Hey people! Okay, so this is my version of The Blood of Olympus which is the title of the next Heros of Olympus book. I'm going to need REVIEWS and FEEDBACK and NO FLAMES! If you have ideas or thoughts or anything because at the moment I am the only person in my Percy Jackson Fan group wo has read this book and none of my friends want spoilers so I need someone to talk to! Tell me what you think!

The Blood of Olympus

I

JASON

As he watched the Athena Parthenos vanish into a cloud of shadows, Jason had never felt so small.

He stared after the group long after everyone else left the boat side, Annabeth and Percy were rushed towards the inside of the boat and towards the storage room, where they would be spoon-fed ambrosia until their feet began to spark.

Hazel had stayed for a while, her chocolate hair kept smacking Jason's face in hard, elastic-like tendrils. Jason realised that Hazel hadn't had a shower in at least as long as he had, and was even worse off than he in the dirt-scale simply because she and Leo had been alone with the reincarnated labyrinth and Pasiphaë that psyco lady. From that perspective, both of them just being alive was a miracle.

Still, Jason didn't appreciate that Hazel's hair was slapping against his cheeks and making his face feel numb. There must be so much grit, thought Jason. He brushed his hand over his own hair and was startled to see chucks of dust flying from his head.

He really needed a shower.

Jason didn't move.

He watched the sun set over the horizon, stunning white against the pink and gold back-drop indicating to the fast approaching night. Hazel sighed and brushed past him, looking over her shoulder once before descending into the belly of the ship as though Nico would be there.

Jason watched her from the corner of his eye as she left before collapsing.

He held his weight on trembling arms as his legs folded inwards, knocking his knees together. He bashed his head against the rail, made to prevent people from falling if, like Leo or Coach Hedge, they often felt the urge to bend right over the side and shout "SEE YA, SUCKERS!" or "DIE!" at passing birds. It depended on the moment.

His whole body was in some kind of shutdown mode, maybe shock that had taken so long to set in, maybe guilt that was pressing down on him with the strength of a thousand giants.

More than anything, Jason wished that he had never found out Nico's secret, even though it made him a coward to think it.

Nico's secret.

Unbidden, the memories that Nico had unintentionally released flooded his mind and the raw emotions filled him so much that he thought he might cry from the sheer power of the hatred and loathing and fear.

How Nico could live with it was beyond Jason, then again, Nico had survived Tartarus.

That shouldn't mean he has to go through this, Jason clenched his fists, feeling Nico's anger ebb away to be replaced by Jason's own. No one should.

It had all started when Nico and Jason had volunteered to collect Diocletian's sceptre.

They had followed Favonius, god of the West wind, who had then taken them to visit Cupid in Salona, where he had the sceptre. And from then on, it had all gone downhill.

Jason could see Nico's face now, scared but defiance in his eyes, as if offering a constant challenge. The columns fell around them, trapping them like animals as Cupid laughed and told Jason stories about love and spouted weird greeting card messages. Nico's scream, guttural and pained echoed through Jason's thoughts…

"Jason?" Jason spun around and almost head-butted Percy.

"Um… hi," said Jason, uncomfortably scratching the back of his head and shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"Not to pry or anything," Percy eyed Jason warily. "But were you just braining yourself with the rails?"

"Uh," Jason shrugged weakly before changing the subject to one of safer ground. "How's everything?"

This time Percy shrugged, but his eyes darkened. "Annabeth's fine. Piper and Hazel have claimed her for the night."

"Is that a problem?" asked Jason worriedly. Percy and Annabeth had just been through hell together and if they needed each other now, Jason could understand. Percy shook his head, breaking loose a smile.

"Naw. I think Annabeth's looking forward to it. Girl time, you know." Percy pulled the orange towel, complete with the Camp Half-Blood insignia printed across, closer to him. "It's just, Tartarus."

"Hey, man," said Jason. "If you need to talk about it…"

"Please no," Percy shook his head. "Not ever. I have no idea how Nico got through it alone, if I hadn't had Annabeth…"

Jason cleared his throat uncomfortably and leaned against a barrel of something labelled HIGHLY EXPLOSIVE in Leo's scrawling hand. Percy sat on the step and stared out of a low porthole.

