Chapter 1: A brother's return

Okay, because of some very insistent fans of my old stories I have finally decided to reupload all of them back here on FF, so they won't be lost. So yeah, enjoy this stuff, but keep your insults to yourself this time...

So the basic idea behind this story is that Percy grew up with Jason under Lupa's care and both became Rome's new Romulus and Remus...

The entire camp was on high alert when they suddenly saw the approaching ship. In a great rush the demigods and legacies gathered, weapons and armors ready, all ready for a fight. It was an odd sight for the battle hardened soldiers of New Rome, but it did not scare them. Some where even eager for a fight. But the ship stopped, not approaching any further all of a sudden. It just floated there... near New Rome.

With purposeful strides he approached his troops, in full battle armor, only missing the helmet, which he had forgone, so everyone could see his face clearly. His soldiers resolve strengthened with his presence. They believed in him, they needed him. He was more than just a Praetor. In the few years since he had left the Wolf House he had become the heart and soul of New Rome. Together with his brother. Lupa's favorite children. Her new Romulus and Remus. At least until the latter had disappeared nearly a year ago. Now only Romulus was left to lead them. Romulus, Conqueror of Mount Othrys, bane of the Amazons, defender of Rome, son of Neptune.

"Sons and daughters of Rome, stand ready to defend your home." He yelled loudly. His exclamation was met with a fierce war-cry of his Legion. They were ready, he knew it.

"Lord Romulus, the unknown enemy is no longer approaching." A young woman in the armor of a Centurion walked next to him, easily matching his speed as he quickly walked past the rows of soldiers. Demigods and legacies, children and descendants of the gods. They would do their parents proud today.

"Don't fall for their tricks, Kinzie. They will come. They wait for us to make a mistake." Romulus said calmly. He saw the restlessness on her face. Her desire to fight. She hadn't lost that since the day he had defeated her. "You must learn to control your urge to fight, Centurion. Remember that it was your impatience that has led to your downfall in the past."

She looked away in shame. Not because he had chided her in front of the Legion, but because he had to remind her of the day when she was disgraced in the eyes of the Amazons. The day he had not just beaten her, but also taken everything she had known and valued away, only to give her life a new meaning. She liked where she was now, but the memory was still unpleasant.

"Romulus, do not underestimate the enemy either." Reyna, his Co-Praetor admonished him, as he joined her in front of the assembled Legion. She looked at him critically for some moments, her features showing no sign of any emotion but steely resolve. But Romulus knew her better than that, he could easily see the doubt in her eyes. The worry. It was not every day that you had to face a possible enemy ship, which is flying above their home of all places.

He leaned closer to her, a hand on her armored shoulder. "Don't worry, we have faced Titans before, a mere ship will not defeat us." He whispered into her ear. No one else heard his words. Reyna looked at him stoically, before she allowed herself a tight-lipped smile.

"I hope you know what you are doing, Percy." His birth name, Perseus, or Percy for short. Not many called him by that name these days. He had all but discarded it over the years, instead taking the name Lupa had given him during his childhood in her care. Only close friends called him Percy now.

He gave her a confidant grin, before he unsheathed his sword and walked ahead. "Romans, get ready, but wait for my sign." He yelled out. The air was filled with sounds of weapons being drawn, arrows notched and shields raised from the ground. The Legion was ready.

It was then that he saw a plank being lowered from the ship. It was floating much lower now, close to the Field of Mars. He watched the ship wearily, as people started to leave the ship. Teenagers by their looks, none of them dressed like real soldiers. Instead they wore orange shirts with some imprint he couldn't read from the distance. But some of them carried weapons.

"What fools come before the army of New Rome, armed with barely any armor to protect themselves." Percy asked incredulously.

"They are either fools or very confident in their own strength." Reyna said, as she joined him once more. Her faithful dogs were at her side, growling at the sight of the unknown people. "But they must be at least demigods. No mortal would be so audacious to approach our home like this."

Percy nodded, his eyes stilled fixed on the approaching group. His grip on his sword tightened slightly, before someone ran up to him. One of his most... troublesome new Legionaries.

"Wait. They are not your enemies, Romulus. They are demigods, just like you and me. Greek demigods." The girl said, as she stood next to Percy. Her electric blue eyes were trained on him, imploring him to believe her.

"I will not endanger my home, Thalia Grace." He looked back towards the approaching group, finally recognizing a face among those unknown demigods. A face Percy knew all too well. "Remus..." He said almost breathlessly. Even Reyna looked stunned.

The Greek group stopped a few feet away from Percy and Reyna, all of them looking slightly unsettled by the armed and battle ready Legion before them. But one boy and two girls continued their approach, until they stood face to face with the Praetors.

"Romulus." The blond boy said with a bright grin, before he grasped Percy's arm in greeting and gave him a brotherly hug.

Percy returned the hug without any hesitation. "Remus, but how? We thought you were dead."

"It takes much more to kill a son of Rome."

"Jason, who is this? Why is he calling you Remus?" A blond girl with stormy gray eyes asked with a suspicious frown.

"Annabeth, Cassandra, this is Romulus, my brother in all but blood. The Conqueror of Mount Othrys, bane of the Amazons and the most powerful son of Neptune that New Rome has ever seen." The girls looked incredulous at Percy, especially the black-haired girl Jason had called Cassandra. "Brother, those two lovely ladies are Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena... and Cassandra Jackson, daughter of Poseidon." Once he had finished the introduction, Jason could see great surprise in the face of his brother. Percy looked at Cassandra in disbelieve. But he neither made any move, nor did he say a word to the girl.

Jason then looked over to Reyna, giving her a sad smile. He already knew that she wouldn't like most of the things he was about to tell them. Especially the more personal things. "Reyna, still as stoic as ever."

"You disappeared, Remus. What excuse do you have for abandoning your duties to Rome and the Legion?" She glared at him as if she tried to set him on fire with her eyes.

"Easy there, Reyna. My brother has just returned from the dead. Leave him alive for long enough to answer your questions, instead of trying to turn him to ashes with your fierce glare." Percy said with a laugh. The tension he had felt ebbed away when he saw his surrogate brother. Remus wouldn't do anything that would endanger New Rome. "Sons and daughters of Rome, stand down. Rejoice, Remus has returned to us on this marvelous day." Percy yelled towards the Legion, which still stood battle ready behind him.

"You heard Lord Romulus. Take down your weapons." Kinzie yelled at some sons of Mars who hesitated to put away their weapons. Percy shook his head with a slight grin. He knew how much the former Amazon still enjoyed making the male Legionaries suffer. Especially the sons of Mars.

"Lord Romulus? You have been busy in my absence." Jason said, as he put his arm around Percy's shoulder and both slowly walked towards their fellow Romans.

"Big understatement. When a Praetor disappears without leaving any trace, things tend to get a bit troublesome."

"So they made you Praetor in my stead?" Well it was obvious, since Percy was wearing the golden armor of a Praetor.

"I am Praetor, yes, but I also lead the Romans as their supreme leader. I will achieve Lupa's dream, I will lead Rome to a second golden age. With you by my side, brother."

"Together as always. But first there will be other things in our way. A great threat is rising and we can only hope to win by working together with the Greek." Jason said somewhat somberly. He hated to be the one to ruin the mood.

"Is that why you are dressed like a peasant? Going to combat in camp shirts without any armor, what are you, ten? Lupa taught us better than that." Percy asked with mock condescension.

"Percy, this is serious. War is upon us. A war bigger than the fight against Krios and his monsters." Jason said with urgency.

"Then let us go home. There we will discuss this. You have much to tell."