the front gates," Percy affirmed. "Less chance I get tracked down. And if I do, at least I can say I knocked you out."

Bobby sighed and turned to Leah. "Do you really have to knock me out? Can't I just go back to the barracks?"

"We're doing this to protect you, idiot," Leah shot back. She put her hand on the hilt of her dagger. "I gave you a shit ton of denarii. You want me to take it back?"

Bobby gulped nervously. "No."

"Then you'll comply with us."

Now, normally Percy didn't like threatening members of his own cohort, especially since Bobby was a year older than him, but it was the only way he could get out and see his mom. She finally published a book, and because of stupid camp rules he wasn't allowed to visit her until fall because the Senate wouldn't approve. It helped that Leah was, in turn, a year older than Bobby and was the leading candidate to become the next centurion of the Fifth Cohort. She held a lot of clout within their cohort.

Bobby gave Percy a glare. "Why did you have to bring Leah into this? She's too scary."

Percy held up his arm, showing his seven lines. "I hold seniority, Bobby. I've been here for seven years. When did you join again?"

Bobby glanced at his own arm, which only had two lines.

Percy grinned. "Well, I'll be going now. Have fun getting knocked out by Leah."

Leah put a hand on Bobby's shoulder. "You're a real team player."

"I hate you guys."

"Nah, you love us. Admit it."

"Never in a million years."

Percy made sure his dagger was strapped properly to his belt before grabbing the ledge and swinging down. He dropped onto one of the thicker spikes and slowly slid his way down. It took him a couple dozen seconds of crawling, climbing and sliding, but he eventually made it past all of Camp Jupiter's defenses.

Glancing back up at the wall, he saw one lone figure standing there, waving at him.

Poor Bobby, he thought.

But what else could be done? He checked his pocket for the bills he'd stolen from the confectionery store in New Rome. In total, he probably had somewhere around two hundred dollars, which he was pretty sure was enough for a cake and a gift.

He trudged his way across the Little Tiber and escaped the camp's boundaries through one of the many secret entrances he and Leah had discovered over the past three years. Even though Leah had helped him vandalize several of Terminus' statues a couple days prior, which meant the border god wasn't paying much attention to the valley's borders, he knew it was a stupid idea to leave via the Tunnel. He exited camp and made it down into the neighborhood on the western side of the hills. He found the house that Leah described and searched for the car.

"Lookin' for somethin', kid?" a voice said from behind him.

Percy whirled around, his hand on the hilt of his dagger. The man who the voice belonged to raised his arms up in surrender. He flashed Percy a smile. Percy figured he was no older than twenty, probably closer to eighteen. He knew most demigods left Camp Jupiter once they reached adulthood, but it was the first time he'd seen it in person. Then, the man reached over and pulled up his sleeve, showing ten marks on his arm along with a caduceus — the symbol of Mercury.

Percy relaxed.

"Ave," the man saluted. "I'm Brian. Leah let me know you need a ride."

"Yeah. To San Francisco. I've got money."

Brian shrugged. "Thanks, kid. But I'm good. I'm doing this because I like breaking rules, just like Leah."

Percy got the feeling he knew the man from somewhere. He furrowed his eyebrows. "Were you...?"

"Fifth Cohort," he nodded. He pointed to a black sedan fifty yards down the road and began walking. "I was there when you got initiated. Percy Jackson, right? Son of Neptune?"

Percy nodded.

"Don't worry if you don't remember me," Brian said. "I wasn't in the spotlight much. I'm about as ordinary as you can get. As soon as I finished my ten years of service, I bolted."

They got into the car, and Percy sat in the passenger's seat.

"You think you're going to continue serving?" Brian asked. "Or stay in New Rome?"

Percy scoffed. "Like they'd want me to stay. Since when has a son of Neptune been popular at Camp Jupiter?"

"At least you haven't caused any earthquakes... yet," Brian laughed. He did a U-turn and exited onto the highway. "Guess that's why you're breaking out. It's suffocating, isn't it?"

Percy nodded. He stared at the darkness ahead of them, illuminated by nothing but the car's headlights. "I've got three more years. I was accepted into the legion a month after I turned six, so I get to leave a month after I turn sixteen. I can't wait to get out."

Brian chuckled. "I remember the last few days before I finished my service. I was like you, starting early. Family wasn't too fond of me leaving right after I finished service, but I got into UCB so I wasn't passing up that opportunity."

"UCB?" Percy was surprised.

"University of California, Berkeley," Brian clarified. "I'm in biomed."

"I know what UCB is," Percy explained. "I just... how did you get into UCB?"

