𝓢𝓞𝓝 𝓞𝓕 𝓝𝓔𝓟𝓣𝓤𝓝𝓔

EVANGELINE (MIRACULOUSLY) MANAGED TO GET DRESSED FAST ENOUGH SO THAT SHE AND PERCY WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT JUST IN TIME.

They were still gathering around when they arrived. Frank was the first to see the pair, he came running as soon as he saw the two arguing back and forth about who was the best superhero in the Marvel universe.

"I mean I pIron Man, Thor, The X-men, Black Panther—"

"Who cares about them, Spiderman is everything!" Evangeline interrupted, "You don't get it, If I saw Peter Parker knocking on my window all beat up, I'd be like 'Yes baby come in I'll heal you and keep all your secrets'!" Evangeline laughed hard when she saw Percy shake his head in annoyance. " Come on! Even the different versions are amazing! Miles morales! Spiderpunk! Also? Tragic love! Gwen and Peter? You're just not winning this one Babe."

Percy was about to form his argument when Frank interrupted.

"Percy!" Frank gasped, "I've been looking all over for you! I'm so sorry—Vitellius found me and it was a whole thing—"

"Chill out Frankie." Evangeline patted his back, "I had him covered."

"Y-You did?" Frank questioned, he looked over at Percy. Almost as if he were checking the boy for any damage.

Percy nodded, "Yeah, She helped me out. No worries dude. So where do we go?"

"This is where we part ways, Pretty boy." Evangeline hummed, "You line up with the Guards, We go to our Cohort."

"The fifth." Percy remembered, "So? How do they choose which cohort—"

"Romans of the Legion!" Reyna called, She was cantering back and forth on her pegasus Scipio—nicknamed Skippy because he was the color of peanut butter. The metal dogs Aurum and Argentum trotted at her side. Her purple officer's cape billowed behind her. "Line up with your Cohorts, please. We are set to begin soon."

Evangeline grinned, "Isn't it so hot when she's all authoritative? Like yes ma'am, whatever you say."

"She's always like that." Frank looked confused, "And I find it more scary than anything."

"Oh Frankie, You just can't handle all that." Evangeline grinned, she turned to Percy,

He looked at Evangeline and frowned, He wouldn't admit it to himself, but he was disappointed that she was leaving.

"We'll see you yeah? Before she—"

"Evangeline! Frank!" Reyna called, "Did you not hear me?"

Frank became rigid, he inched closer behind Eva.

"Going Reyna!" Evangeline flashed her an unbothered grin, She grabbed Frank by the hand and led them to where their Cohort was.

She whispered in his ear, "Breathe Frankie, she can smell fear."

"Don't say that." Frank frowned. Sounding genuinely alarmed.

Evangeline giggled behind her other manicured hand.

Both waited in line, falling into their ranks just as their lead centurion, a big seventeen-year-old guy named Dakota, started calling their names on the roll.

"Evangeline Delilah Bellerose." He said, Eva was one of the very first ones on the list.

"You see me Kota," She said, "No need to call out."

"Yeah, Yeah, I still gotta do it, Eva."

He continued, Evangeline started checking her nails and talking to some of the other girls on the line. They asked her if she could show them how to do her signature glittery eye makeup and she promised to show them after the games.

After a while, Hazel came running in. Passing by Reyna with her brother Nicky at her heels—Wait, Nick? Evangeline didn't remember.

"Hazel Levesque," Their Praetor called, "so glad you could join us."

Hazel knew better than to respond. She was missing most of her equipment, but she hurried to her place in line next to Frank and stood at attention. Dakota was just calling her name the last one on the roll.

"Present!" she squeaked.

Hazel's brother joined Percy, who was standing off to one side with a couple of guards.

Percy's hair was still damp from the baths. He had on the fresh clothes Evangeline found him, but he still looked uncomfortable. She couldn't blame him. He was about to be introduced to two hundred heavily armed kids.

He found her gaze, and she grinned and gave him a wink. He shook his head and laughed silently. He didn't seem too uncomfortable anymore.

The Lares were the last ones to fall in. Their purple forms flickered as they jockeyed for places. They had an annoying habit of standing halfway inside living people, so that the ranks looked like a blurry photograph, but finally the centurions got them sorted out.

Octavian shouted, "Colors!"

