Author's Note: I want to start with saying that I am so sorry that I wasn't able to update yesterday. I had Mock-Trial try-outs right after school and was dealing with some Girl Scout stuff, as well as a lot of homework for all my honors classes, leaving me with absolutely no time to write. However, today I literally spent the entire day, I had off from school due to the Jewish holiday, writing this chapter, making it my longest chapter I've ever written, at over 5,000 words. Also, just so you guys know, next chapter I will start responding to reviews, I just wanted to get this chapter out as soon as possible, and didn't have time to do it. But I want to thank everyone who reviewed, trust me I read every single review, and they all mean a lot to me and give me inspiration to keep going. So again, thank you all so much for so much positive feedback on this story!
Chapter 3- Jason POV
Up until a moment ago, Jason's least favorite monster probably had to go to the Trojan sea monster, but now, that award definitely went to Echidna. Having a snake-like tail slam into his chest, making him fly into a pole, knocking him out, again, was enough to make Jason wish that he could kill Echidna himself. Unfortunately, he knew that Percy probably already took care of that.
If this fight had occurred two weeks ago, before Percy and Annabeth fell into Tartarus, then Jason knew that he would be feeling white-hot rage coursing through his veins at the thought of Percy defeating a monster moments after it had just gotten the best of him. Now, however, Jason was just glad that if he couldn't be out there fighting, then it was Percy who had his back. Having the strength to rather go to Tartarus rather than let his girlfriend go alone, then to actually survive the evil pit, and still be relatively sane afterwards, made anyone OK in Jason's book, even the son of Poseidon.
While it was still humiliating to be knocked unconscious, yet again, although at least this time it wasn't the brick that hurt him, Jason just hoped that Percy had made it through the fight relatively unharmed. Jason had seen how vicious Echidna had been fighting, and the guy didn't need any other things to deal with, on top of what his mind was already coping with.
Looking back on this moment months afterwards, Jason always wondered if what happened next was bound to happen or if by somehow thinking of Percy had somehow summoned him to where Jason's mind currently was residing in its unconscious state. Because just then, as Jason was wondering about him and his well-fare, the son of Poseidon's shimmering form suddenly appeared next to him, almost scaring the life out of Jason.
As the son of Jupiter was trying to get his erratic breathing under control, he took a good look at the bewildered Percy next to him, who was currently staring at Jason like he was a ghost come life. While Jason had only seen about a dozen Iris-Messages in his entire life, the Romans hated using them so he didn't know about them until he came to Camp Half-Blood, Jason thought that he was perhaps viewing Percy through one, only there wasn't any rainbow or water around.
Percy's normally skinny but muscular form, although his muscles had admittedly become less pronounced from the trauma of Tartarus, looked like it was made of water and was see-through like he was actually a ghost. Despite this, Jason could clearly see that his right arm was hanging at a sickening angle, which made Jason's heart go out to the guy, because he knew that it was Percy's sword arm that was broken. Also, Jason observed that Percy's normally bright sea-green eyes were looking very dull, whether that was from pain or his current condition, or both, he didn't have the faintest clue.
"Umm, Jason? Why are you staring at me? It's getting kind of creepy dude... Anyway, where are we?"
Startled out his musings by Percy's questions, Jason realized that he hadn't even figured out yet where he was, which he just now saw that they were in a basically solid-white room, with nothing else in it. Before he could tell Percy that his guess was just as good as his concerning their current location, Jason felt a giant tug in his gut and the world was suddenly spinning around him into a blur of colors. Just as he was beginning to feel nauseous, from both the movement and the pain in his ribs that he hadn't noticed before, he was suddenly deposited into what appeared as a humongous damp underground tunnel.
A sideway glance to his right proved that Percy was once again floating right next to him, and looked just as freaked out as Jason was feeling. But before Jason could ponder too much on their newfound setting or open his mouth to talk to Percy, his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting enough to make out that they weren't alone in the strange room-like tunnel.
