Quick Note: I decided to start over since I didn't like how I began the other chapters. Its the same storyline though. Towards the end of this chapter it's a mixture of work between Rick and I.

Lexi's POV

I set my silver bow and quiver of arrows down against the wall of the tunnel. It was pretty cold and I could feel goosebumps forming on my skin. I felt someone from behind me wrap their arms around my waist and I nearly jumped, but once I took in the familiar fresh scent of a gentle sea breeze I realized it was Ody.

"You cold?" He asks. He gives me a kiss on the cheek and I smile.

"Yea, it's freaking freezing in here," I answer softly.

"I'd be happy to warm you up," he says smoothly. He lets go of me for a moment and when I turned around I saw him taking off his favorite black California sweater. I got a glimpse of his abs and I couldn't help but smile.

"Here," he says holding out the sweater to me.

"That's okay. It's your favorite sweater, you wear it," He shakes his head and slips it over my head easily.

"You're the one who bought it for me. Just wear it, I don't need you getting sick on me," he insists.

"If it makes you happy..." I stick my arms and pull it down over my chest. I looked down and started laughing. The sweater was way too big for me, it almost looked like a dress. That's what happens when a girl that's 5'2 decides to wear her 6'3 boyfriend's clothing.

"You look cute in it. Shit you look better in it than I do. I'm so jealous," he crosses his arms and gives me a cute pout.

"No I don't, but I bet if I took off these pants..." I wrap my arms around his waist and pull myself closer to him.

"That sounds like a good idea," he says cheerfully. He gave me his signature mischievous smile that's been driving me crazy for years.

"You would think it's a good idea," I tease. "But then my legs would be cold"

"True...well then I guess I'll have to see another time,"

"Mhmmm," I say laying my head against his stomach and all it's hardness.

"So what are you doing today?"

"Well, after our shift I have to go clean the stables with Frank and Nate. Then I have to go grab some chemicals and stuff from my dad and I'm supposed to be working with Kenzie for a few hours,"

"And of course I'm not included in any of this," he says in a gentle, somewhat disappointed tone.

"Well you're always welcome to help me in the stables...,"

"Wow, that's the best you can do to fit me into your schedule," I look up to see he looked hurt.

"I have something planned for us today, don't worry,"

"Oh really?" He asks flatly as if he doubted it were true.

"Yea, it's a surprise though. To make up for the lack of quality time with you,"

"You serious? You really planned something for us?" There was a serious look on his face and his gorgeous sea green eyes were full of curiosity.

"Si, algo muy especial (something very special).".

"Oooh I love when you speak Spanish," he kisses me along my neck affectionately.

"I know, you've told me a million times,"

"You said you would teach me" he says with a childish pout.

"I teach you all the time, what are you talking about? You had a full conversation with my grandma at Christmas," I laugh at the memory. This year Ody spent Christmas with me and my family. He had a pretty decent conversation with her even though he mixed a few words up, and made him sound like an idiot.

"Yea but I barely knew how to respond. We need to practice more. I want to be fluent,"

"Fine, fine." He continues to kiss me along my neck and he moans, which catches me off guard.

"You literally taste like candy babe," he says licking his lips. I looked up at him with an amused look. I had forgotten I was wearing my new cotton candy flavored lotion.

"Oh yea, that's my new lotion. You like it?"

"It's delicious. You know how much I like cotton candy," he goes starts working on the other side of my neck gently kissing, nibbling, and sucking on tender and sensitive areas.

"I'm glad you like it, I haven't gotten this much affection in a while," he chuckles and separates from me. He touched a sensitive spot behind my earlobe and smiled.

"Yea I know, I haven't given you hickies in forever," I smack him in his chest. "What you hit me for!?"

"You know I hate that word," I growl scornfully.

"Oh my bad...I haven't given you any "love marks" in a while,"

"Much better," he chuckles and shakes his head as if to say: ahh she's ridiculous. I pull out my compact and take a look at the love marks. "Why so many? I look like a slut,"

"Oh my gods! I hate when you say that Lex,"he says in with an irritated tone. I bite my lip and quickly think of a cover up.

"I mean...it doesn't look lady like,"

"Much better," he says mocking my earlier response.

I close my compact and look at him again."I swear you better not be giving me these for with an ulterior motive," he stays quiet and I saw the guilt instantly.

"I know that look. Ody!"

"I don't know. Sometimes I just enjoy giving them but other times it's like I want people to see them," he confesses.

"So you're saying you want people to see these marks so they know I'm taken?"

"Exactly. I'm glad you understand,"

I walk towards my bow and quiver."Doesn't mean I like it," I grumble.

"What?"