"If you work hard enough, it's doable," Brian explained. He glanced up at the sign ahead of them that read I-580, SAN FRANCISCO, HAYWARD, JUNCTION 1 MILE. "New Rome's got a pretty good grade school education, I have to admit. If it wasn't for those stuck up snots in the First and Second Cohort, I probably would've considered staying for college."

"UCB, huh?" Percy stared out the window. "My step dad used to work there."

"Really? He's a professor?"

"English professor," Percy explained. He wasn't sure why he felt comfortable around Brian, but he figured he was just glad to be out of Camp Jupiter's borders. He didn't feel like he had to carefully select every word he said. "He downgraded to a high school because he wanted to work with younger kids. He said he felt like college kids in English weren't quite at the level he wanted them to be."

"What? He thinks the education system is failing kids?"

"Maybe."

"He wouldn't be wrong," Brian laughed. He made the exit onto I-580. "It sounds like you've got a pretty good mortal family. I can see why you want to get out of Camp Jupiter. Those guys treat you like shit and expect your loyalty in return. What a load of horseshit."

Percy grinned. "Yeah. It's stupid."

They continued the journey in silence for a while. Percy absent-mindedly listened to the radio playing in the background. Soon, they were on the Bay Bridge en route to San Francisco proper. Leaving behind the peaceful Oakland hills, they passed Treasure Island, and the towers of downtown San Francisco appeared in the distance. The city lights illuminated the night sky.

"Before I forget," Brian said as they drove past Exit 2C, "what's the address I'm headed to. Otherwise I'll hit the 101 and we'll end up at Googleplex."

Percy gave him the address.

Within ten minutes, they arrived in front of the home.

"Have fun, kid," Brian said, waving goodbye from inside the car. "Ave."

"Ave," Percy replied.

He watched as Brian drove off into the night. It was probably about three in the morning, and almost every house in the neighborhood was dark. When he turned to his mom's house, he was surprised to see that the lights upstairs were still on.

He frowned as he rang the doorbell.

After a dozen seconds, the door swung open, revealing his weary-looking stepfather. Paul blinked like he couldn't believe who he was looking at. Slowly, his tired eyes focused and lit up like the merry-go-round at a carnival at night. "Percy!"

He smiled at his step dad. "Hi."

"Come in, come in."

Percy stepped inside and heard his mom's voice call from upstairs. "Paul, who is it?"

"Your favorite person in the world!" Paul called back.

As he took off his shoes, he saw a small brunette poke her head out from the top of the stairs. Her eyes went wide and she gave him a toothy grin. "Percy!"

The little five-year-old girl bounded down the steps and held both her hands up in front of her face. Percy high-fived her and glanced at Paul. "What are you doing up so late, Estelle?"

"Bad dreams," Estelle pouted.

Percy gave her a concerned look. "Nightmares? That's not good."

Paul squatted down next to Estelle and ruffled her hair. He sighed, "I'm not so sure what's triggering them, but it's been bad for a few days now."

His mom appeared at the bottom of the steps. She didn't look as exhausted as Paul — probably because she wasn't working regular hours these days — but he could tell the bags under her eyes were more pronounced than usual. She extended her arms for a hug, which Percy reciprocated. "It'll be alright. She might be clear-sighted, like me. I had nightmares when I was about her age all the time."

Paul gave his mom a wry smile. "So I'm the only one that can't see all the monsters?"

"Monsters?" Estelle asked.

"I'm just guessing, honey," she chuckled softly.

Percy knelt down and noticed Estelle's eyes were puffy and red. It looked like she'd been crying. He kissed her forehead. "It's okay, kiddo. Get some rest today. I'll be here to protect you."

Estelle laughed childishly. "Are you pretending to be a hero?"

"I am a hero."

His sister shook her head. "No, you're not. You're my lame brother."

"Lame?!"

Estelle stuck her tongue out at him.

"If I'm so lame, why do you look so happy to see me?" he asked.

Estelle looked like a deer caught in headlights. "Because... because..." She couldn't seem to find a reason.

"Ha, gotcha!" He tickled her belly. "Alright, follow Dad and go to bed."

"Mom?" Estelle looked up at their mom. "Are you going to talk to Percy?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Percy needs to explain why he's here so late at night."

"Can I listen?"

"Tomorrow," Percy promised. "I'll be here until lunch tomorrow." He ignored the look his mom was giving him. "You can ask me anything tomorrow if you get a good night's sleep. If you don't sleep, I won't say anything to you."

Estelle turned to Paul. "Let's go to sleep!"