There was a black table in the middle of the room, about 50 feet by 100 feet and it looked like it was completely made out of dirt, but that wasn't the alarming part. Around this mysterious humongous table were all the giants, except Clytius who luckily hadn't made it back out through the Doors of Death before they were closed, and Damasen, although he did wonder why the bane of the war god wasn't at what looked like a war meeting. Jason recognized all the giants in attendance, some from personal experience, others from stories that he had heard either from the rest of the Argo II or mythology class back at both Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter. It would have been weird enough to just witness Alcyoneus, bane of Pluto, Enceladus, bane of Minerva, Polybotes, bane of Neptune, Otis and Ephialtes, banes of Bacchus, Gration, bane of Diana, Mimas, bane of Vulcan, Otus, bane of Apollo, Hippolytus, bane of Mercury, Thoon, bane of Venus, and Jason's least favorite, Porphyrion, the bane of his father, Jupiter, sitting around a table in the first place, like it was an everyday occurrence. But what made the scene downright disturbing was what the 11 giants were debating.
"No Mimas! The best way to win this war is not a direct assault, neither on the camps, gods, or the Seven! We need to slowly wear them out! Break their spirits, make them completely lose hope! Only then will we be victorious!" loudly exclaimed Enceladus, apparently shooting down a plan Mimas had just proposed.
"Enceladus, you are not commander here, I am! And I'm beginning to see merit in doing a mass attack when those puny Olympians and their pathetic children won't see it coming. Why not split up our forces between Olympus, the camps, and the Seven? The Seven are our only main threat at the moment, those puny gods are still suffering from their schizophrenia and the camps are about to be at war with each other!" argued Porphyrion.
"Porphyrion, I understand you are chief here, behind mother and father of course, but do I need to remind you that I am the best strategist we have? It seems like I do, otherwise I wouldn't need to keep insisting that the best way to completely destroy Olympus once and for all is to break them! It is absolutely essential that the camps don't reunite and make up before we attack, so we need to take out the odd trio of the daughter of Bellona, the son of Hades, and that strange little satyr, carrying the Athena Parthenos! If they succeed in their little quest, then I can guarantee you the Greeks will stand down and find a way to convince the Romans that they aren't the threat, we are!
"To prevent that, it is absolutely crucial that we strike those three where it will hurt them the most, and make them lose their motivation of saving their homes. Equally as important, we need to break the Seven, turn them against each other, and basically just make it so they aren't at their full strength when we meet them in battle. Finally, while this isn't as necessary as the other two things, it would definitely be preferential if we could possibly deliver a crushing blow to the Olympians, so even by some miracle they pull together their split-minds, they won't be any match for us.
"Considering these three things, I have the perfect plan, which also helps mother in what she needs for her sacrifices, and yes Otis and Ephialtes it will cause the demigods you hate the most terrible pain…" But just before Jason or Percy could make out what Enceladus was suggesting, they both felt the strange yank in their intestines again and the world was once again spinning around them.
The strange teleportation lasted even longer this time, so Jason was extremely dizzy and out-of-sorts by the time they were deposited in their new location, and he knew that if he wasn't floating above the ground, he would be crumpled on it. Out of the corner of his eye, Jason saw that Percy was looking faintly green as well, and was awkwardly swaying while hovering.
"Jason? What did we just see? Why were we brought away just as we were about to find out their plan?" Demanded Percy, like Jason somehow knew more than he did.
"Perce, as far as I can figure right now, we are both unconscious from the fight with Echidna, and I guess we are witnessing events that are currently happening from a third-person view, like a prophetic demigod dream, so we see everything but we really aren't there, if that makes sense. Before you came, I was just in a white room with no one, actually wondering what happened to you, so maybe that is why we are currently experiencing these joint-dreams together.
"Anyway, for what we just saw, my guess is that that was the planning session of the giants, as strange as that is. From what I heard, and what I'm sure you heard too, they were planning the best way for them to be victorious in this war which apparently includes breaking us as in the Seven, both demigod camps, the Olympians, and Nico, Reyna, and Coach Hedge. On why we were pulled away at the most crucial moment, your guess is just as good as mine," patiently explained Jason.