The standard-bearers stepped forward. They wore lion-skin capes and held poles decorated with each cohort's emblems. The last to present his standard was Jacob, the legion's eagle bearer. He held a long pole with absolutely nothing on top. The job was supposed to be a big honor, but Jacob obviously hated it.

Even though Reyna insisted on following tradition, every time the eagleless pole was raised, Evangeline could feel the embarrassment within her, rippling through the legion.

Reyna brought Scipio to a halt.

"Romans!" she announced. "You've probably heard about the incursion today. Two gorgons were swept into the river by this newcomer, Percy Jackson. Juno herself guided him here, and proclaimed him a son of Neptune."

The kids in the back rows craned their necks to see Percy.

He raised his hand and said, "Hi."

Evangeline giggled, "Dork."

"He seeks to join the legion," Reyna continued. "What do the auguries say?"

"I have read the entrails!" Octavian announced, as if he'd killed a lion with his bare hands rather than ripping up a stuffed panda pillow. "The auguries are favorable. He is qualified to serve!"

The campers shouted: "Ave!"

Frank was a little late with his "Ave," so it came out as a high-pitched echo.

The other legionnaires snickered.

Reyna motioned the senior officers forward one from each cohort. Octavian, as the most senior centurion, turned to Percy.

"Recruit," he asked, "Do you have credentials? Letters of reference?"

Evangeline remembered this from her own arrival. A lot of kids brought letters from older demigods in the outside world, adults who were veterans of the camp. Some recruits had rich and famous sponsors. Some were third—or fourth-generation campers. A good letter could get you a position in the better cohorts, sometimes even special jobs like legion messenger, which made you exempt from the grunt work like digging ditches or conjugating Latin verbs.

Percy shifted. "Letters? Um, no."

Octavian wrinkled his nose.

Evangeline interrupted, "Juno himself brought him to camp? Is that not recommendation enough?"

Octavian's family had been sending kids to camp for over a century. He loved reminding recruits that they were less important than he was. Evangeline loved bringing him down to size.

"No letters," Octavian glared at her. Almost as if he were imagining cutting out and reading her entrails. "No recommendation. Stand down, Legionnaire." He spat out her title like venom.

She rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, "Whatever ugly."

"Will any legionnaires stand for him?"

"I will!" Frank stepped forward. "He saved my life!"

Immediately there were shouts of protest from the other cohorts. Evangeline cringed, she muttered to herself. "Oh no. Hon....You set yourself up."

Reyna raised her hand for quiet and glared at Frank.

"Frank Zhang," she said, "for the second time today, I remind you that you are on probatio. Your godly parent has not even claimed you yet. You're not eligible to stand for another camper until you've earned your first stripe."

Frank looked like he might die of embarrassment.

Evangeline didn't know what came over her, I mean she never stood up for any new Camper before. She had believed the second she went off to train that she didn't care for the boy and that they probably wouldn't interact with each other again.

But after being forced to help him out, she realized they did have some things in common. This guy was a Son of Neptune, he was already being scrutinized by everyone because they thought he was a bad omen. The likeliness any other cohort would choose him was low.

She recalled what he did at the river Tiber. The water was in his control...The boy oozed power. Evangeline knew he was more than they credited him for. It was a strategic move to have him enter her cohort. It may bring them more luck, more strength, more respect...

Evangeline Bellerose decided that she had to have Percy Jackson on her team one way or another.

Also, Frank was definitely giving her secondhand embarrassment.

She stepped out of line and said, "What he means is that the Son of Neptune saved all our lives. I am a full member of the legion. So I will stand for him."

Frank glanced at her gratefully, but the other campers started to mutter. Evangeline rolled her eyes, already knowing that they were assuming they'd gotten together. Or that Eva was standing for him because he was hot. (well it was not not a factor in her decision.)

Reyna looked shocked, but she quickly gained composure and turned to Octavian. The augur smiled and shrugged, like the idea amused him.

Putting Percy in the Fifth would make him seem like less of a threat, and Octavian liked to keep all his enemies in one place.

"Very well," Reyna announced. "Evangeline Delilah Bellerose, you may stand for the recruit. Does your cohort accept him?"

The other cohorts started coughing, trying not to laugh.

Frank and Hazel pounded their shields against the ground. The other members of the Fifth followed their lead, though they didn't seem very excited. Their centurions, Dakota and Gwen, exchanged pained looks, like: Here we go again.

Evangeline rolled her eyes. These people have no idea what grand potential means.

"My cohort has spoken," Dakota said. "We accept the recruit."

Reyna looked at Percy with pity. "Congratulations, Percy Jackson. You stand on probatio. You will be given a tablet with your name and cohort. In one year's time, or as soon as you complete an act of valor, you will become a full member of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata. Serve Rome, obey the rules of the legion, and defend the camp with honor. Senatus Populusque Romanus!"

The rest of the legion echoed the cheer.

Reyna wheeled her pegasus away from Percy, like she was glad to be done with him.

Skippy spread his beautiful wings.

"Centurions," Reyna said, "you and your troops have one hour for dinner. Then we will meet on the Field of Mars. The First and Second Cohorts will defend. The Third, Fourth, and Fifth will attack. Good fortune!"

A bigger cheer went up for the war games and for dinner. The cohorts broke ranks and ran for the mess hall.

Evangeline smiled at Percy, who made his way through the crowd with Nico at his side. To her surprise, Nico was beaming at her.

"Good job," he said. "That took guts, standing for him."

Evangeline spoke with confidence, "Yeah well, I have a lot of guts, Nicky. I'm not just a pretty face."

"Nico."

Evangeline furrowed her eyebrows, "No, that doesn't sound right."

Frank sighed beside her, he and Hazel gathered around her once the others left. "Just accept it. I have."

One of the guards had given Percy his probatio nameplate. Percy strung it on his leather necklace with the strange beads.

"Thanks, Angie," He said. "Um, what exactly does it mean—your standing for me?"

"I guarantee your good behavior," Evangeline explained. "I teach you the rules, answer your questions, make sure you don't disgrace the legion. Basically, I answer for you, Percy."

Frank gasped, he looked at Nico and Hazel like a miracle had just occurred.

"And...if I do something wrong?"

"Then I get killed along with you," She thought about it. "Hm. I'd say that's romantic, but I'm not looking to die. And I'm more of a Katherine Stratford than a Juliet Capulet. So try and behave yourself, yeah?" She shrugged, "Anyway, Anybody else feeling hungry? Let's go eat something."

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

AURAE, INVISIBLE WIND SPIRITS, waited on the campers and seemed to know exactly what everyone wanted.

They blew plates and cups around quickly, the mess hall filled with flying food. If you got up too fast, you were likely to get smacked with some kind of meal.

Evangeline got a French onion grilled cheese—her favorite comfort food. As she held the warm sandwich in her hands, memories of her childhood in Los Angeles flooded back. Her father, a model by profession, may not have been a culinary maestro, but in his limited skills, he crafted this sandwich.

Her father, was once a model who lived in Paris, he went to LA for a crucial modeling job, that was meant to be temporary.

But, life had its own plans. The supposed short trip extended far beyond his expectations. Fate intervened, and he fell in love. With Evangeline's mom—With Venus. As their love story unfolded in the sun-soaked backdrop of LA. Evangeline eventually came to be.

It wasn't a sophisticated dish—a stack of caramelized onions and Gruyère cheese nestled between two slices of toasted bread. A taste that encapsulated her father's effort to bring a piece of his Parisian past into their LA home.

As she savored each bite, it wasn't just a meal; it was a journey through time. The sandwich represented the love of a father who, though not a chef, used to express his affection through this humble creation. It was a reminder of the carefree days of her early childhood and the warmth her home used to have.

Evangeline didn't like to eat the sandwich that often. Only on rare days when she was a little more emotional than usual.

Eva's relationship with the dish held a bittersweet history. In her younger days, she devoured it until the flavors became overwhelming—until she became sick and disgusted by it. There was truly nothing else her father could cook, so it was either that or takeout.

But there came a time when her father refrained from preparing it altogether, leaving her with a void—Now she tried to fill it. But it never was the same.

Not once Venus stopped visiting and her father found his new family. Not once Evangeline, became more of a nuisance, a cash cow—than a daughter.

Reminiscing on her past wasn't something Evangeline enjoyed.

Percy got a cheeseburger and a soda that was bright blue. Evangeline didn't understand that, but Percy tried it and grinned.

"This makes me happy," he said. "I don't know why...but it does."

"It must be your favorite color" She guessed, She looked curiously at the drinking cup she had yet to fill, Usually she'd only have water. "Hm. You just asked for it to be a specific color?"

