Hey guys! Long time, no write. I apologize, I've been working on a novel, and thinking I was cute, I sent it in to a publisher and they liked it! So, yeah, I'm going to be a published author. But the reason that's an excuse, is I kind of sent in the first chapter, and hadn't written anything else when they sent me my contract... So I've been hightailing it.
Also, they is a slash fic. Jason/Percy, and a couple other pairings in the future. You guys can actually help pick them if you'd like! Just review with who you'd like to see together and I'll make it happen!
Thanks and enjoy!
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"Leo, I admire your attention to detail and your unbelievable creativity, but I'm afraid this is a bit advanced…" Chiron whispered as Leo proceeded to ignore his pitiful attempt at nicely saying "re do this."
"But, seriously, check this feature out! You can literally order pizza without even-"
Mr. D suddenly burst into the room. "Chiron, I think you'll want to see this."
Chiron stomped a hoof in nervousness when he noticed the look on Dionysus's face. "What is it?"
"I think I've found us some new half-bloods."
Chiron furrowed his brow. "We get new recruits monthly, just send out a satyr-"
"They're older."
Chiron was ready to strangle the god who stood before him. "And? That's it?"
"They're also on national television, they caused a hurricane together in the mountains, which was nowhere near a body of water, and they also seem to be monster and police magnets."
Chiron felt his face pale and Leo began to nervously mess with a remote. "Do you mean-"
"Those two half-bloods we thought were killed seven years ago? They aren't dead."
"Leo, go get Reyna and Annabeth," Chiron whispered grimly, mortified they had left two demigods out in the world alone so long, "The three of you are going on a quest."
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"Hold still, Jason! I'm going to end up burning you be accident!" Percy whisper yelled as he held the burning stick over the other boy's back, trying to get the leech currently latched between his shoulders.
"I'm trying! It's freezing, my clothes are wet, and the fact that you're trying to hold me still with clammy hands while holding a burning stick over my back really isn't helping," Jason stated through clenched teeth. They had been crossing a river on an ancient looking bridge, and unlike Percy, when the bridge gave in, Jason had fallen into the freezing water.
Luckily, Percy was able to grab onto him and using his mysterious powers over water, make a wave that dumped them onto the shore before they were swept too far downstream in the freezing weather.
Percy felt Jason's cold shoulders shudder beneath his fingers as he carefully touched the leech with the stick; Jason was right; it was freezing outside. Much too cold for someone in wet clothes.
It was late fall and they were somewhere in the mountains of northern Virginia. Meaning, it was below freezing.
The leech shriveled up and fell off, causing Jason to reach back and touch the spot where it had been. Only a small dot on red remained. "Th-thanks." His teeth were chattering so badly now that Percy began digging through his back pack for spare clothes. He needed to get Jason into something warmer before he got hypothermia.
He pulled out an old sweater they'd found at the Salvation Army and some thick socks and a pair of sweatpants. Jason had the same stuff in his backpack, but it had all gotten drenched from being in the river.
Percy grabbed all three and sat in front of Jason. "Here, change into these."
It took him a few minutes, but he eventually wriggled out of his freezing clothes and into the dry ones. His face was pale, even more so then his bleached looking hair. His eyes were wide open from the cold, and his hands were hugging his middle.
Percy pulled his pillow and sleeping bag out of the bottom of his bag and set them up right next to their small fire. It's small enough that Jason didn't even bother trying to hold his hands over it or even scoot closer to it.
Percy sat next to him and pull him into his arms, surprised at how cold he really was. He gently ran his hand over Jason's freezing hair, making it stick up in little adorable tuffs.
He noticed when he flinched as his lower left leg accidentally came in contact with the ground. He grit his teeth even harder, and Percy questioned whether it was pain or just the cold.
Jason sits up and shivers even harder. It's going to be a hard night; he can just look at him and tell it's going to be a gigantic struggle to keep him from freezing to death.
Percy opened the sleeping bag and motioned for Jason to get in. He doesn't protest, just slides in and pulls the hood over his head before burrowing his hands under his arms to warm them.
Percy shoved himself in as well and zipped it closed.
He pulled Jason closer, wrapping his arms around his shoulders while his head came to rest on his chest. He was still shaking uncontrollably and he held him even tighter, praying mentally to whatever god or gods that might be out there that he doesn't get hypothermia and makes it through the night.
Hopefully they both also made it without nightmares as well.
He felt as Jason shifted and pulled his hands out from under his arms. He rested them over Percy's chest and he felt as a few of his fingers absently curled around the fabric of his jacket. Percy looked down at him, watching the way the sparse firelight bounced light off his face. It made his face look more haggard, made the purple patches beneath his eyes more prominent; it probably did the same for Percy.
No matter how hard Percy tried, no matter how much he squirmed, how many times he tried to reposition himself without jerking Jason awake, Percy couldn't sleep.
Jason had fallen asleep quickly, within less than ten minutes. Luckily, he had also warmed up, his shivering had ceased and his breathing had slowed. Percy was relieved; he'd heard a few too many tales of people dying out in these mountains due to hypothermia or other diseases that hypothermia opened the door for.
The fire was still going, the slight wind blowing through the trees causing it to flicker. The nearby river still pounded down its course, not letting the freezing air even slow it down.
Percy closed his eyes and tried to match his breathing to Jason's; tried to calm his heart and lungs enough for his mind to slip away into oblivion.
It worked.
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"This is going to be absolutely delightful," Annabeth mumbled as she and Leo watched Reyna head toward them. They were scheduled to leave for their quest in about half an hour, right after Chiron briefed them and sent word to Camp Jupiter about the trip.
About a year ago, Camp Jupiter and Camp Half Blood came to terms over the union between their two camps. Camp Jupiter would take all the middle schoolers and younger and whip them into shape. Teach them all the ways of the demigods and even provide their education up until high school. Once you went to high school you moved to Camp Half Blood. This was where it became your job to go and find other demigods and complete missions. During the year, you attended school like a normal mortal, or if you were one of the campers who took missions seriously, you were educated between quests. Reyna, Annabeth and Leo had all three obviously taken Chiron up on that deal.
After high school, you moved back to Camp Jupiter where you could go to college, go to a trade school or even go out into mortal world. The new system was way better than the old one in the eyes of most demigods who enjoyed the fact that the two camps could finally not only live in harmony, but live together.
Reyna was proof of that treaty, she was one of the many romans who decided to try Camp Half Blood, but one of the few who decided to stay.
"Pessimistic, much?" Leo whispered back and Reyna's eyes settled on them through the throngs of teens heading toward their chores, activities, and other quests.
Annabeth shrugged. She was mostly indifferent to Reyna, they didn't know each other well, and weren't ever placed on the same teams, but they had clashing personalities according to everyone. Both of them liked control and were head strong women with leadership like qualities.
Reyna finally burst through the hoard in front of them. Her dark hair was pulled back loosely into a bun, little dark ringlets hung around her face, framing it. "Sorry, couldn't find something. When do we leave?"
Annabeth motioned lightly with her head and started toward the big house. Chiron was waiting for them in his office. "Chiron's going to debrief us on what they know first. Then we head out."
"Alright," Something was bothering Reyna, but she wasn't going to spill. Judging by how hard she was trying to mask it, it wasn't something she was ready to discuss.
Leo shrugged it off. Girl emotions were too complicated to get involved into.
They headed toward the big house, their backpacks slamming against their spines as they climbing the steps leading up to the porch. Annabeth took a deep breath for seemingly no reason. She didn't know why at least. She'd been on plenty of quests. Too many as a matter of fact.
They entered the house and headed for Chiron's office. Surprised at the dense quiet, so thick in felt tangible. It wasn't a right kind of feeling for a full Camp day, despite how cold it was outside. Camp was lively all year round.
They reached his office, the door was ajar and they could see him at the opposite end of the room, eyeing an old Party Ponies shirt.
"So, as I think Dionysus made clear to Leo, this quest isn't a normal quest," he paused and looked at them, expecting some elaborate reaction. He got nothing. "First, there's two of them. These two demigods got entangled Lord knows how."
Leo tapped his foot. "A lot of us did that. Most demigods do that. What's the big deal?"
Chiron frowned. "Because they're two of the most powerful demigods to ever walk this earth."
Reyna's eyes widened. "Even more powerful than Nico and Bianca? The children of Hades? Or Hazel, the daughter of Pluto?"
Chiron nodded. "They're also children of the big three. But these two… It's hard to explain clearly. Their powers seem to almost work together, which shouldn't be possible, considering how different they are…"
"Who are they?" Annabeth asked.
"One of them is Jason Grace, son of Jupiter. The other, Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon."
Reyna's jaw dropped. "But one's the son of the sea and the other the sky… let alone one's Greek and one's Roman…"
"They're alive?" Annabeth whispered. She could feel a shiver run down her spine. They had been thought to be dead. Assumed dead for seven years.
Chiron nodded grimly. "Not only are they alive, but they're calling possibly every single monster in America to them. WE need to get to them first. And soon."
Leo smiled in that scary way only Leo could. "Don't worry; we can handle this."
Annabeth looked over at Reyna to see if she was thinking the same thing she was.
I hope so.
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So, thoughts, critiques, comments? Let me know via reviews! I'm not sure whether anyone's going to enjoy this story, but if you do please let me know!
Thanks so much!
~ Ann