Teacher, Not Hero (femPercy Jackson X YJ)

Twenty-Six: Gladiator King of the Court

Percy P.O.V:

I had the Team stand in front of me, in and on a line. I had moved all the mats in the main gym to either side, the concrete ground smooth under my bare feet.

Taking a piece of chalk, I had drawn a large box around the room. The Kiddies on one side, a bell on the other, me in the middle. Batman stood off to the side, watching. I suppose he was pretty interested in what ever I would be teaching them, especially I had threatened to kill them just a little while ago.

While the children before me were dressed in their full combat gear, I stood barefoot in my leggings and sweatshirt. All of the people in the room were highstrung. Well. Everyone except me.

"M'gahn." I called, my voice calm and unwavering. The green skinned girl jumped slightly at her name.

"Yes?" She answered tentatively.

"Am I wearing any body armor?" She seemed startled at my question. But nevertheless, he eyes glowed a faint green.

"No," she confirmed.

"Do I have any weapon on me at all other than my mind and body?" She shook her head.

"Good. So now you have all been assured that this is as fair a fight as I can make it." The room seemed tense at this. I suppose it was to be expected. Many of them seemed like they wished to interject, question my methods, but held themselves back, remembering the day's previous events.

I opened my mouth to continue instruction when the doors to the gym banged open. I turned and saw Diana rush through the doors, a smile lighting up her face when she set her eyes on me.

"Percy! I can't believe you're....back.." Her voice tailed off at the end, her movement towards me slowing to a stop as she realized the exercise I had set up. Worry laced her expression.

"You're running the Box?" She asked, clear discomfort showing as she learned my method. The Box was not a technique that was often practiced in Greek culture, as it was a far more Roman based practice. However, due to its nature, Camp Jupiter had not used it in quite some time. I only knew of it because of my time...away.

I looked at her sharply, and after a moment of tension, Diana looked away, allowing me to continue. Diana's obvious disagreement with my teaching method only made the caped crusaders more nervous.

"I am champion." I stated, gaining the undivided attention of everyone in the room.

"Your goal is to become champion," I continued. "All you have to do to become champion is ring that bell," I pointed to the small tabletop bell that sat on the floor across from the Team. 

"However, in order to be able to ring the bell, you must get passed me. In the traditional version of this test, you would have to kill me to get passed me and whoever failed would be killed by the new champion. Now, considering that I cannot allow you to kill each other, there will be a currently undetermined punishment for those who fail. And as a substitute for killing me, you must render me unconscious or unable to perform. You may use any means necessary. Are we clear?" I received several sharp nods in return, unease laying heavily over the participants.

"Are you ready?" I questioned. Although they did not look it, the Kiddies toughed up and accepted my challenge.

"Begin."

Batman P.O.V:

I watched in horrid fascination as Percy slowly ripped my students apart. Every instinct I had screamed at me to intervene, but Percy's words rang through my head, making me suppress it.

"You're too connected to these kids. One of them is your son for God's sake. You don't have the conviction to train them without mercy." Her words made me stop short as I realized she was right. These words made me realize why Diana had brought Percy in. All the rest of the League had at least some connection with them, a generally strong and positive connection. A connection that prevented us from training them properly. The last thing I ever wanted to see was Dick get hurt. Therefore, I couldn't hurt him. Percy? She had no such resolve.

I watched as Superboy picked himself up off of the floor for the umpteenth time. Blood ran down his cheek. The boy was built like a tank, practically indestructible and yet Percy, a slender young woman who stood about 5'6" had drawn blood with a single punch. The very notion made me question everything I thought I knew about Percy. Just how strong was she? Could she take on Leaguers as easily as she took down our proteges?

I felt Diana shutter next to me as Percy knocked down Kaldur and Wally with a few, well aimed hits.

"What's wrong?"I whispered lowly to her. Diana looked at me with concern and a touch of fear in her eyes.

"My apologies, Batman," she replied, her tone also low. "I just haven't seen Percy fight in such a long time. I don't remember her being this...brutal." Diana finished slowly and with a wince as Artemis struggled to her feet once again while spitting blood on the ground.

Diana's phrasing caught my attention. I turned towards her, my brow furrowing.

"Diana, when did you see Percy fight last?" I asked her. The Amazon turned to face me, a memory beginning to grace her features.

"Well, let's see. She must have been about 13 when I last saw her fight. Of course, she was no where near full strength when she had fought and she most certainly was not as skilled a fighter as she is now rumored to be." I was taken aback by this. The enigma that was Percy Jackson seemed to be growing. Questions filled my head as I turned towards the 17 year old. While the Team lay strewn around her in heaps, Percy stood tall and unphased, as if the last 20 minutes of constant fighting was nothing. The girl looked as if she had hardly broken a sweat. I glanced at the Team in concern and Diana seemed to catch my worried expression.

"Oh don't worry, as unpleased as I am that she chose to use the Box as training, I highly doubt that Percy would do any real harm to them. At this point she might as well be playing with them." Diana said, her voice impassive.

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

"Well, Percy has really only been defending at this point. Just blocks and the occasional counter strike. She hasn't ever engaged first. All of her moves have been defensive ones." I looked back only the fights that had occured and found Diana was right; Percy had hardly lifted a finger.

"I see. And the Box? What is that?" I asked circling back to Diana's first point. The warrior sighed.

"It is an old Roman training technique. Not very popular. As Percy explained in the beginning, the contestants usually die during participation. At this point, Percy would have already killed the Team had she been following the original intent of the exercise. It is generally banned from being taught due to its gruesome nature. Where Percy even picked it up is a wonder to me but again, I haven't seen her in years. It is called the Box. It is basically the gladiator version of 'King of the Court'. I don't particularly approve of this method mainly because I know that it never brings out the good in people. When the punishment for failure is death, no one realizes the purpose of the training."

"Which is?"

"Teamwork. The only way any one of them has a chance of even getting close to the bell is by working together. But, only one person can make it. Like I said, it is not a very popular technique."

I grimaced as I watch Percy stand unharmed in the center of the bloody, unconscious bodies of the Young Justice Team.