He nodded, "Try it."

"Hm. I can't choose. I love Purple but Pink is so Pink. And I loooove Red. But also, blue and green are gorg—"

"Why don't you do green?" He decided for her. Mostly because he was afraid they'd be there a while if he let her ponder.

"Nah, I'm feeling Purple today." She brought the poculum closer, "Purple lemonade please, and thank you."

Just for a moment, one of the aurae became visible, an elfin girl in a white silk dress.

She giggled as she topped off Evangeline's glass, then disappeared in a gust.

The cup filled to the brim with the purple liquid. Evangeline grinned, She brought it up to Percy's face and did a cheers motion before pressing it to her lips. She hummed, "Good, Next time I'm trying a rainbow."

The mess hall seemed especially noisy tonight. Laughter echoed off the walls. War banners rustled from cedar ceiling beams as aurae blew back and forth, keeping everyone's plates full.

The campers dined Roman style, sitting on couches around low tables. Kids were constantly getting up and trading places, spreading rumors about who liked whom and all the other gossip.

Of course, since she advocated for him, Evangeline and Percy were in a lot of the rumors now being spread.

One girl went to their table and whispered beside Hazel, "Did you hear? Evangeline is already totally dating the new guy. I hear that's why she stood for him! I mean why else would she—"

Percy choked on his drink. "No, we aren't!" He denied. "I-I have a—" He stopped himself, he was struggling to remember.

Lavinia looked up and realized who she was talking to, her eyes widened. "Hazel?" She turned her head and she met Evangeline's eyes. She was sitting on the other side of Hazel, between her and Percy, Lavinia smiled sheepishly. "Oh... Hey Eva..."

Evangeline just kept her gaze, "Hi Lavinia." She smiled, "Hm. How are those riding lessons going by the way." Evangeline leaned forward. Anyone else would mistake her expression for one that was happy and unbothered. But anyone close to her, knew she was pissed and planning on making someone cry. "I've heard that you've been practicing a wholeeee lot."

Lavinia swallowed, "They're...They're going great."

Evangeline nodded, She shrugged, and looked at Percy with a smile. He looked confused, " Apparently we're sneaking around together. Isn't that right Lavinia?" She turned back to her, "Because you're soooo much more reliable than I am when it comes to the 'rumors' in this camp."

Lavinia turned to Hazel, "Actually! I didn't hear anything! Er—If you'll excuse me—" she scowled at Evangeline, "Bitch." Was all she muttered before walking away.

Evangeline waved goodbye as she saw her back, "Say hi to Camille for me!" She jeered.

"What was that about,"  Percy whispered to her. "You totally scared her away."

"Don't worry about it." Evangeline pursed her lips, "Just know she won't bother you."

As usual, the Fifth Cohort took the place of least honor. Their tables were at the back of the dining hall next to the kitchen. Evangeline's table was always the least crowded. Tonight it was she, Hazel, and Frank, with Percy and Nico and their centurion Dakota, who sat there, Eva figured, because he felt obligated to welcome the new recruit.

Dakota reclined glumly on his couch, mixing sugar into his drink and chugging it. He was a beefy guy with curly black hair and eyes that didn't quite line up straight, so Eva felt like the world was leaning whenever she looked at him. It wasn't a good sign that he was drinking so much so early in the night.

"So." He burped, waving his goblet. "Welcome to the Percy, party." He frowned. "Party, Percy. Whatever."

"Um, thanks," Percy said, but he focused his attention on Nico. "I was wondering if we could talk, you know...about where I might have seen you before."

"Sure," Nico said a little too quickly. "The thing is, I spend most of my time in the Underworld. So unless I met you there somehow—"

Dakota belched. "Ambassador from Pluto, they call him. Reyna's never sure what to do with this guy when he visits. You should have seen her face when he showed up with Hazel, asking Reyna to take her in. Um, no offense."

"None taken." Nico seemed relieved to change the topic. "Dakota was really helpful, standing for Hazel."

Dakota blushed. "Yeah, well...She seemed like a good kid. Turned out I was right. Last month, when she saved me from, uh, you know."

"Oh, man!" Frank looked up from his fish and chips. "Percy, you should have seen her! That's how Hazel got her stripe. The unicorns decided to stampede—"

"It was nothing," Hazel said.

