As I work, I write. Here you go my lovely readers. As promised to two special people, I have written you in as characters. I hope you like their personalities.

Chapter Eleven: This Place Is Home!

Point of view: Perseus Jackson

The Colisseum is better than the detailed pictures in the books I've read. Definitely better than the original one that is collapsed over in the original Rome. 

"Hey you! You're new! Come over here!" Someone yells.

I turn in the direction of the voice to find a vendor in a market. An open market. Gods, I feel like a little kid here. I walk over with the others. "Yes?" I ask the teenager. He has chocolate brown hair, bright and cheery green eyes, and gives off the feeling of not to be messed with, unsettling the other vendors around him, but I'm perfectly at ease and he's around my age.

"Hey, there. I am the number one guy to come to for food. I am the best fruit stand vendor in Lord Ares's dimension. You want the good stuff, you come to me. Now, how about I offer you some good deals on this wonderful merchandise?" The guy claps me on the shoulder.

"Uh," I look at the fresh fruit. "I'm not really that hungry. Thanks anyway."

"That's fine. You fightin' in the arena there?" He asks and jerks his thumb at the Collisseum.

"Yes, I think these guys want to see me fight." I glance at the soldiers who came with me.

"Hell yeah we do!" The guy who punched me shouts and the others exclaim their agreements.

"Mind if I tag along?" The kid asks excitedly.

"Not at all. What about your stand? Won't things get taken?" I say.

"Nah. It wouldn't matter if they did or not. Everything is free because it replenishes itself right after it's taken." The kid says. 

"What's your name?" I ask as we begin to walk again.

"Lucky is what they all call me, but my actual name is Johnathan. Civil War fatality. Snuck into the military underage, but no one really checked because they were desparate for soldiers. So, I got in. Died about the middle of the war. Survived a few skirmishes and one big battle before the next ambush on our scout got me. Had a good run, but my luck ran out that day. Or maybe it was because I took that bullet for Hanson. He lived I think." He answers.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Percy." I tell him and he shakes my hand.

We enter the Collisseum stands and John Patricks runs off to tell whoever is in charge that I am fighting Achilles. In the meantime, I watch Achilles take on the original Perseus, but it's obvious the gap in skill even though Perseus has more tenacity.

Perseus fends off Achilles as the warrior turns the tide and pushes him back. Achilles disarms Perseus and holds his sword to Perseus's throat, the match now over. They clasp arms and Perseus shimmers up to the stands beside me. Achilles stands in the middle of the arena and waits for his next opponent.

"Perseus Jackson, step into the ring." I hear a deep voice call. 

Everybody starts talking and I sigh. I hop onto the railing of the stands I reside in and jump the twenty feet down into the ring. Everybody gasps and starts talking in more volume. I look back up to where I jumped from to see the original Perseus's face, it's priceless and he raises an eyebrow. I mouth, "Later." To him and he nods in consent.

I walk up to Achilles and he looks at me strangely. "You share the same name as my last opponent?" 

"My mother named me after him, trying to find a name of a past hero that had more luck than all the others. She came up with that one.It is awkward though, I am a son of Poseidon, not Zeus. Demigod, now immortal." I tell him.

"You once held the same curse as I." He comments.

I nod. "Yes. I did it to save those I loved."

"You speak in past tense." He notes sadly.

"After the first war, I lost many, but to prepare for the second one, I had to lose the curse and now all those I took it on for in the first place, are dead. But their souls aren't here." I shake my head. "They were allowed to fully rest in peace, unlike you and most others."

"I am sorry for your losses." Achilles bows his head to me.

"Thank you, but there is nothing I can do. No matter how much I want to bring them back and take their place, no matter how muc hit kills me knowing I couldn't save them, they can't come back. Not ever." I whisper.

He nods in understanding. "You any good in fighting?" He grins.

I chuckle. "Greatest swordsman of my time and most powerful demigod to ever live. According to what they all say. I never did believe them."

He smiles at me hugely. "No ego?"

"Hard to have one with my fatal flaw." I smile back.

"Fight already!" Someone yells and the crowd jeers.

"Ill make you a deal. I win, you tell me your fatal flaw. You win, I'll show you around this place after my time in the arena is up." He offers.

"I'm up for it. Ready?" I ask and draw Riptide from my pocket while simultaneously uncapping it.

He raises his sword and turns serious. "Always."

"Then lets go." I growl and our swords clash together.

I just match his blows for the longest time, countering him everytime, and recovering from the rare moments he gets around my nearly flawless defense. I start to feel something, like something I need is going to click into place. "Lord Ares was right. I really do need to get my head out of my ass." I sigh and lock blades with Achilles, who gives me a look of confusion.

"Come again?" He asks uncertainly.

"I am beginning to see what my lord has wanted for me. I guess fighting you is starting to take affect on me." I reply.

"Can we add that explanation to the deal?" He wonders and I just laugh.

He seems to know what I'm thinking. "Maybe next time." I say and disarm him, putting my sword at his throat.

Achilles and I grasp arms and he shimmers away. Oh crap. 

~Seven Hours Later~

I fight in this gods damned arena for seven hours straight, with nobody who can best me, no rest, and no break. I face too many opponents that I lose count and everybody keps eyeing me. I swear if I'm not let out sometime soon, I'm going to really start killing people.

"The Collisseum is now being closed! Leave unless you are a part of the crew! Warriors, file out through the dungeons!" The ringmaster announces.

I grumble underneath my breath and leave the way I'm supposed to. I walk straight out and meet Achilles at the exit. He's laughing at my facial expression. "Ready for me to show you around?" He chuckles.

"Dirty trick. Very sneaky. I don't need to be shown around actually. I know the layout of the place automatically being Lord Ars's Champion and all. Comes with the job." I shrug. "I'm going to go find someplace nice and quiet and then I'm going to sleep there. Goodnight, Achilles."

He nods and smiles sympathetically. "You'll need to be back here as the champion of the ring so people can face you. Around six o' clock is when it opens, so a little before would be greatly appreciated by the ringmaster." 

I huff. "I have duties to attend to. I can't stay in the Collisseum all day. They'll have to deal with it." 

"Uh, they won't let you do that. It will be a manhunt for you. You'll have to purposely lose-" Achilles begins.

"I am not going to lose on purpose. Stupid Champion pride defending crap. What do I need to do to get it through their thick skulls that I cannot fight everyday of my life because no one can best me?" I ask him seriously.

"Explain you're Lord Ares's Champion and you have stuff to do. It'll take a little convincing. Though, with your fighting skills, they just might believe you." He tells me. 

"Fine. I'll fight tomorrow, but after that, I'm only fighting you or if I have time off or want to blow off steam." I tell him.

"That's the spirit." He claps me on the back and waves as he walks off.

I follow the bare paths until I find what I'm looking for. A huge clearing with tons of trees around it, a stream runing through it, and several animals living in it. I walk into the clearing to find a little girl of around five. She turns to me, smiling with a big, warm smile. "Come to the quietest place in all of Lord Ares's dimension?" She asks in a small child like voice.

"Yes. Why are you here?" I reply easily.

"I am here to tend to this place and to speak with those who come here. But, soon enough, another soul will take over for the next decade. I will cycle back into the task in another 90 years after tomorrow." She tells me.

"That sounds nice, easy." I say and sit down next to her.

"Serene." She nods. "I believe you aren't dead, which can only mean you are the Champion of War. Word has spread about you even here. Your mettle in the Collisseum has been recognized. I believe our lord is appeased."

"I know he is. He feels everything here. You are more in touch with the elemental side of this dimension than most others." I tell her.

She giggles. "Perseus Jackson, a name that suits this realm perfectly." She holds out her hand. "Alyssa Hope White, age six, daughter of Hades." I shake her hand, her features coming into clearer focus. Dirty blonde hair with chocolate brown eyes, a white Greek chiton, and her hair done up into beautiful curls that cascade around her strawberry shaped head. Adorable for her age. "A son of Poseidon huh?"

"Yes, and most people call me Percy." I answer. "How'd you land here as someone so young?" 

"Oh, I was taken as a hostage of war in the first TItan War. That was a serious battle, but I was killed with a few others that didn't make it here. Oceanus kiled me. Is he dead?" She asks.

"As far as I know, no. Poseidon had to come to our aid when Typhon got loose and his kingdom nearly fell when he left it. Triton kept Oceanus at bay long enough until he could be dealt with. But the power drain was too much to kill him and he escaped. At the best of my knowledge, he's in hiding and recharging as well." I explain.

"Oh, at least he's not causing any trouble." She shrugs.

"Yes, it is indeed helpful knowing that." I smile.

Rick Riordan owns PJO/HOO. That's it for this chapter my lovely readers.