"Ok, I wonder what the giants' plan is though? I really didn't like it when Enceladus mentioned that their plan would help Gaea rise and would hurt the demigods those stupid twin giants hate the most, whoever they are."
Sometimes Jason wondered if Percy's brain really was made of seaweed, considering he didn't realize that he and Jason were the demigods that Otis and Ephialtes hate the most, being as they had been the last ones to defeat them. He was just about to mention that to the son of Poseidon when Percy suddenly shushed him and started frantically pointing to something behind Jason.
Although he was scowling at being told to shut up, Jason nevertheless did spin around to see what was bothering Percy so much, and nearly got his second heart attack of the day in the process, because he had a ferocious hellhound growling at him, looking ready to pounce.
Before Jason could dive out of the way, the hellhound took off at him, and Jason hurriedly shut his eyes, preparing himself to be torn to shreds by the razor-sharp claws. So you can imagine Jason's shock when the hellhound passed right through him like he was made of butter, and continued on like he wasn't even there.
It took a few moments for Jason's panic-stricken brain to comprehend that he was in all senses, not there, and was actually witnessing the scene in 3rd person. Once Jason realized that, he wanted to smack himself on the head, for he had just finished explaining that exact same concept to Percy not five minutes before.
Shaking his head at his own foolishness, Jason tuned back on the scene just in time to see Reyna stab the hellhound in the eye with her Imperial Gold spear, right before it managed to bite her head off. Cheering for her, she really was a great warrior, one of the best ones in Camp Jupiter, Jason suddenly saw what the battle actually looked like.
He and Percy were in what looked like the middle of a forest, and it there were four dracanae, Jason wondered what it was about female reptile monsters lately because they seemed to be following him and Percy everywhere lately, and three hellhounds, attacking Reyna and Coach Hedge, who was trying to kill everything in sight with his baseball bat and calling everything 'cupcake'.
Just as Jason was wondering where on earth Nico was, he knew that the gothic thirteen-year-old wouldn't have abandoned the mission, the son of Jupiter saw dark demigod propped up against a tree, a couple meters in the distance, right next to the Athena Parthenos, which was still shimmering brightly, passed out. Since he didn't look injured, despite the dark circles under his eyes, Jason figured that Nico had spent too much energy shadow traveling, and lead the three of them into this forest where dracanae and hellhounds had been residing.
Knowing what he did, Jason couldn't bring himself to feel irritation at the son of Hades, he knew that Nico would never purposely put Reyna and Coach Hedge in danger. Jason just wished that Nico would have accepted his help and protection, and had not bull-headily volunteered for this mission just because he refused to both be in the same room as Percy and tell him his feelings. For awhile, Jason prayed that Percy would pick up on Nico's crush, that is until he heard that it took Percy almost five years to realize that Annabeth liked him as more than a friend, something he didn't even pick up on when Annabeth had kissed him on the lips.
While Jason had to struggle with his impulse to tell Percy Nico's feelings himself, something he could easily do right now with Percy hovering right next to him, he knew that he could never betray Nico's trust like that. So even though he desperately wanted to tell someone, especially Piper, for she was both his girlfriend and a daughter of Venus, so she would understand all the relationship drama, Jason realized that for this one, he would just have to be a silent bystander and trustee.
Lost in his thoughts, Jason almost missed seeing Reyna and Coach Hedge backed against a tree, about to be demolished by the two remaining hellhounds. Desperately wishing that he could do something to help them himself, Jason frantically turned to Percy to see if he had some ideas on what they could do. Being in that set of mind, Jason saw red and almost tried to punch Percy, when he saw that Percy was smiling slightly.
Opening up his mouth to demand on why in Hades would Percy be smiling at the thought of Reyna and Coach Hedge be eaten alive, Jason was interrupted by the hellhounds suddenly erupting into gold monster dust. Shocked and wondering on how the heck that happened when neither Reyna nor Coach Hedge had their weapons in their hands, having been disarmed, Jason then saw Nico seemingly appear out of the shadows with his midnight black Stygian Iron sword. That was when the son of Jupiter realized with a rush of gratitude that the teenage demigod had just single-handily took down two hellhounds and saved his two companions' lives.
