So, full disclosure, Jason and Piper are actually my least favorite characters. However, while writing some one-shots, I discovered that I actually liked Piper when she wasn't thinking about Jason, and that I might just need to get to know them both a bit better.
(And that they might just need a little bit of a reality check in their relationship)
And therefore, I thought to myself, why not put them through some trauma to explore their characters?
Besides, it will help me learn how to write something that's not a one-shot. :)
So here we go...
Disclaimer: I own nothing. As a matter of fact, this prologue is a parallel of part of Mark of Athena, so one or two of the lines are referenced from there.
Jason was so glad that things seemed to be going their way, for once.
They had defeated two giants and had the means to stop the war between the Greeks and Romans, maybe even before it started.
He watched Percy and Annabeth speak quietly to each other, both of them obviously relieved that the other was all right. Percy uncapped Riptide and cut the spider silk around Annabeth's ankle.
Jason breathed a sigh of relief. Everything was going to be okay.
He turned to Piper. "So, we pulled through, huh?" She smiled.
That was when the floor started to collapse.
Perfect timing, thought Jason. Just perfect.
Piper looked at him with wide, kaleidoscope eyes as the ground under her feet cracked and crumbled.
She took a step towards him but couldn't quite make it. As she slipped through she grabbed frantically at the rocks in front of her, but they were weak and would no longer hold her.
Jason dived for her arm, which was disappearing at an alarming rate. He was just able to grab her sweaty hand before the last of the rocks beneath her fell into the abyss. She dangled in thin air.
The decomposition of the cavern partially stalled. Jason could distantly hear the sounds of the others loading the statue into the Argo II. Why weren't they helping them? Surely someone must have noticed that Piper was on the verge of falling into Tartarus.
Piper's fingers were slippery in his. He could barely hold on to her, even with both hands.
The floor under his own knees was beginning to collapse. They had just seconds before the whole place fell apart.
Piper smiled up at him, and her voice was full of love and trust. "Well? Pull me up. If you haven't noticed, the floor is nearly gone." She rolled her eyes.
Jason knew he didn't have enough time to pull her up and get to the ship in time. If he tried, they would both fall. He looked at her. Covered in blood and sweat, her hair a wreck, she looked more beautiful than he had ever seen her.
In that instant, Jason thought logically, like the Roman he was.
He looked into her eyes one last time, as the world around them dissolved.
"I'm sorry" he said.
And he let go of her hand.
Ok, so that was a little short, but the first chapter will probably be longer then the prologue.
I haven't completely decided on the whole plot yet (I just got this idea today), so I may take a few days to outline the story first before posting again.
So, if I don't get to say it before then, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :D