Barely a week after Piper, Leo and Jason got back from their quest to save Hera, Piper is once again under an intense amount of fear. She looked towards the two blonde demigods circling each other, spatha and dagger both poised for action.
It started when Jason took down Clarisse in a sparring match, the disgruntled daughter of Ares made an offhand comment.
"You're good pretty boy, but you're not that good. Annabeth would school you in less than five minutes with her dagger." claimed the brunette as she pushed herself back on her feet and rushed the son of Jupiter again.
Jason blocked the sword slash with his own then rammed his shield against Clarisse before she could do the same, as she stumbled the blonde used the flat of his blade to sweep her off her feet.
"Too bad we won't know if that's true any time soon, I won't fight her while she's so distracted by other things." Jason taunted, it was the wrong thing to say.
The air suddenly got heavier, a miasma of primal rage filled the arena and people started to feel their hearts beating faster. Both Jason and Clarisse immediately identified the source, Annabeth was standing not twenty feet away leaking killing intent fit for a titan; and she was eyeing Jason like he was a particularly fat boar caught in her snare.
"Jason Grace, you and me, tomorrow at noon, this place." Jason needed no translation, Annabeth just challenge him to a duel. "Clarisse, this match is finished, I want him in perfect health tomorrow." to Jason's shock the daughter of Ares smiled like a shark that picked up the scent of blood and nodded.
The news spread quickly, Chiron tried to dissuade both Jason and Annabeth but the daughter of Athena wouldn't be swayed. When the centaur finally gave up and dismissed Annabeth he turned to Jason.
"Jason, you better rest up, you are excused for the day's activities. I suggest using the time to get some last minute training in." he then turned around and trotted back to the Big House.
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Later that afternoon found Jason, Leo and Piper discussing the next day's match.
"So I talked to my siblings and they said to bring you're A-game if you don't want Annabeth to hammer you into the ground." Leo reported while playing with some scrap metal and screws he brought from the forge.
"Mine gave basically the same advice." Piper agreed.
"I'm not so sure guys, I mean, I know Annabeth is good but she's been lacking food and sleep lately that I can't even imagine her beating Clarisse in her current state." Jason answered.
"And I agree with you there, but I still think you should take this seriously." Piper responded
"I say when the match starts to rush and knock her out with as few hits as possible; It wouldn't feel right to hurt her so much in her current state." Leo suggested.
"Yeah, I agree Leo. I'll do just that." Jason concluded.
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"Jason Grace versus Annabeth Chase! Begin!" yelled Chiron from the sidelines as the match commenced and Jason rushed in soon after.
That was about the time Piper realized something was very wrong; as Jason practically blurred behind Annabeth the girl didn't move a muscle, and when he brought down the pommel of his sword to her nape he was greeted by a kick to the face, Piper and Leo grimaced at the loud snapping sound of Jason's nose breaking. The son of Jupiter stumbled back using his shield arm to snap his nose back into position holding back tears of pain, while Annabeth lowered down her foot to the ground but stayed at the same place.
Jason shook his head of cobwebs before rushing the daughter of Athena again, this time cautiously. Testing Annabeth's defense, his sword swung downward but the girl just twisted her body and kicked the arm away. Using the momentum of his arm, Jason spun and bashed his shield against Annabeth's face who ducked under the shield and shoulder tackled Jason on the gut. He was one of New Rome's Preators for a reason though, and Jason recovered swiftly stabbing at Annabeth with his sword and beginning a deadly dance of steel. The daughter of Athena blocked it with her shield and went for a stab of her own which Jason redirected.
It lasted several minutes, where the two were almost nothing but blurs, the ringing of steel were the only sounds that can be heard as every single demigod had their eyes glued to the spectacle before them. Respect was born for Jason who can fight Annabeth in a way that no one else but Percy, Luke, Thalia, and Nico has ever done before. It was at that time they realized that after everything is said and done, Jason is still a child of the Big Three. He is Jason Grace the son of Jupiter.
Piper and Leo were likewise flabbergasted; Jason was this unstoppable and impossibly powerful demigod, the son of the king of Olympus. Yet here was a girl their age, daughter of the goddess of wisdom, who didn't have a consistent eating and sleeping scheduled lately, who looked like she was about to drop from fatigue; taking on Jason to a standstill.
Piper gasped as Annabeth's dagger came too close to stabbing Jason before the boy blocked it and sent his own. Her hand traveled to the pommel of her own dagger wondering if she can be as good as Annabeth someday.
Then something happened and broke the tie, Annabeth overextended her reach and tripped. Seeing the opening, Jason took it right away and directed the flat of his blade to slam her on the temple. He didn't see the kick that connected with his wrist making him drop his sword, her shield landed hard on the ground right at his toes and instinct made him hunch over to touch the abused appendage. This put him in range of Annabeth's dagger whose pommel struck his temple, knocking him out.
Annabeth smirked, trap successful.
The crowd went wild; even Piper and Leo couldn't help but applaud Annabeth at her victory.
Jason woke up in the infirmary ten minutes later.
"Did someone get the license plate of that bus?" the boy asked.
"I did." answered the familiar voice of Leo, his tone mad Jason groan. "It's AKJA4E"
"What the Hades does that mean Leo?" Piper asked.
"Annabeth-Kicks-Jason's-Ass-4-Ever!" laughed Jason's bestfriend, even piper giggled. The son of Jupiter just groaned, he is never going to live this down.