"Nothing?" Evangeline protested. "Hazelnut. Do not discredit yourself. It was an act of true Roman valor. You saved his life."

Frank nodded, He followed Evangeline's lead and began to praise her. "Dakota would've gotten trampled! You stood right in front of them, shooed them away, saved his hide. I've never seen anything like it."

Hazel bit her lip. Evangeline had the sense she was feeling uncomfortable. She also had a sense of why. The unicorn horns were precious metal—silver and gold—so she'd managed to turn them aside simply by concentrating on her powers, steering the animals by their horns and guiding them back to the stables.

It gave her a full place in the legion, but it had also started rumors about her strange powers. Rumors that Evangeline knew affected her greatly. See when Hazel first arrived, Evangeline was a shoulder for her to cry on. Evangeline believed her before she believed the rumors, Evangeline didn't push her for answers or try to discover everything about her. Evangeline was just her girlfriend, almost like a big sister—Something Hazel never had.

Percy studied Hazel. "Did you and Nico grow up together?" he asked.

"No," Nico answered for her. "I found out that Hazel was my sister only recently. She's from New Orleans" Nico talked about the children of Pluto. "There aren't many of us," he said, "so we have to stick together. When I found Hazel—"

"You have other sisters?" Percy asked, almost as if he knew the answer. Evangeline wondered if he and Nico had met before...

"One," Nico admitted. "But she died. I saw her spirit a few times in the Underworld, except that the last time I went down there. She was gone." Nico's voice turned hoarse. "She used to be in Elysium-like, the Underworld paradise but she chose to be reborn into a new life. Now I'll never see her again. I was just lucky to find Hazel...in New Orleans, I mean."

Dakota grunted. "Unless you believe the rumors. Not saying that I do."

"Rumors?" Percy asked.

"Kota." Evangeline's face hardened, she stared in disappointment. She threw a piece of hard candy from her bra that smacked him in the middle of his forehead. "You know better than to bring that up."

"Ouch! Jeez Eva."

"How'd you get your first stripe." Percy turned to her curiously, "Did Dakota stand for you too"

"No," Dakota responded, rubbing between his eyebrows. "Jason did." 

From across the room, Don the faun yelled, "Evangelineeeee! Hazel!"

Eva had never been so glad to see the faun. He wasn't allowed in camp, but of course, he always managed to sneak in. He was working his way toward their table, grinning at everybody, sneaking food off plates, and pointing at campers: "Hey! Call me!"

A flying pizza smacked him in the head, and he disappeared behind a couch. Then he popped up, still grinning, and made his way over.

"My favorite girls!" He smelled like a wet goat wrapped in old cheese. He leaned over their couches and checked out their food. "Say, new kid, you going to eat that?"

Percy frowned. "Aren't fauns vegetarian?"

"Not the cheeseburger, man! The plate!" He sniffed Percy's hair. "Hey... what's that smell?"

"Don!" Hazel said. "Don't be rude."

"I'm just shocked it wasn't me this time." Evangeline shrugged,

"No, man, I just—"

Their house god Vitellius shimmered into existence, standing half-embedded in Frank's couch. "Fauns in the dining hall! What are we coming to? Centurion Dakota, do your duty!"

"I am," Dakota grumbled into his goblet. "I'm having dinner!"

Don was still sniffing around Percy. "Man, you've got an empathy link with a faun!" Percy leaned away from him. "A what?"

"An empathy link! It's real faint, like somebody's suppressed it, but—"

"I know what!" Nico stood suddenly. "Evangeline, how about we give you, Hazel, and Frank time to get Percy oriented? Dakota and I can visit the praetor's table. Don and Vitellius, you come too. We can discuss strategies for the war games."

"Strategies for losing?" Dakota muttered.

"You're such a wet blanket." Evangeline groaned, "It's because no one has confidence or ambition that we keep losing!"

Dakota shrugged, "Or that we suck."

Evangeline groaned, she turned to Percy and mumbled, "The second I finish this fifth year. I'm going to try and replace him as centurion so help me Victorious Venus."

He grinned, and whispered back. "I see that. You'd be a way better leader."

Evangeline's mouth fell slightly agape as he turned back to his burger, she found herself admiring the boy for a tad longer than usual. And for more than just his looks...

"Death Boy is right!" Vitellius said. "This legion fights worse than we did in Judea, and that was the first time we lost our eagle. Why, if I were in charge—"

"Could I just eat the silverware first?" Don asked.

"Let's go!" Nico stood and grabbed Don and Vitellius by the ears.

Nobody but Nico could actually touch the Lares. Vitellius spluttered with outrage as he was dragged off to the praetor's table.

"Ow!" Don protested. "Man, watch the 'fro!"

"Come on, Dakota!" Nico called over his shoulder.

The centurion got up reluctantly. He wiped his mouth uselessly, since it was permanently stained red. "Back soon." He shook all over. like a dog trying to get dry. Then he staggered away, his goblet sloshing.

"What was that about?" Percy asked. "And what's wrong with Dakota?"

Frank sighed. "He's okay. He's a son of Bacchus, the wine god. He's got a drinking problem."

Percy's eyes widened. "You let him drink wine?"

"Gods, no!" Hazel said. "That would be a disaster. He's addicted to red Kool-Aid. Drinks it with three times the normal sugar, and he's already ADHD—you know, attention deficit/hyperactive. One of these days, his head is going to explode."

They all looked over at the praetor's table. Most of the senior officers were in deep conversation with Reyna. Nico and his two captives, Don and Vitellius, stood on the periphery. Dakota was running back and forth along a line of stacked shields, banging his goblet on them like they were a xylophone.

"ADHD," Percy said. "You don't say."

Evangeline tried not to laugh. "Well...most demigods are. Or dyslexic. Just being a demigod means that our brains are wired differently. Like you—you said you had trouble reading."

"Are you guys that way too?" Percy asked.

"Yes and Yes." She shrugged, "I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 7, and even though I love books, It isn't easy to get through them in English. In Latin and French they sound way more romantic anyway."

"I don't know," Hazel admitted. "Maybe. Back in my day, they just called kids like us lazy.'"

Percy frowned. "Back in your day?"

Evangeline questioned that too, but she wasn't going to force any answers out of her.

Before Hazel could respond. Frank spoke up: "I wish I was ADHD or dyslexic. All I got is lactose intolerance."

Percy grinned. "Seriously?"

Frank pouted. His shoulders slumped. "And I love ice cream, too...."

"Lactose Intolerance is normal" Evangeline informed, "If you were tolerant that would be the mutation. So you're kinda basic. Sorry, Babe."

"Hey!"

Percy and Evangeline laughed. Hazel couldn't help joining in. It was nice to sit at dinner and be among friends.

"Okay, so tell me," Percy said, "Why is it bad to be in the Fifth Cohort? You guys are great."

The compliment made Evangeline's toes tingle.

"It's...complicated. Aside from being Pluto's kid, I want to ride horses." Hazel answered.

"That's why you use a cavalry sword?"

She nodded. "It's stupid, I guess. Wishful thinking. There's only one person who owns a pegasus at Camp, Reyna. The others are strictly for riding lessons if you're interested. The unicorns are just kept for medicine, because the shavings off their horns cure poison and stuff. Anyway, Roman fighting is always done on foot. Cavalry...they kind of look down on that. So they look down on me."

"Their loss," Percy said. "What about you, Frank?"

"Archery," he muttered. "They don't like that either, unless you're a child of Apollo. Then you've got an excuse. I hope my dad is Apollo, but I don't know. I can't do poetry very well. And I'm not sure I want to be related to Octavian."

"Can't blame you," Percy said. "But you're excellent with the bow—the way you pegged those gorgons? Forget what other people think."

Frank's face turned as red as Dakota's Kool-Aid. "Wish I could. They all think I should be a sword fighter because I'm big and bulky." He looked down at his body, like he couldn't quite believe it was his. "They say I'm too stocky for an archer. Maybe if my dad would ever claim me..."

"You're beautiful the way you are Frank." Evangeline said as she now picked at her half-eaten sandwich, "And I've told you, Don't listen to them when they tell you that you have to do one thing just because you look a certain way. If you're good at what you do, all they can do is shut up."

"Thanks, Eva," Frank smiled in appreciation, and he looked at Percy. "Evangeline is the one who gets talked about the most. At least, After Jason. But she never gets bothered by it. She's very easygoing."

Evangeline smiled, though Frank wasn't exactly right, but as long as it seemed that way. She didn't care.

