Frank and Hazel escorted me across the Little Tiber River, as they called it, and I immediately found several weapons aimed at my face.

I smiled brightly despite this, giving a little wave.

"Sal-u-tations!" I greeted. "My name is Penny! It's a pleasure to meet you!" Many people raised eyebrows.

"Everyone, calm down." Hazel tried. "This is Penny. She's been sent and claimed by Vulcan."

"And trained by Lupa!" I added. I wasn't sure how, but time slowed while we trained. A month for me had been hours to the outside world.

"Vulcan sent her?" Someone asked. "A god's actually done something? It's been months!"

"Vulcan sends his apologies." I smiled, rocking slightly on my heels, my hands folded behind my back. "He hopes that I will be of help while the gods sort some things out."

"He spoke to you?" Frank asked, surprised. I nodded, and everyone slowly started lowering their weapons. "And he thinks you can help... How?"

"I'm combat-ready!" I saluted. Eyebrows raised once again.

A girl of about sixteen, with piercing black eyes and glossy black hair worn in a single braid came forward. She had SPQR branded on her forearm with four bar lines and a crossed sword and torch. She wore a regal purple toga decorated with gold medals over golden armor, and over that she wore a purple cape. She came forward, crossing her arms.

"What's this?"

"Reyna, this is Penny." Hazel explained awkwardly. "She sorta... Frank, tell her what happened."

"Uh..." Frank tensed up. "There were these green sparks, and Penny appeared, and there was the sign of Vulcan, and then she-"

"Sal-u-tations!" I greeted. "My name is Penny! It's a pleasure to meet you!" Reyna looked at me, then over at Frank. Frank shrugged, smiling nervously.

"That... She says that Vulcan spoke to her, and that she's been sent by him to help us."

"Is that right?" Reyna turned to me. I nodded, and she extended a hand. "My name is Reyna. I am the praetor of Camp Jupiter."

"It's an honor to meet you." I bowed my head, knowing from Vulcan's information that the praetor was the one in charge and deserved respect.

"Hmm..." Reyna raised an eyebrow. "You were claimed? Brought here by the power of Vulcan?" I nodded, and she sighed, rolling her eyes. "That means you've done something worthwhile, that you can be trusted, and that you get to skip probatio and become a centurion... After interrogation, of course. Protocol is protocol."

"Of course." I nodded, recalling my days working for General Ironwood. I was still wondering why Vulcan claimed me. He was not my father.

Perhaps he thought that I needed his help to gain the Twelfth Legion's trust.

/\/\/\/\

I sat in a chair in Reyna's office, affectionately playing with her two metal dogs: Aurum and Argentum.

"I've never seen them like that." Reyna claimed, sitting down at the desk across from me. "But... They do tend to like Vulcan's children, and pointing out the liars."

It's a good thing that I didn't have a pulse, yes?

"I see." I looked up. "Shall we begin the interrogation?" Reyna nodded, folding her hands.

"Full name?"

"Penny Acier Polendina." (AN: Acier means steel in French, according to Google Translate)

"Age?"

Five years, seven months, eleven days, sixteen hours, thirty-two minutes, and thirteen seconds.

"Seventeen." I replied, then hiccuped slightly due to the lie. "Sorry."

"It's fine..." Reyna brushed it off. "Place of origin?" The backstory Vulcan downloaded for me...

"I come from a town called Atlas in Michigan." Hiccup. "Sorry!"

"It's alright, Penny. Even warriors get hiccups..." Reyna raised an eyebrow. "Any combat experience?"

"Much." I nodded excitedly. "I've been training to fight since I could walk... I know, I don't look like it."

"Well... You do look and act a bit too innocent."

"I assure you, I've battled many monsters, and people."

...

"I'm combat-ready!"

...

"Thank you for a wonderful time!"

...

"This is going to be so much fun!"

...

"Hmm... And what about basic, Vulcan-based skills?" Reyna asked. "Can you design and build?" I quickly checked my downloads from Vulcan...

"Indeed." I nodded enthusiastically. "In fact, I've designed my own weapons. I would show you, but they need a larger area. And... I'm afraid they might scare you."

"Scare me? I'm praetor for a camp full of half-gods who are constantly being hunted by monsters. I doubt that your weapons could be that bad. We'll see them when the interview is over... One last question: why did Vulcan send you to help us?"

"Well..." I sat back in my chair, searching my downloads. "He didn't say much. He told me that some boy called Percy Jackson was coming here, and that I would have to trust and follow him on his quest. He also said that they would be reuniting, soon, and I would have to help keep the peace between them at any cost because them working together is the only hope we have."

"Percy Jackson, huh? ... Do you know who they are?"

"No."

"Hmmm... Very well, Penny. You may join the Twelfth Legion as a centurion."

"Sensational!"

"Now... The First and Second Cohorts are for the best fighters. The Third is for the decent fighters. And the Fourth and Fifth are-"

"What Cohorts are Frank Zhang and Hazel Levesque in?" I asked. "They were very kind to me."

"... The Fifth."

"Then, I shall join the Fifth."

"Penny, the Fifth Cohort is for the worst fighters and has gone without their honor for a long time. My fellow praetor, Jason Grace, tried to change it... And he's not around, anymore."

"I am sorry for your loss." I bowed my head. "Did he..?"

"Die? We don't know... He just vanished. There's been no word, no sign, for two days. And Jason isn't like this."

"If there is anything I can do to help with your search, I will." I bowed my head, looking up. "From the Fifth Cohort." A small smile flickered across Reyna's face, and she nodded.

"Very well... Centurion Penny Polendina, welcome to the Fifth Cohort of the Twelfth Legion of Rome."

"Thank you!" I saluted. "I'm combat-ready!"

"Let's hope you are."

/\/\/\/\

I had the marks SPQR, along with the symbol of Vulcan, branded into my arm with fire. I shut down my nervous system during the process, so it didn't really hurt me.

After that, Reyna asked for me to demonstrate my weapons. She gathered the other centurions, including Hazel. I waved excitedly, and she gave a small wave back.

"Whenever you are ready." Reyna informed me. I nodded, smiling brightly, then focused.

My silver backpack slid open, my wire-suspended weapons in collapsed-mode rising up behind me. Then, then split apart and went into their full-forms.

Everyone's eyes widened as I moved my arms and willed the weapons to follow my movements, performing various moves I used in battle.

Then, I turned to the targets at the end of the field and willed my weapons into their small-laser formations, firing and striking the targets, destroying them.

Then, I used my weapons to propel myself forward, increase the height of a jump, then I sent two of my blades digging into the ground, their wires raising me into the air with the other blades spinning around me.

I touched back down and willed the blades back into my backpack, then bowed my head, smiling.

"Was that sufficient?" I asked. Reyna blinked a few times, too stunned to speak to me. Then...

"Are you absolutely sure that you want to join the Fifth Cohort?"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Penny's got the whole camp freaked-out! What happens when the Seven start coming out of the woodwork and meet our two Huntresses? I own nothing! Please read, review, check out my other stories, etc. Thanks!

PS: To my fans who play Roblox, here's a challenge! Find me! I'm IceWarriorWriter, and I play Obbys! Good luck!