Because for Percy and Annabeth, nothing is ever easy.

And if you were wondering, I am so on team Jeyna.

Chapter I

Billions of thoughts and emotions ran through Percy as he watched the massive Greek warship descend from the sky. The metal dragon figurehead glittered in the sun. Percy squinted his eyes as he stared up at the ship in wonder. The Argo II was absolutely amazing.

Percy felt Frank shift nervously and Hazel tense slightly as they waited anxiously for the ship to finally land. All around him, Romans were watching cautiously and muttering uncertainly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw some give him uneasy glances. Reyna was at the front, shouting orders at the awestruck Romans.

At last the Argo II landed with a loud crash. The ship creaked slightly, and for a few moments, there was silence. Nobody said a word, or moved a muscle. Romans in the front line kept their weapons at the ready, their eyes locked on the huge ship.

"Wow," Frank breathed quietly as he stared in wonder. Percy nodded slightly, eyes going over every small detail of the magnificent ship. People on the deck of the ship were already bustling around. His eyes were searching the top deck hopefully for a flash of familliar blonde hair, but no luck.

Percy moved to the front of the line beside Reyna, and Hazel and Frank followed. Reyna didn't say a word to them, nor did she turn to acknowledge them. Her eyes were set on the ship, hard and void of emotion. Her face was locked and expressionless, but Percy saw that a small form of wistfullness and anticipation were settled in her dark brown eyes. She missed Jason, that much was true.

Slowly and warily, people began to descend the ship. The first person out was a guy with blond hair and sky blue eyes. Percy felt Reyna tense beside him and some Romans behind him gasp. He instantly knew that this was their previous praetor, Jason. He was closely followed by a very pretty tan, Cherokee girl with choppy brown hair and ever-changing eyes and a slightly short Hispanic guy with curly dark brown hair and a crazy mischievious smile. Hazel let out a small, surprised gasp and he recognized him as Leo, the guy from the video.

Jason met Reyna's eyes and for a few passing seconds, all was quiet. The Romans all turned to Reyna, waiting not just for her orders, but for her reaction. Reyna's eyes were hard and steely as she stared down at her long lost partner. Her lips were pulled to a tight line and her fists were clenched. Percy knew what she was doing. She was trying to be strong. She was their leader, and she couldn't show any sign of weakness, because for all she knew, Jason and the strangers beside him could be the enemy and the downfall of Rome. It could be a trick.

But as Jason smiled a small smile, his scar on his upper lip turning up just a bit, Reyna couldn't help but smile as well. It wasn't much, just a tiny lift of the corners of her mouth, but Percy could tell that it meant the world to Jason.

"Fellow Romans," Jason started in a strong voice, "we come in peace." The hispanic guy, Leo snorted and tried to conceal his laughter while the Cherokee girl beside him ellbowed his stomach. Jason's cheeks tinged with pink and Percy's mouth twitched up slightly. Jason cleared his throat and tried again.

"I am Jason Grace, Son of Jupiter, and this is Piper McClean, daughter of Venus, and Leo Valdez, Son of Vulcan. We seek the help of the Romans in the war with the giants, based on the Prophesy of the Seven. We ask that we are allowed to set foot into New Rome." He turned to Reyna and Percy for an answer.

"Absolutely not! We shall not have the Greeks enter our precious city and destroy it!" Octavian yelled outraged, but nobody listened to him. All eyes were set on Reyna. She stared down at the three newcomers, her eyes turning harder as she stared at Piper. Percy suspected that it was because of how Jason kept glancing at Piper for guidance and how she smiles at him reassuringly each time.

"Yes. We allow you to enter New Rome," Reyna stated. Jason relaxed a bit and smiled, relieved, but Reyna continued, "but if you show one sign of a threat to Camp Jupiter, then we will be forced to attact. Am I understood?"

Jason nodded stiffly and he turned back to the two behind him and smiled. Leo excitedly turned to the ship and shouted, "You can come out now!"

One by one, people began pouring out of the ship warily. Their heads whipped from side to side to look at the people surrounding them. Finally, Percy saw that familliar flash of blonde hair.

Startling grey eyes searched the sea of people, then finally rested on Percy. Her eyes widened, and Percy's mind went a million miles away. His head was swirling with thoughts and emotions. Words ran through his mind.

The one who will cause you the most trouble is the one closest to you...

She was walking towards him now, hesitating the slightest bit before continuing on with each step.

She has a hard task ahead of her... whether she is up to it... I do not know...

She was getting closer now that Percy could see her stormy grey eyes clearly, but all he did was stare.

Wisdom's daughter walks alone...

"Percy?" She asked nervously as she stood in front of him. Percy's sea green eyes never left her cautious grey ones. He knew she was waiting for him to say something, anything, but he didn't speak. His eyes were clouded and his thoughts were running a million miles a minute. All eyes were on him now.

The Mark of Athena burns through Rome.

Pain flashed into his forehead and strange emotions clouded his vision. Hurt, sorrow, caution, wariness, dread, hatred...

His hands shot to his forehead and he furrowed his eyebrows in pain, startling everybody. He searched through his head trying to grab at least one solid thought, but they scrambled everywhere. His head throbbed with pain, then it was gone. His mind drew blank.

Annabeth hesitatingly reached out a hand to help him, but he roughly pushed it away. Suddenly, he stood still, narrowing his now cold sea green eyes into Annabeth's shocked grey ones. His eyes were so cold and hostile that Annabeth shivered.

"Percy-" Annabeth started, but before she knew it, Riptide was pointed at her throat. Percy glared at her with such fierceness that Annabeth was scared. He never looked at her that way before.

He pushed Riptide's point closer to her neck that Annabeth could feel it grazing against her skin. His sea green eyes were storming now and he spoke with such fierceness and hatred that was so unlike him, it scared her. Then with a growl, he spoke the three words that Annabeth had been dreading all along.

"Who are you?"