"It's like you're a dog pissing on a fire hydrant or something to claim your territory. That's a dumb reason to give love marks to people,"

"No it's not. You're not a guy you wouldn't understand. So there's no need to even argue about this,"

"Of course not," I pull out my compact again and start applying makeup to my neck.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?"

"Why would you cover the love marks I gave you? You never have before,"

"Because I just want to cover them,"

"You ashamed of me?"

I give him look that said: Are you kidding me? "Don't be stupid, you know I'm not ashamed of you. I have no reason to be,"

"Then stop covering them,"

"I don't have to show them to prove I'm not ashamed of you,"

He crosses his arms and looks away from me. "Whatever, it's your body. Do what you want I guess," he grumbles.

"Great I will. I'm so glad you gave me your permission" I sarcastically, ignoring his attitude. I finished applying the makeup.

He looked out onto the highway and he started keeping watch. I had almost forgotten why I was here. After a few minutes I still saw the upset look on his face, I didn't need to turn on my empathy to know that his feelings were hurt.

"I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings,"

"Whatever it's fine," he says angrily.

"No it's not. Look, I just don't understand why you feel the need to "claim" me. Everyone knows we're together,"

"Not everyone, and that's not why I do it,"

"Well then explain to me,"

"You don't see the effect you have on people. Guys drool when you pass by. You're not a little girl anymore. Guys get at you all the time, even when I'm standing right there,"

"So what difference does it make?"

"It makes a huge difference. I mean yea guys will still check you out or whatever, but when they see the marks most of them will kind of back off. I'm surprised you don't notice the difference yourself,"

I lean against the tunnel wall while still looking out to keep watch. I try to think, to see if it was true or not. "I guess..."

"But it's stupid of me right?" He says sarcastically.

"I don't know. If it really bothers you and you think it makes a difference...I mean why do you even care if guys hit on me,"

"I think every guy fears that his girl might find someone better than him. And I just don't like seeing guys all over you. I know you can't help it, that's why I do some of the things I do."

"Ody, we've been together for almost three years. You know I love you. Why would I throw all of that away? You're sexy, smart, strong, caring. Pretty much everything I look for in a guy. I mean I crushed on you for like 4 years, come on now," I nudge him and I see a smile forming on his lips.

"I guess you have a point..."

"Of course I do. Why do you think I go ham (crazy) on all those girls that are all over YOU?" He chuckles and I could tell he was getting the point.

"Why? You know I'm crazy about you,"

"Yea, that doesn't mean I like watching girl throw themselves at you," I say flatly.

"So then you know how I feel," I looked at him and smirked. He was satisfied now, I guess we had worked this out.

"Yea, I guess I understand now." I glanced across the highway and I saw something unusual. "Ody..."

"What is it?" He looks at me then out across the highway. A kid who looked a lot like Ody from a distance was struggling to carry some old hag. He ran straight towards the highway frantically and I could finally see what he was running from.

"Gorgons," we say in unison. I grab my bow and sling my quiver over my shoulder while Ody took out his laser pointer and transformed it into his weighted gladius,tsunami.

The kid made it to the highway and I could see one of the gorgons almost get run over by a commuting car. I nocked an arrow and released it as one tried to grab him. It hit her in the in the chest, piercing her through the heart. It made her scream in pain but, she just pulled it out angrily and flew back into the air.

"What the f-" I caught myself and I nocked another arrow. This one hitting the other one reached for the boy. It hit her directly in the center of her forehead, sending her tumbling into the fast lane. A truck slammed into her and carried her backward maybe a hundred yards. She just climbed over a cab pulled the arrow out of her head, and launched back into the air.

The guy reached the door and I pulled him in. "Thanks. Good shot," I was too outraged and confused to really take in the complement.

"That should have killed her!" I yelled. The old woman smiled and shrugged her shoulders as if to say: yea, oh well.

"Welcome to my world," the boy muttered. I got caught off guard by how his voice sounded identical to Ody's. I looked at him and gasped. He was almost the same height, the same dark hair, complexion, sea green eyes, and amazing lips. The only difference would probably be that Ody was two inches taller, slightly more muscular and had that new Justin Bieber haircut that I loved.

"Lexi!" Ody yelled. "Get them inside quick!" I shake out of the weird trance I was in and remembered what was going on.

"Will the door hold them?" I asked.

In the boy's arms the woman cackled. "No, no it won't. Onward Percy Jackson! Through the tunnel, over the river!"

"Percy Jackson?" I repeated. I had heard the name a lot. Mostly on my quests with Ody, some monsters would mistake him for some kid named Percy Jackson, now I could see why. They were practically identical and...had the same last name?

"Nevermind, just come on," I say.

"I'll hold them off," Ody says.

"Ody, don't be crazy," I reached for him but he pulled away.

"Go!" He demanded.

I cursed under my breath and opened the door."Come on!"

