There he was again, standing in the shadow of a tall building. He could hear the thunder booming inside; he could sense the lightning arching though. His blue eyes darted through the pure destruction of Camp Half-Blood. All what was left was the Big House. But it had changed to the House of Lightening. He vaguely remembered the legend. It was a god's house; Jupiter's house. Jupiter, King of the Gods. But something was missing, something more powerful than Jupiter; something that radiated more power than even a god could posses.
Bodies littered the ground, making him want to retch. He could see the bodies of his friends in a semi-circle around him. But someone was missing. She was missing. He couldn't see her, he couldn't sense her. But he knew she was alive; she was in danger. If she was in danger, he had to save her, protect her from this strange power. The urge to fight surged through his veins, adrenaline pounded in his head. He was ready. He gripped the hilt of his sword, blasted the door open and ran into the darkness.
Screams filled the darkened rooms, familiar screams that made him sick. The only light came from each crack of lightning, otherwise completely black. The attic, look for the ladder to the attic, he thought remembering that something was kept up there. The screams were coming from upstairs.
But then his mind went blank, visions of Gaea and her giants filled his head, leaving him stuck in place. He couldn't move, barely breathed. His mother's ghost, she was gone but each scar burned when he saw her ghostly face in his mind. This was worse than the House of Hades. This place was all his parents, Jupiter and Beryl. His torso throbbed where a sword had been run through him almost six months ago. His teeth clenched as he grabbed his head, wanting to scream.
The only screams now were in his head.
Jason sat up with a start, sweat beading on his forehead. He swallowed but his mouth was as dry as the Sahara. The nightmare was almost every single night now. Nightmares while he was sleeping, sickening visions during the day. Ever since the Giant War Jason had been plagued with these 'panic attacks'. Visions still haunted him; he couldn't move, just stared into space. But in his head, terrible images of what could've happened during the Giant War. He never remembered stopping what he was doing when he had these mental attacks; one minute he was having them, the next he blinked and he was fine. But Piper told him than he would just cower, holding his head, curled up in a fatal position.
It was almost February now, just days away from being six months from defeating Gaea. Nico had been a lot happier, Will following him around like a lost puppy. Jason smiled when he though of Nico; he was so much like a little brother to him. Color had finally returned to his face and Piper cut his hair so he didn't look so much like a child of Hades. Percy and Annabeth were in their senior year at a high school in Manhattan; Frank and Hazel living peacefully in Camp Jupiter. And then there was Leo. He had returned with Calypso, surprising all of them. Piper was so surprised she punched him. Or she just punched him.
Needless to say, all was well at Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter. Well, not really. The only people who knew about the panic attacks were Chiron, Piper, and Leo. Piper could usually use charmspeak to coax him out of it, and was also the only one who could calm him down. But in extreme cases, Piper told him he would lay for hours, gripping his hair and staring blankly, his eyes full of fear. Then he knew what happened after that. Usually they were visions like this nightmare. Piper dying when he could have saved her; or worse, he killed her. Then they would sit for hours, Piper holding him as he whimpered, comforting him softly.
The panic attacks usually happened in Cabin One, though once it had happened while trying to teach Leo how to use a sword. That was a nightmare with in itself. That's how Chiron and Leo had found out. In all honesty, he wanted to keep it that way, though he knew Annabeth and Percy would probably be told as soon as they got back. Annabeth researched that kind of stuff; demigod or not. The after effects on people who had been part of a war. Either Chiron would tell her, or Piper would going to her for advice. Then she would tell Percy or Jason himself would.
Jason pushed himself out of bed, forcing himself into jeans and a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. He brushed his teeth (thankfully, Cabin One had been given a bathroom), and combed his hair. He pushed out the door towards the eating pavilion. He saw Nico eating with the Apollo Cabin, Leo and Calypso with the Hephaestus Cabin, and Piper with the Aphrodite Cabin. He sat down at the Zeus table and waited for Chiron to announce they could eat.
"Alright campers, you may get up and get your food," Chiron looked very tired. "I will not be joining you for breakfast, I will be in the Big House this morning. Please behave yourselves and only get me if it is a fatal emergency." With that Chiron trotted into the Big House.
Jason stood up, walking behind the Aphrodite Cabin towards the table of food. He grabbed a plate, it filled itself with scrambled eggs and two pieces of sausage, and then grabbed a cup that filled itself up with orange juice. He also grabbed a fork because he didn't feel like eating with his hands. As soon as he sat down, picked up his fork, and speared a piece of egg, he felt a hand on his back.
"Hi," Piper dropped onto the bench next to him, setting her plate down next to his.
"Technically, you're not supposed to be here," Jason pointed out.
"Technically not, but technically we aren't supposed to be making out on your rooftop in the middle of the night either," Piper grinned and pecked him on the cheek.
"Fine, you can stay," Jason grumbled.
"I wasn't asking permission, darlin'," Piper's kaleidoscope eyes danced, making Jason melt. Damn, he loved his girlfriend.
"I love you," he said before shoving a sausage link into his mouth.
"I know. But gods of Olympus, Jason, how can you eat like that?" Piper's face was priceless. Jason started laughing, something he hadn't done in awhile. But with a whole sausage link in his mouth, it was hard not to choke. He swallowed but continued chuckling.
"You giggle like a school girl, Grace," Piper rolled her eyes before taking a bite of pancake.
"Oh,thank you for bringing me pancakes," Jason stabbed one of her pancakes with his fork, dropping it onto his plate.