To Jason, it looked like Reyna and Coach Hedge were just in much shock as he was that they weren't dead, and he saw relief in both their eyes when they realized that it had been Nico that had prevented them from being eaten alive. However, Nico himself just looked exhausted and kind-of pissed off at something, what that was, Jason could probably venture a well-educated guess.
Knowing full well how volatile the son of Hades could get when annoyed, Jason was seriously wishing that he could warn Reyna to back-off when she walked over to where Nico was leaning against a tree, looking like he was trying to gather both his thoughts and energy. Frantically shaking his head, Jason wished that he could somehow redirect Reyna from approaching Nico, but he sadly had to just be content with watching the scene unfold and not interfere.
"Nico! Hey Nico! I just wanted to thank-you for killing those two hellhounds, and saving Coach Hedge and myself, I figure we'd be dog-food if it wasn't for you. I'm sorry you weren't able to rest though, I know how much shadow-traveling is taking out of you." Jason briefly wondered if Reyna could not see the scowl on Nico's face, or if she was just choosing to ignore it.
"You would have done it for me, so no need for the appreciation. Come on, we need to keep moving, this statue isn't going to suddenly give off less energy and attract less monsters, now is it? Better to be gone before they get here, so go get the satyr then we can leave," spat out Nico.
Jason had known Reyna long enough to know that she would cover her hurt at being blown-off with anger, which he had experienced too many times himself.
"What is your problem? I was just saying thank-you, you don't have to act like I just murdered your sister!"
Knowing that Reyna had struck a nerve when Nico's normally black eyes got a tint of red in anger, Jason exchanged a look of dread with Percy, who looked like he too desperately wished that he could interfere between the two demigods.
However, just as Nico's ire had started to attract shadows to him and he was angrily opening his mouth to retort, Percy and Jason felt the tugs in their guts for the third time, but instead of the world starting to spin, the color in everything just faded away.
Jason didn't think this was any better than the spinning and was just about to start panicking, when his eyes suddenly came back into focus to see an artificially painted light-blue sky above him.
"Jason! Percy! You're awake! Are you OK?" Was the first thing both Jason and Percy heard upon awakening, spoken in unison by the worried-laced voices of Piper and Annabeth.
Struggling to sit up with an ace bandage around his ribcage, Jason saw crowding around his and the bed next to him, which he presumed was where Percy lay, was the entire crew of the Argo II, even Leo who rarely left the control room anymore. Upon all his friends' faces was extreme concern and fleeing anxiety, which Jason figured was prominent on all their features when he and Percy were unconscious.
"Hey Annabeth, what happened? Where's Echidna, the Sphinx, and the Stymphalian Birds?"
"Seaweed Brain, don't you remember? You defeated Echidna by knocking her down with a giant wave and then stabbing her, all with a shattered sword arm, I might add. As for the Sphinx, Piper charm-spoke it into confusion allowing me to be able to sneak up behind it and kill it with my sword. Concerning the Stymphalian Birds, most of them are history, at least for now, thanks to Leo's fire, Frank's shape-shifting abilities, and Hazel's skill with manipulating the mist," cautiously explained Annabeth, looking a little bit worried that Percy didn't recall all this on his own.
"Oh right, now I remember everything. No need to look so worried Wise Girl, Jason and I are alright."
Looking like she wanted to argue with that statement, Jason saw Annabeth scowling at Percy's careless attitude concerning his health.
"I'll be having a word with you later about this, Percy. Anyway, I'm afraid to ask, but did you two have any prophetic demigod dreams while you were out?"
With a newfound urgentness, Percy and Jason exchanged one look, and said in perfect unison, "Yes, which is why we really need a meeting ASAP," while they both struggled to maneuver out of bed.
"Wait a minute, Jason! You too Percy! You two aren't going anywhere right now, you need to heal! Jason, you've got two fractured ribs and a mild concussion" Piper exclaimed, with Annabeth nodding her head in agreement, and only then did Jason realize that not only did was his chest bound in an ace bandage, his head was also wrapped in gauze. Looking to his right, Jason saw that Percy too had only just become aware of the padded gauze and sling for his right arm.