The kid, Percy, followed staggering under the weight of the old lady. I was nervous about Ody and how he was going to hold off the gorgons on his own but I had faith in him.

The tunnel cut through solid rock, about the same width and height of a school hallway. At first it looked like a regular maintenance tunnel with electric cables, warning signs, fuse boxes on the walls and lightbulbs in wire cages along the ceiling. As we ran deeper into the hillside, the cement floor changed to tiled mosaic. The lights turned to reed torches, which burned but didn't smoke. A few hundred yards away I could see a square of daylight.

Percy's arms shook from the strain of holding the old hippie lady. She didn't seem to care either, she just mumbled a latin lullaby contently as if nothing was happening.

Behind us, the gorgons' voices echoed in the tunnel. Ody shouted in pain and I was tempted to run back and help but I had to get Percy to safety. Then the entire tunnel shook with the rumble of falling stone. There was an awkward and disgusting squawking sound. Percy and I glanced back. The west end of the tunnel was now filled with dust.

"Shouldn't we check on Ody?" He asked.

"He'll be okay...I hope," I said. "He's good underground. Just keep moving! We're almost there."

"Almost where?"

The old woman chuckled. "All roads lead there child. You should know that,"

"Detention?" Percy asked.

"Rome child," the old woman said. "Rome."

We kept running. The glow of at the end of the tunnel grew brighter, and finally we burst into sunlight.

Percy froze for a moment. Spread out at our feet was a bowl-shaped valley several miles wide. The basin floor was rumpled with smaller hills, golden plains, and stretches of forest. The Tiber river cut a winding course from a lake in the center and around the perimeter, like a capital G.

Since we were in northern California, the land was plagued with live oaks and eucalyptus trees, gold hills, and blue skies. Mount Diablo rose in the distance and in the center of the valley, nestled by the lake, was the city full of white marble buildings with red tiled roofs.

About two hundred yards away, just across the river, was a sort of military encampment. It was about a quarter mile square with earthen ramparts on all four sides, the tops limed with sharpened spikes. Outside the walls ran a dry moat, also studded with spikes. Wooden watch towers, rose at each corner, manned by sentries with oversized mounted crossbows. Purple banners hung from the towers. A narrower gate stood close on the riverbank side. Inside, the fortress bustled with activity; dozens of kids going to and from barracks carrying weapons, polishing armor. I could hear the clank of hammers at the forge and smelled meat cooking over a fire.

"Camp Jupiter," I said out of breath. "We'll be safe once-"

Footsteps echoed in the tunnel behind us. Ody burst into the light, and I was flooded with relief. He was breathing hard and covered with stone dust. One of the monsters had tagged him with a 50% of sticker.

"I slowed them down," he said." But they'll be here any moment any second.

I cursed under my breath again. "We have to get across the river."

I could see the old woman squeeze Percy's neck tighter. "Oh, yes, please. I can't get my dress wet."

Percy stumbled a few times as we ran for the river. Ody and I were the only ones keeping him on his feet.

We reached the riverbank, and Percy stopped to catch his breath. The current was fast, but the river wasn't too deep. Only a stone's throw across stood the gates of the fort.

"Go, Ody!." I nocked two arrows at once."Escort Percy so the sentries don't shoot him. It's my turn to hold off the gorgons." Ody nodded and waded into the stream.

The gorgons screeched as they flew from the tunnel and I immediately let my arrows fly. I tried to hold them back hopefully long enough for them to get to the gate. I kept an eye on Ody and Percy with my peripheral vision and I released another arrow that hit one of the gorgons in the center of her eye.

From the middle of the river, Ody yelled, "Percy, come on!"

Up on the watchtowers, horns blew. The sentries shouted and swiveled their crossbows toward the gorgons, giving me a sense of relief. I ran towards the river while the sentries covered me. Percy reached the other side and put the old woman down as the camp's gates opened. Dozens of kids in armor poured out.

Ody turned with a relieved smile. Then he looked over Percy's shoulder, and his expression changed to horror. "Lexi!"

I was halfway across the river when the gorgons caught me. They swooped out of the sky and grabbed me by both arms. I screamed in pain as their claws dug into my skin.

The sentries yelled, but I knew they couldn't get a clear shot. They'd end up killing me.

The other kids drew swords and got ready to charge into the water, but they'd be too late. I looked down at Ody and screamed. "Ody I love you!" To be honest I was pretty sure I was about to die, at least he would know I was thinking of him in my last moments. I expected him to scream NOOOOOOOO! but he just gave the gorgons an angry, yet determined look.