Paul chuckled and picked her up. "Alright, Estelle. Let's go to sleep so we can talk to Percy tomorrow."

Percy waved as Paul brought Estelle back to her bedroom.

When they were gone, his mom walked over to the kitchen and beckoned for him to follow. She turned on the light and grabbed him a cup of water. He sat down at the dining table, knowing that his mom was about to grill him for leaving camp.

"Before you start your rant," he said, "I'm here because you published your book and I couldn't wait until fall to celebrate with you."

His mom stared at him for a moment, looking like she wanted to scold him, but eventually she sighed and smiled at him. "I've missed you too."

Percy blinked in surprise. He smiled and leaned over toward her.

But just as he was about to give her a hug, she jabbed her index finger right between his eyes and pushed him away. He saw the muted anger in her expression and shrunk away.

"How dangerous was it for you to leave camp like this?" she chastised. She grabbed his shoulders and inspected him like he was a shipment of goods. "Leaving Camp Jupiter in these times isn't good, Percy. The weather has been bad since Christmas. A hurricane rushed up the East Coast earlier this month. In June, Percy!"

"But hasn't it been super nice since the summer solstice?" he argued. "Besides, whatever happened on the East Coast doesn't affect us."

His mom pursed her lips. "Percy, if Neptune is aggravated, hurricanes aren't the only natural disaster he can cause. Don't forget that we live on a fault line."

"If he cares about you like you say he does, then he wouldn't hurt you!"

"Percy, we aren't talking about regular gods. For Neptune, his pride comes before all else, with the only exception being Olympus. Romans don't worship him like the Greeks worshipped Poseidon. If New Rome stood in his way, there's no guarantee he would leave it unharmed."

"So what?" Percy muttered.

"Percy!"

"Why do you think that place is so good for me?" he said angrily. "Everyone there dislikes Neptune. Have you seen the temple they built for him there? It's more like a mud shack than a temple. I was a five year old kid and they just tossed me aside. If it wasn't for Jacob, I don't know if they would've even put me in a cohort. I wouldn't even blink if New Rome burned to the ground tomorrow."

"Don't say that!"

"Why not?"

"Percy, they are still your extended family," she tried to reason. "If you show them your worth, you will be treated properly. That is the Roman way."

"I don't care about the Roman way," he snapped. "If they want my help, they shouldn't treat me like trash. I'll leave Camp Jupiter whenever I want. If I get exiled from the legion, so be it. I'd rather stay here with you."

She shook her head and looked down at the table. "You belong there, Percy. That is your home."

Percy felt a surge of anger rise in his chest. He clenched his fists and spat, "So is that it? You don't want me here? Because I don't belong here, right? I belong in that world, away from you and your normal family."

His mom looked at him with heartbroken eyes. "No, Percy, that's not it at all."

"You were just afraid of monsters attacking you!" he accused. "That's why you sent me off at five and never looked back. That's why you got married so soon after I left."

"Sending you off was the hardest thing I've ever had to do," she said sharply. Her eyes were teary but her gaze was as fierce as a wolf's. "If I could have kept you forever, I would have. I did it for your own good, Percy. I never once thought about myself when I made that decision. Don't ever misunderstand me."

He was surprised by her anger, but a sense of shame suddenly came over him. What was he thinking? How could he have said those words?

"I'm sorry," she said, which only made him feel guiltier. "I shouldn't lose my temper."

"No, I should apologize." He couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes. "I crossed the line. I'm sorry."

The thing about his mom was that, other than her ability to make someone cower using only her expressions, she was nothing like a Roman. She was always kind to people and hardly ever spoke badly about others. She hardly complained about a thing in her life, even though she'd been through so much pain and heartache. Anytime she was making criticisms or whenever she scolded him, it wasn't to tell him he did something wrong. It was because she was concerned about his well-being. Plus, she had a bit of a rebellious streak. She always told him that she needed to live her life and that no one could live it for her, otherwise it would lose its meaning.

He was enough like her to understand. Perhaps it was what made him different from a traditional Roman.

"I know you don't like Camp Jupiter or New Rome," his mom said, grabbing his hands. "I do understand that, Percy. But do you dislike New Rome or do you dislike certain parts of it?"

He didn't know how to answer.

"Think about it like this. Rome was a kingdom at first. A monarchy. Simple and as old as time. Then, over time, it transformed into a republic. Over the next half a millennium, it grew into an empire. The greatest empire the Western world saw until the British began theirs over one thousand years after Rome fell. Was Rome's story a happy one? No. Romans were slavers, something we would consider immoral today. The Roman Republic in its late stages was rife with corruption by the elite ruling class. As great as Caesar may have been, he was still an imperial authoritarian. Rome was not perfect even during its greatest days. But we still remember it as great because it accomplished feats unseen before in the Western world. The megalopolis that was Rome in its heyday. Stone road networks. Beautiful architecture. Re-introduction of aqueduct technology.

