Jason
The cavern was dark and cold. Except for sets of gleaming red and yellow eyes, scattered along the walls, the place had no light. Jason could barely make out two figures, a girl with blonde hair, and a guy with jet black hair, and sea green eyes.
Percy and Annabeth, Jason realized. He tried to call out to them, but his voice didn't work. He looked down.
Under them was a pool of black, and Jason realized that it was just more space. The pit kept going forever.
Annabeth was passed out, and the only thing that kept her from separating from Percy was the hold that Percy had on her hand. Jason saw a spread of blue and green and purple and yellow through her bubble wrap cast. He realized she had probably hit her ankle somehow while falling, and had passed out from the pain.
Percy wasn't looking too good either. Bruises dotted his arms like chicken pox, and his left shoulder was jutting out unnaturally. It was dislocated, Jason thought. Severely. He was moaning in pain, and as he tried to use the shoulder, he gasped in pain and shut his eyes. Jason saw his mouth opening but no sounds came out, like a silent scream. Jason realized that Percy was trying hard not to scream.
Jason stared up. The sky was a pool of crimson red, like blood, with dark thunder clouds spitting out black lightning.
He tried again to call out to Percy. No luck. It was like he could feel himself talking, but he was mute, and he couldn't hear the sound that came out.
Suddenly there was a growl. It was deep and gravelly, and sounded canine. Jason turned toward the direction of the sound. A set of red eyes stared back, and out of the shadows came a gigantic German Shepherd. It was all red, and it was roughly the size of a house. Huge muscles pulsed out from its arms, tight and stiff.
Its fangs were bared, each one at least the size of a street light, yellow and sharp. Drool dripped from its mouth, and black wings sprouted from its back as it flew down after them.
The dog spoke. "What is this? A treat from Gaea? She shouldn't have!" The dog cackled, which sounded suspiciously like boulders hitting the ground after a thousand-foot drop.
Instinctively, Jason reached for his gladius. But where it should have been, there was empty space. He didn't have his sword with him. He cursed.
The dog spoke again. "If I am to devour you, I should tell you who I am, so that when you die, you can say that the great Tartarus has killed you!"
Jason's eyes widened. The dog was Tartarus, the spirit of the pit.
Percy tried to react. "You know, I would tell you to go to the crows, but clearly, you already have it worse." He grimaced in pain; the talking had taken too much energy out of him.
Tartarus lunged, and Percy drew his sword just in time to slice off the dog's paw. Jason watched as it went sailing down into the pit.
But instead of turning into Doggy Dust like he should have, Tartarus simply cackled and howled. Jason stared in horror as the paw grew back, but with twice as many claws.
"Ha! You cannot kill me in my home, demigod! I am all powerful! I am the father of the Giants!"
With that happy thought, Tartarus lunged again, and his claws raked Percy in the leg.
Percy screamed in agony, but miraculously kept his grip on Annabeth. Tartarus stepped easily onto a ledge while passing by it.
"I think I'll keep you alive so I can have a bit more fun. See you around… if you somehow survive all my monsters," Tartarus yelled down at Percy.
Jason struggled to push himself towards Percy, but suddenly felt a rush of cold on his head, like he had been dunked into the Antarctic Ocean. His vision fogged over, and everything changed.
"Yo, dude, wake up already!" Leo called down at Jason.
Jason woke up, and heard a clap of thunder. He blinked, and saw rivulets of cold water trickling down his shirt and neck.
Leo was holding a metal bucket, and it was pointed toward Jason. "Sorry, man, I didn't want to do this, but you slept so hard you could've been dead. No other way to wake you up." He grinned. "Not to say I didn't enjoy it, though."
Jason rolled his eyes. "Very funny, Leo. Okay, I'll be down in a few."
Leo nodded and left.
Jason rolled out of bed, and stumbled into the shower. After a warm shower, he threw on dark jeans and a purple Camp Jupiter t-shirt. The shirt made him homesick.
Camp Jupiter isn't home anymore. Jason thought sadly. I've crossed the Mare Nostrum, into Rome. I'm an outcast, and a renegade. They'll kill me the first chance they get. But still, the shirt reminded him of all the time he'd had there. Training with his sword. Competing in the war games. Marching with his army to attack Mount Othrys.
Jason walked down to the mess hall.
Right in the middle of a huge battle.