"My dad was a male model. A famous one from L.A who worked for years in Paris. You might know him. Dev Bellerose" Evangeline explained, "His reputation took a nosedive after I came into the picture. My birth kind of shook up his engagement back in Paris. And Juno, the goddess of marriage, wasn't too thrilled about it. Especially because the fiance, well her patron goddess was Juno. So, she gave him a taste of divine punishment. It was a kind of curse that affected his reputation. His career took a hit. People started questioning him, rumors circulated, and his image was tarnished. It was like Juno wanted everyone to see the consequences of straying from the path of commitment."

Evangeline came closer to the trio, she whispered, "If you ask me, she was totally projecting."

Percy raised an eyebrow, "That's intense. But how does that connect to your arrival at Camp Jupiter?"

Evangeline sighed, "Well, They assumed the worst of me duh, especially once Venus claimed me. They don't believe that I'm a real warrior, they think I'm some kind of entertainer. At first, they didn't even believe I was a demigod. Like, yeah, Lupa just prepared me for no reason, right?" She rolled her eyes, recalling the skepticism she faced. "My energy blasts didn't kick in until later. I only had charmspeak and infatuation manipulation back then.  It wasn't a great recipe for a warm welcome at Camp Jupiter. They saw me as a walking product of his mistakes, They saw me as the one who fueled Juno's rage, and being claimed by Venus didn't help either. They thought I brought his bad fortune with me. You know, like when Pirates don't allow women on their ship. Yeah, that's how they saw me."

Hazel chimed in, "It's not fair. "

"I know," Evangeline replied, but they aren't wrong, she thought. I did bring his bad fortune with me.

I'm my father's daughter, and I hate it.

She continued, "But demigods and fairness don't always go hand in hand. And on top of that, I used to be a child model. My Dad needed to pay the bills somehow after he was shunned. We moved to South L.A. But he managed to get me into that scene, and it added to the whole 'beauty queen' stereotype. They posted old photos of me all over the barracks the first night I was here. They saw a pretty face and assumed that's all I was. Which I don't fully blame them for, because it's a reallllly pretty face."

Frank looked sympathetic, "That's messed up. Why are you facing the consequences, when it was your father's fault? He's the one who cheated on his fiance with a goddess."

Evangeline didn't bother to ponder on that, "It's fine, I know who I am. I have combat skills that speak louder than their words. I train with Reyna daily."

Percy's eyes narrowed. "Eva," he said, a touch of anger in his tone, "You've got more than just looks. Your dad's mess, Juno's punishment, even being Venus's kid shouldn't be all they see. Not when there's so much more. It's their loss. I don't care what they say. Let them talk; we know better." He looked around, "Right guys?"

Hazel and Frank nodded.

Evangeline felt a fluttering feeling in her chest, She felt heat creep up her cheeks. Suddenly, she was smiling wide. "Watch it, pretty boy. Keep sweet-talking me and I'll sink my teeth into you." She teased, saying word for word one of the rumors that spread about her.

He grinned, "I'd like to see you try."

Evangeline laughed, the conversation ended with that.

They ate in silence for a few minutes.

"You asked about the Fifth," Evangeline said at last. "Why it's the worst cohort. That actually started way before us." She pointed to the back wall, where the legion's standards were on display. "See the empty pole in the middle?"

"The eagle," Percy said.

Hazel was stunned. "How'd you know?"

Percy shrugged. "Vitellius was talking about how the legion lost its eagle a long time ago—the first time, he said. He acted like it was a huge disgrace. I'm guessing that's what's missing. And from the way you guys were talking with Reyna earlier, I'm guessing your eagle got lost a second time, more recently, and it had something to do with the Fifth Cohort."

Evangeline cheered internally. That was the first sign that told her she was right. She knew not to underestimate Percy, even if he was a huge dork. When he'd first arrived, she'd thought he was a little goofy from the questions he'd asked about the Feast of Tuna and all that—but he was much smarter than he let on. She loved to find out what else the boy had up his sleeve. She wanted to know so much more about the mysterious Son of Neptune.

"You're right," Hazel was stunned. "That's exactly what happened."

"So what is this eagle, anyway? Why is it a big deal?"

Frank looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "It's the symbol of the whole camp—a big eagle made of gold. It's supposed to protect us in battle and make our enemies afraid. Each legion's eagle gave it all sorts of power, and ours came from Jupiter himself. Supposedly Julius Caesar nicknamed our legion 'Fulminata'-armed with lightning—because of what the eagle could do."