Ody thrust out his hands and the Tiber obeyed his will. The river surged. Whirlpools formed on both sides of him. Giant watery hands erupted from the stream, copying Ody's movements. The giant hands grabbed the gorgons, who dropped me into the ice cold water in surprise. Then the hands lifted the squawking monsters in a liquid vise heard the other kids yelping and backing away, but he stayed focused on his task. He made a smashing gesture with his fists, and the giant hands plunged the gorgons into the Tiber. The monsters hit bottom and broke into dust. Glittering clouds of gorgon essence struggled to reform, but the river pulled them apart like a blender. Soon every trace of the gorgons was swept downstream. The whirlpools vanished, and the current returned to normal.

Percy stood on the riverbank. His clothes and his skin steamed as if the Tiber's waters had given him an acid bath. I stumbled around in the middle of the Tiber looking stunned. Ody waded out and helped me ashore. Only then did I realize how quiet the other kids had become.

Everyone was staring at Percy and only the old lady June looked unfazed.

"Well, that was a lovely trip," she said. "Thank you, Percy Jackson, for bringing me to Camp Jupiter."

Reyna made a weird choking sound.

"Percy…Jackson?" She sounded as if she recognized his name. Percy focused on her, for some reason. Maybe he picked up on her tone too. She wore a regal purple cloak over her armor. Her chest was decorated with medals. She was the same age as Ody, with dark, piercing eyes and long black hair. Percy didn't look like recognized her, but the Reyna stared at him as if she'd seen him in her nightmares

June laughed with delight. "Oh, yes. You'll have such fun together!"

Then, just because the day hadn't been weird enough already, the old lady began to glow and change form. She grew until she was a shining, seven-foot-tall goddess in a blue dress, with a cloak that looked like goat's skin over her shoulders. Her face was stern and stately. In her hand was a staff topped with a lotus flower. If it was possible for the campers to look more stunned, they did. Reyna knelt and the others followed her lead. One kid got down so hastily he almost impaled himself on his sword.

I was the first to speak. "Juno."I fell to my knees, leaving Percy and Ody the only ones standing. He didn't like Juno at all, and well I'm sure he wasn't too happy.

"Juno, huh?" Percy said. "If I passed your test, can I have my memory and my life back?"

The goddess smiled. "In time, Percy Jackson, if you succeed here at camp. You've done well today, which is a good start. Perhaps there's hope for you yet. Besides, don't you want to get to know your long lost twin brother?"

"My what!?" Percy says. Juno looks at Ody for a moment. I heard whispers and murmurs coming from the crowd of campers.

"Yes, you and Ody are twins." she says with an amused look. Percy's jaw drops and she turned to the other kids. "Romans, I present to you the son of Neptune. For months he has been

slumbering, but now he is awake. His fate is in your hands. The Feast of Fortune comes quickly, and Death must be unleashed if you are to stand any hope in the battle. Do not fail me!" Juno shimmered and disappeared. Percy looked at Ody and I for some kind of explanation, but we were just as confused as he was. In my hand were two small clay flasks with cork stoppers, like potions, one in each hand. I slip them into her pockets, and I would have to decide what to do with them later.

Reyna stepped forward and examined Percy warily, and I couldn't shake

the feeling that she wanted to run him through with her dagger.

"So," she said coldly, "another son of Neptune, who comes to us with the blessing of Juno."

"Look," he said, "my memory's a little fuzzy. Um, it's gone, actually. Do I know you?"

Reyna hesitated before answering. "I am Reyna, praetor of the Twelfth Legion. And…no, I don't know you." That last part was a lie. I could tell from her eyes. But he if Percy argued with

her about it here, in front of her soldiers, she wouldn't appreciate it.

"Ody," said Reyna, "bring your twin inside. I want to question him at the principia. Then we'll send him to Octavian. We must consult the auguries before we decide what to do with him."

"What do you mean," Percy asked, "'decide what to do with' me?" Reyna's hand tightened on her dagger. Obviously she was not used to having her orders questioned. "Before we accept anyone into camp, we must interrogate them and read the auguries. Juno said your fate is in our hands. We have to know whether the goddess has brought us as a new recruit.…"

Reyna studied Percy as if she found that doubtful.

"Or," she said more hopefully, "if she's brought us an enemy to kill."

"I go too right? I mean I was there and I-"

"I believe you have stables to clean,don't you?" she says in a harsh tone.

"Well yea but-"

"Need I remind you that you are probation for all the trouble you've caused this week?" I stayed silent and looked down at my bow. "That's what I thought. Ody's report will do just fine. You are dismissed until I need you," she turns without another word and Ody shakes his head. He gives me a quick hug and a kiss on my cheek before he walks away leaving me cold, wet, and very upset..

I hoped you enjoyed the first chapter. The next chapter will be introducing new characters and don't worry, Frank and Hazel are still going to be included in the story of course. Thanks for reading and feel free to message me or leave a review :) -A.G. Rodriguez