"Camp Jupiter is the same. Roman demigods and legacies are able to live well in New Rome. Institutions have been put in place to help demigods survive. You learn to fight monsters to protect yourself and keep the spirit of Rome going. Is that all worth destroying because the current ruling parties are unforgiving and uncooperative?"

Percy stared at her.

"I'm not asking you to become Caesar and become an imperial ruler. But if you truly dislike the way New Rome is run, then make a difference from within. Do you remember the Five Good Emperors?"

He nodded.

"Three of them — Trajan, Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius — may have been of Italic origin, but their families had been shaped by generations of Iberian culture and customs. They were Roman — there is no doubt about that — yet they had their own flavor of leadership. They came to power and left good legacies. The Romans at Camp Jupiter will understand this when it is shown to them. All that needs to be done is for it to be shown."

"I doubt they'll change that easily," he muttered.

"Perhaps not. But it's a start."

He looked at her. "Do you really think that it's possible?"

"I do."

She looked so sure of herself it was hard not to feel convinced. But bringing change to Rome was more difficult than it sounded. It wasn't just the systematic discrimination. It was how fearful everyone was of authority. People were afraid to speak up in fear of being demoted and sent to the bottom, even if they disagreed with something. How could he possibly make people listen to him?

History wasn't on his side either. Most of the rebellions he'd learned about in history were crushed by the Roman ruling class.

But he didn't want to argue with his mom. He nodded quietly.

"Good." She ran her hand through his hair. "Let's get some sleep. I'm sure you want to maximize the time you have with us tomorrow."

"I should've gotten you a cake to celebrate," Percy muttered.

"That's sweet, Percy." She eyed him with a knowing smirk. "But you can't use stolen money to buy gifts for me."

He stared at her dumbfounded. "How did you know I stole money?"

"Because I know you, Percy. What job would you have taken to earn money? A server? A barista? I don't think you have the patience for that."

He couldn't help but smile. "Well, you're not wrong about that."

His mom laughed one last time before the two of them went upstairs. He kissed his mom goodnight and went into the guest room. He threw on his spare sleeping clothes and slipped into bed. He smiled to himself. Much comfier than the barracks.

"Did you have a nice chat?" he heard Paul's voice from out in the hallway.

"Having a demigod son is more trouble than I ever anticipated," she admitted. "But I can't interfere. He's my son, but he's also Neptune's. He has his own fate."

"You never know, Sally," Paul said. "Sometimes you're more than your blood. Who you are isn't just who you're biologically related to. The people around you have an influence. Maybe he's not meant to be like the other Romans. If he doesn't feel that way, he shouldn't be forced to be that way."

"Paul—"

"I know, I know. I'm talking about something I'll never truly understand. But maybe that gives me some merit. I understand Percy is a Roman demigod and he will forever be a part of that world. That doesn't mean that's where he's meant to end up. He's a good kid, Sally. You're not fond of those stuck up Romans either. If I had a demigod son, I wouldn't want him to be one of them. Maybe if the others would stand up to those bullies..."

There was a brief silence.

"Ten years of service," his mom said at last. "Once his ten years of service is up, he's free to leave. That's all I ask from him. Finish his ten years, and he'll be ready to face the outside world. I didn't send him there to become one of them, Paul. I sent him there because he's safer there. Monsters won't attack him. We can't protect him on our own. But after ten years, he'll be ready. And when that day comes, I will gladly welcome him back with open arms."

Percy could sense Paul's hesitation, but their voices went quiet. Either the conversation stopped or they moved out of earshot. Either way, one thing was very clear — Percy would leave the legion as soon as he could, whether he was able to change their minds or not.

The moment he stepped into the car that would take him back to Camp Jupiter, he already missed them. Even though his mom, Paul and Estelle were waving at him happily, he felt like he was off to boot camp. In a sense, that was exactly where he was going. But there would be plenty more opportunities to sneak out of camp.

And maybe this time he would apply to attend school in the mortal world.

Unfortunately, when he arrived at the Decumanian Gate, Leah's guards weren't waiting for him. He came face-to-face with Fifth Cohort centurions Jacob Sanderson and Miranda Kaprizov. They didn't look very happy, and the disappointment in their faces was the icing on the cake.

Percy waved at them half-heartedly.

"'Sup?"