"Pipes, what we saw really is urgent, I swear to you that if it could wait, it would. How about though Percy and I promise to return here and stay until we are completely healed, after a meeting?" Jason compromised.
Seeing that they wouldn't get no for answer, Piper and Annabeth both relented, and had to just be satisfied with assisting the two down to the meeting room, no matter how much they protested that they didn't need help.
20 minutes later, finally arriving at the meeting room (also known as the dining room), the demigods all took their normal seats, and they all looked expectedly at Percy and Jason, who realized that they had no idea how they were going to explain everything.
"Err, sorry guys, can you wait like 10 minutes or so? Don't worry this is very urgent news, Percy and I just need to discuss something really quick."
Not waiting for a response, Jason leapt to his feet, ignoring the pain it caused, and hurriedly grabbed Percy's good arm, and swiftly pulled him over to an isolated corner.
"Sorry about that Percy, we just need to collaborate on what exactly we're going to say to them."
"Um, how about the truth? Like what happened, exactly as it occurred? Why wouldn't we do that?"
"Of course we'll them everything, I just need a minute to talk to you about this!"
"Okay….. Well talk I guess."
"I remember you had mentioned before that you were wondering who the demigods are that Otis and Ephialtes hate the most, and it's us, you kelp-head! We defeated them last!"
"So you're saying that we're even more hated by the giants then we were before?"
"Sadly, yes."
"Fantastic."
"I've got to warn you though Perce, it seems like you may be taking the prize of most hated amongst them."
"Oh, and just how do you figure that Sparky?"
Rolling his eyes at the Sparky jab, but knowing he deserved it for the kelp-head comment, Jason just sighed and said, "I can't really explain why I think that, it's just a gut-feeling I've got."
"I hate gut-feelings, they're normally right concerning demigods."
"Believe me, I know. Anyway, I wanted to ask you this before, but I didn't get the chance, but why did Echidna seem particularly keen to cause you the most pain possible."
"Superman, I would have thought that you of all people would realize why she despised me."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that, certainly you have killed a lot of monsters as your lifetime as a demigod, considering you are a child of the Big Three and you found out about your heritage when you were two."
"Yeah, what's your point?"
"Well, do you think all the monsters you've sent back to Tartarus are your biggest fans? No, they all most likely despite your very existence, and want revenge on you."
"I never looked at it like that, but you're right. So I'm guessing that you've encountered Echidna before?"
"Oh yeah, met her on my first quest when I was twelve, she actually is one of the few evil monsters I've met and haven't defeated; and I figure that I'm probably one of the only demigods she's met and hadn't sent to Hades the hard way."
"Out of curiosity, how many of these monsters will now be showing up for revenge on you?"
"Factor in that I'm sure the majority of the monsters I've fought probably escaped through the Doors of Death before we shut them, I would say a fair few."
"Wonderful, you're really going to have to watch your back now with all those monsters and giants after you, not that you weren't doing that before, but you know what I mean."
Jason had meant that as a word of caution for Percy, something he had assumed had been given to the son of Poseidon hundreds of times before, so he didn't expect a sudden nervous glint to appear in Percy's sea-green eyes.
"I know, believe me I am perfectly aware that I am going to have to be the most careful demigod in the world now. Before you ask why, it's because I can't stand the thought of leaving Annabeth alone again."
The part of Jason that empathized with Nico, felt a pang of disappointment at Percy's words, but he couldn't stand to say so once Jason saw in Percy's sincere expression just how much he cares for the brilliant daughter of Athena.
"You love her, don't you?"
"With all my heart and body, I can't stand the thought of ever not being with her. In fact, before Arachne and Tartarus kind of got in the way, I was going to propose to her."
Taking a deep breath, Jason wondered if he was mentally sane due to what he said next. "Well there's no time like the present. Also, I've been considering proposing to Piper as well, I realize that us demigods don't exactly have the longest life spans.
"Going off the topic though of our love lives, if what you said is true about the monsters you've faced now coming after you, might I suggest after we're done telling the crew of our dream, which I'm sure they are all anxiously waiting for since we've been over for like 15 minutes already, you tell them, for lack of better words, your life story, as in all your quests and every mythological enemy you've faced?"