"Give that back!" Piper's nails dug into his thigh, and he yelped.
"You probably just broke skin!" Jason tried to glare at his girlfriend, but it really was hard, considering every time he looked at her his heart skipped a beat.
"That's what you get for stealing my food," Piper said defiantly.
Jason rolled his eyes and grabbed her syrup and spread it on his eggs.
"Jason Grace please tell me you won't eat that," for the second time that morning Piper was extremely grossed out by Jason's eating habits.
"I'm eating it," Jason forked in a mouthful.
So Piper did what apparently she thought was logical. She smeared syrup all over his face.
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After washing up from a full on food fight with his girlfriend, Jason sat on his bunk running his hand through his blond hair. Piper sat next to him, her fingers interlaced with his. That sat there in a peaceful silence, just holding hands. Until Jason flopped backwards on the bunk pulling Piper on top of him. He had never realized how tiny and petite Piper really was until after the Giant War. She really was quite short and her waist was small.
"How tall are you?" He asked.
"Five foot four," She answered into his chest.
"I'm almost a foot taller than you, Pipes," he said before he kissed her forehead.
"You don't have to brag," she muttered, burying her arms underneath his waist.
"I like how you're short. It's cute," he admitted.
"Crap. I have sparring in like five minutes," Piper jumped up so she was straddling him, kissed him quickly, and ran out of the cabin.
Jason sighed as he watched her go. He sat up and changed into a pair of basketball shorts before grabbing his sword and rushing out the door. He might as well watch his girlfriend spar before he was training with Nico. He walked out of Cabin One and headed to the sparring arena. He saw Piper and a girl from Athena cabin who he thought was named Amanda, sword fighting. He knew Piper preferred a dagger, but she was willing to be open to other weapons. Except a shotgun. She hated shotguns.
Jason took a seat next to Will Solace who had his arm around his boyfriend. Nico watched intently as Piper rolled through Amanda's legs, cutting a scratch on her thigh. Piper's eyes narrowed and Jason saw the glint in her eye that he admired greatly. He may have been a praetor, Hero of Olympus and a Savior of Rome, but it was hard to match Piper's intensity in a fight.
"Your girlfriend's pretty good, Grace," Nico tore his eyes away from the fight and preceded to stare at Jason. He was purposely trying to make him uncomfortable, Jason knew because Will had told him it was Nico's mission to try and make Jason squirm. So far, Jason hadn't caved.
"I know. That's why she's dating me not you," Jason grinned wickedly.
"If she was a guy, I might've considered her," Nico said with a straight face. Until Will glared him and he pecked his boyfriend on the mouth. "Well, if this ding dong hadn't come around."
"Alright, Nico. That's enough with the PDA." Jason made Nico blush. Nico barely ever showed affection in public, though if Jason was in the room, he didn't care and just made out with Will anyway.
"You ready to get your butt kicked, Sparky?" Nico ran a hand through his already messy hair.
"I'm getting my butt kicked? Really, di Angelo we all know it's you who will be getting your butt kicked. And please, don't call me Sparky, only Piper can call me that." Jason smiled sweetly at Nico and he just rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah Superman," Nico's black eyes twinkled; an expression nobody would have gotten out of Nico five months ago.
"Bring it on, Ghost Prince," Jason stood up as he realized Piper was straddling Amanda, her sword at Amanda's throat.
"Hi, Nico," Piper bounced up towards them as they made their way onto the field. "Good luck, Sparky," she pecked Jason's lips and went and sat by Will.
"We can use our demigodly powers? Right?" Nico rubbed his hands together in a way that reminded Jason of Leo. He figured he better not tell Nico that.
"Right, but don't shadow travel out of the fight when you realize I'm beating you," Jason smirked.
They started and the clang of smashing swords could be heard throughout camp. This was Jason's second time sparring against Nico and he already knew all his moves. He was all offense and no defense. Almost all the Greeks fought like that. But Jason had learned the balance; offensive, and defensive. He defended every move Nico threw at him. He could see Nico's cheeks flush in frustration. Jason knew he could easily beat Nico in sword moves, but a game of powers? Jason was pretty sure Nico could probably beat him. As a Roman, that was something Jason didn't want to work on; he didn't want to be more powerful than everybody else. At Camp Half-Blood, Chiron had pushed him to work on his powers, pushing him to start using his electricity more.
Nico's eyes darkened, and he raised both arms. Black winds of spirits surrounded Jason so he couldn't see. A new power Nico was working on was to blind people with joined spirits from the underworld. Jason tried something new. He brought his sword down to the ground, and instantly black lightning cracked above. It shot out in arches hitting Nico in the chest.
Instant panic and chaos hit the arena, and Jason's mind. What had he done? Will raced out onto the field immediately checking Nico's pulse. He sighed in relief, but soon his expression darkened and he waved two more Apollo campers onto the field. He hefted Nico onto his shoulders and walked carefully to the camp infirmary.
But Jason ran, ran to the Zeus cabin like a coward. Ran to hide from what he had done. He had done this; he had hurt Nico. Nico may have started it, but it was still Jason's fault. His head began to ache and he knew what what was coming. Visions, oh terrible visions. Visions that made his heart ache, visions he wanted to forget.
Visions that would terrify even the mightiest warrior.
Alright what do you think? Remember, this idea was before the Trials of Apollo. I edited this, but there still may be typos, so beware. I do not own these characters, if I did, I would not be poor.