He bit his lip and then turned to Jason. "Hey, you wouldn't know why Nico was so keen to get away, would you?"

He must have seen the horror in Jason's eyes because he laughed. "Don't worry; it's just that Piper said you two had been acting differently so I thought that you might… It was stupid."

"Yeah," Jason forced himself to laugh. It died in his throat. Percy didn't seem to have noticed, instead lying back. Jason sat down next to him.

"Nico used to be such a sweet kid, annoying, but a good guy," said Percy, almost to himself. Jason wished he was anywhere but here. "And then he completely changed; he was all dark and mysterious and deadly. And now it's like I know him even less than I did when we first met. The more I find out about him, the less sense he makes."

"You don't have to tell me twice," said Jason. Percy gave a wry smirk before sighing and addressing Jason again.

"How have you been?" he asked.

"Great," said Jason.

Percy frowned at him disbelievingly. "Okay," said Jason, caving under almost no pressure at all. "Not so great, but definitely alright. No less than an okay."

It looked like Percy wanted to laugh, but wasn't sure quite whether it would be inappropriate or not.

Jason snorted and then they were both laughing so hard it hurt.

"Um…" Piper's voice came hesitantly from the door behind them. "Are you guys okay, you missed dinner."

Percy looked astonished. "We did?"

Jason looked up and saw that it was night; the stars were shimmering through a dark blue canopy and black clouds like LEDs. "Oops?" he offered as Piper folded her arms, stopping her T-shirt from flapping in the cool breeze.

"Idiot," she said, but with a smile that let Jason know she wasn't actually mad at him.

"I'm your idiot," he said and Piper didn't argue.

Jason made his way through the ship, easily navigating his way below deck towards his room, the door swung open without even a creek, only the sweeping whoosh of the wood slamming through air to make any noise.

Yawning, Jason kicked off his shoes, falling into his bed fully clothed.

I'll get up and change in a second, thought Jason. And then sleep washed over him and as always, nightmares plagued his dreams.

"I'm growing stronger," a voice whispered, misty as the fog that surrounded Jason.

"Mother," a huge shadowed creature stepped out of the darkness. "I've brought the demigods."

Jason heard screaming and he strained his ears, trying to make out voices.

Two bodies, struggling and contorted were thrust to the ground, Jason squinted, he couldn't make them out. He thought he saw a glimpse of brown hair, but that was virtually no help as most people had dark hair and even his and Annabeth's went that colour after so many days of monster attacks and no showers.

Jason frowned and took a step towards them. If he found out who it was, maybe they would be able to prevent it! Five protecting two and making sure no one got separated.

His plan went wrong pretty much as soon as it started. First of all, Jason's foot failed to connect with rock and he fell to the ground with a bone-jarring thud.

"Hello, Jason," Gaia's voice swirled around him, presenting problem number two.

"I suppose you're here to try and spy on me," continued Gaia, Jason stared around wildly, but she was nowhere to be seen. "Well, let's give you something to see."

The vision shifted and Jason found himself in a field. Not so bad. There were some flowers and picture perfect clouds strung in a clear blue sky. And a huge army of monsters strolling up the hill towards the demigods of Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter... Jason started.

Reyna stood at the head of the demigod fleets; her dark eyes were searching the sky for something.

And then Jason was standing in the midst of a battlefield. All around him, he could hear screams and the clanging of sword on sword and something the more sickening sound of weapon on flesh.

A loud cry filled Jason's ears and he clutched his hands to his ears. Demigods sank to their knees, cradling their heads in their hands.

Above their heads rose something slight and red, circling through the skies which had turned stormy.

Jason woke up breathing heavily. He turned to his side and slapped his bedside light, to check the time. 5:30 AM.

He closed his eyes, and counted sheep under his breath. After it became apparent that he would not be getting any more sleep, Jason sat up and stretched, deciding that he might as well get some extra training in whilst he was awake.

He stood and turned around to push his bed covers back and got the shock of his life.

Coach Hedge was standing, holding his club in one hand and a half eaten aluminium can in the other, beside Jason's bed and watching him thoughtfully.

"Morning, cupcake," said Coach Hedge around a mouthful of can. "I have bad news."