Perseus Jackson: Titan of The Hunt

CH87: Tis But A Scratch

(Percy)

'You don't need to come with me.' Reyna said quietly from under her hood as we turned the last street corner between our current residence and the Senate house.

'And you don't need to go at all, but you are nevertheless, so humour us.' Diana commented looking around the small throngs of people that had seen the goddess and were bowing respectfully in her direction. One of the advantages of being one of the most easily recognisable Olympians, what with her practically unique traits that even a moron could identify.

As for me well I was not hiding my face like the 'other hunter' in our trio but that was more because my body and face were not my own for anyone to recognise other than as I appeared a late teenage daughter of Poseidon. The thing was I doubted that even after the real truth about me got out, I doubted I would ever get the reverential treatment Diana was getting, well at least not around here anyway.

'You're being quiet for once, both of you.' Diana added looking at me raising an eyebrow.

'Just thinking about everything and if there is any way to fix it.' I replied simply before waiting a second to see if Perseus was gonna make comment only for him to remain silent still. Clearly admitting what was wrong with him and shaken his normally impregnable snarky defences. All morning and I had hardly a dozen words out of him total.

'He will be fine in the end; at least he finally opened up a little which is a small wonder. Besides I cannot exactly hate him knowing that I am in some ways responsible for the way he turned out. Even if completely unintentionally and by something which occurred over two and half Millennia ago.'

'Will she stop blaming herself and you stop thinking you can fix me. I know I am screwed up and there is no changing that.'

'We just want to help you, so we can help all of us.'

'Whatever, wake me up when something important happens and you need someone killing. I have had enough of this Psychiatrist crap for one day already.'

'Heads up trouble ahead.' Reyna muttered distracting me from my internal conversation as I sported the source of the problem.

'What is the point of Terminus disarming everyone before entering if they are openly allowed to bear arms inside the city?' Diana said in annoyance at the sight of the four armed legionnaires who were flanking my least favourite Praetor who was acting as if he was the best thing since sliced bread.

'The system has always been open for abuse if you know how to. If a weapon is disassembled Terminus may not notice it and you can rebuild it inside the city or believe it or not Mercury's mail service parcels get through unchecked because technically a Olympian is bringing them in. If you don't declare what is in it you can con the god into smuggling for you.' Reyna explained pausing to watch the fool ascend the steps into the Senate house and leaving his flunkies outside.

'Well he is not completely stupid if he knows that bringing armed soldiers inside would cause a riot.' Diana commented in amusement at the four wannabe Praetorians failed attempt at looking intimidating. The old Imperial Praetorians were the best of the best in the military and operated as secret police where necessary. These lame excuses while dressed for the part looked more like the rejects that even most desperate military commander would turn away.

One looked ready to drown in his armor that was about twelve sizes to large while the one to his left had the opposite problem where his Lorica Segmenta looked ready to burst at the seams due to the contained mass it was struggling to contain. The remaining two looked slightly better with armor that actually fitted but one was about thirteen and the other had a serious acne problem over ninety percent of his face. Overall the sorry state of the small troop was strangely fitting for a third rate dictator wannabe.