"I don't like lightning," Percy said.

I do.

"Yeah, well," Hazel said, "it didn't make us invincible. The Twelfth lost its eagle the first time way back in ancient days, during the Jewish Rebellion."

"I think I saw a movie like that," Percy said.

"The one with Channing Tatum! Ooof!" Evangeline squealed, "Yeah, they've made soooo many books and movies about legions losing their eagles. It's happened quite a few times. The eagle was so important...Archaeologists have never recovered a single eagle from ancient Rome. Each legion guarded theirs to the last man, because it was charged with power from the gods. They'd rather hide it or melt it down than surrender it to any enemy. The Twelfth was lucky the first time. We got our eagle back. But the second time..."

"You guys were there?" Percy asked.

The three of them shook their heads. Evangeline answered, "It happened back in the 1980s."

"I'm almost as new as you." Frank tapped his probatio plate. "Just got here last month. But everyone's heard the story. It's bad luck to even talk about this. There was this huge expedition to Alaska."

"That prophecy you noticed in the temple," Hazel continued, "The one about the eight demigods? Our senior praetor at the time was Michael Varus, from the Fifth Cohort. Back then the Fifth was the best in camp. He thought it would bring glory to the legion if he could figure out the prophecy and make it come true save the world and all that. He talked to the augur, and the augur said the answer was in Alaska. But he warned Michael it wasn't time yet. The prophecy wasn't for him."

"But he went anyway," Percy guessed. "What happened?"

Evangeline sucked her teeth and lowered her voice. "It's not a pretty story. Almost the entire Fifth Cohort was wiped out. Most of legion's Imperial gold weapons were lost, along with the eagle. The survivors went crazy or refused to talk about what had attacked them. They kept saying that the Enchantress had to come to save them."

"Since the eagle was lost," Frank continued, "the camp has been getting weaker. Quests are more dangerous. Monsters attack the borders more often. Morale is lower. The last month or so, things have been getting much worse, much faster."

"And the Fifth Cohort took the blame," Percy guessed. "So now everyone thinks we're cursed."

Evangeline realized her food was cold. She poked at the bread, the comfort food wasn't doing much comforting. "We've been the outcasts of the legion since...well, since the Alaska disaster. Our reputation got better when Jason became praetor—"

"Your friend who's missing?" Percy asked.

Friend.

Yeah, Friend.

Friends who make out on rooftops.

A friend who confesses his love for me under the moonlight.

Friend.

Jason stopped being my friend a long time ago.

"Yeah," Was all that managed to leave her lips.

Frank said. "I never met him. Before my time. But I hear he was a good leader"

Hazel nodded, "He practically grew up in the Fifth Cohort. He didn't care what people thought about us. He started to rebuild our reputation. Then he disappeared."

"Which put us back at square one," Evangeline said bitterly. "Made us look cursed all over again. So, Pretty boy. Now you know what you've gotten stuck with. You going to run away?" She challenged with a raised eyebrow.

Percy sipped his blue soda and gazed thoughtfully across the dining hall. "I don't even know where I come from...but I've got a feeling this isn't the first time I've been an underdog." He focused on Evangeline and managed a smile. His green eyes felt heavy on her, she could almost feel the weight of them. They softened her gaze. "Besides, joining the legion is better than being chased through the wilderness by monsters. I've got myself some new friends. Maybe together we can turn things around for the Fifth Cohort, huh?"

Evangeline grinned gratefully, "It's like you read my mind, Percy Jackson."

"Okay, what the heck!" Frank said, "Even the last name?!"

A horn blew at the end of the hall. The officers at the praetor's table got to their feet-even Dakota, his mouth vampire-red from Kool-Aid.

"The games begin!" Reyna announced. The campers cheered and rushed to collect their equipment from the stacks along the walls.

"So we're the attacking team?" Percy asked over the noise. "Is that good?"

Hazel shrugged. "Good news: we get the elephant. Bad news—"

"Let me guess," said Percy. "The Fifth Cohort always loses."

Frank slapped Percy on the shoulder. "I love this guy. Come on, new friend. Let's go chalk up my thirteenth defeat in a row!"

"It's that talk that'll assure it!" Evangeline chided, "Now! Let's go kick ass and look amazing doing it!" She corrected, strutting away in front of them.