Jason had heard enough about Percy when he was at Camp Half-Blood to expect his response of miserable groan at the thought of sharing his accomplishments, to which Jason rolled his eyes to in amusement, before continuing in a much gentler tone.
"I'm really sorry about having to ask you of this, but you realize right that you are going to have to tell everyone what happened in Tartarus?"
While Jason had expected some sort of vehement denial of the thought of sharing what had occurred, which Jason did respect but the rest of the Seven really did have to know what they were dealing with, he did not expect for Percy's eyes to roll up into the back of his head, and for his knees to give out. Luckily Jason had the stellar reflexes of a demigod, or Percy would have slammed into the wood floor, at least now, he was shaking uncontrollably and desperately clutching his side in apparent agony, in Jason's arms.
Making sure he had a firm grip on Percy's torso first, Jason spun around to scream for Annabeth, only to be shocked that she was already by his side, reaching down to take Percy from his arms.
"Jason, it's ok, I know what's wrong with him, it's a flashback from Tartarus, and I can take a guess what exactly he is reliving. But as much as this pains me to say this, the only thing we can do besides hold him and make sure he knows that we're here and alive, is wait this out," clarified Annabeth, in a serious tone that showed how much it was hurting her to see Percy unaware and vulnerable.
"What were you two talking about anyway? Did you mention Tartarus?"
Jason recognized the accusation in Annabeth's words, but he knew that he couldn't lie to her, not on why her boyfriend was currently trapped within his own memories. So with a heavy heart, Jason told her about their conversation, or at least the later part of it.
By then, Hazel, Frank, Leo, and Piper had all joined there little corner-huddle, and they all just awkwardly kneeled there, watching Percy shout Annabeth's name and that he was right there, he didn't leave her. When Percy shouted a person called Bob's name, everyone but Annabeth all had bewildered expressions, but they knew better than to ask Annabeth who that was.
10 minutes later, Percy was just starting to calm down and the tremors were generally beginning to become less violent. In just a few moments, they completely stopped and Percy's eyelids began to groggily flutter open, to reveal glazed and unfocused sea-green eyes.
Knowing that Percy would hate for everyone to start asking questions about his well-being, Jason said the first thing that came to mind that would distract everyone for the time being.
"Well Percy, it's time for your life story be told."
Ignoring the glare that Annabeth sent his way, Jason was just glad that even though Percy groaned exaggeratedly, he sent a private thankful glance his way.
"Ok, I am going to ask what we are all thinking, why did you two call this meeting in the first place if all you guys were going to do was discuss in secret whispers in the corner? But after you two explain to us what your prophetic demigod dream was about from before, then I would personally love to know what your life story is Percy, I heard it alluded to enough at Camp Half-Blood but no one would tell Sparky, Beauty Queen over there, or myself what it was! Anyway, after that we really do need to discuss a plan for Athens-" but whatever Leo was going to continue to ramble about, was cut off, yet again, by the Argo II suddenly tilting severely on its side, knocking everyone to their sides, before it began to spin uncontrollably.
"Oh come on! Why can't the world just leave my beautiful ship alone? And why do they always interrupt me and my speeches!" exclaimed Leo.
Disclaimer:
Me: "Mwahaha, another cliff-hanger!"
Jason: "Really, you had to injure me too?"
Me: "Well, I was looking back and saw with my last story, I pretty much only targeted Percy, and I realized I had to be fair."
Jason: "You choose now to have a sense of morality?"
Me: "Hey! I always have morality, I just choose not to always display it in my Fan Fiction."
Jason: "Well, if Rick was writing this, he would always make his morality and goodness clear."
Me: "He does that in the actual story, this is just my version of story, Rick still owns all."
Percy: "As fascinating as this debate is, what was that about Nico's feelings before?"
Me: *Grins evilly* "Oh that? That was about Nico's-"
Nico: *Suddenly appears out of the shadows, clamps hand over my mouth, and shadow-travels the both of us away, shooting looks of death at me*
