Jessica
Jason automatically launched himself at Will, anger flaring in his eyes. He grabbed him and threw Will of of me roughly.
"Do. Not. TOUCH HER!" my older brother yelled, pointing his sword at Will's chest. Will's eyes narrowed and he leaped over a table (for what gods reason because he could've walked around and saved himself the trouble of possibly tripping).
"Get away. She can defend herself I'm sure."
"No. You leave my sister alone or else. Besides, what's your deal with me anyways? Ever since I got back from the quest, you've been all weird around me. Why? You hiding something?" he growled.
"Yeah right. But you want to know what my deal is with you?" Will asked.
Jason waited, the burning fire in his eyes growing as that fueling hate added to it. But what he said next offended Jason and I; particularly setting me off for some reason even though I wasn't Roman.
"Because I hate Romans," he finished.
That was it.
He had just crossed the offensive line.
My snarl sounded across the room and I pushed past Jason, pulling my dagger and holding it level, snarling an insult to him, even if I was one.
"You'll pay for that you, filthy, spoiled Greek."
And I leaped for him.
I slashed my dagger at him and he backed up, surprised. I slashed again but he deflected and kicked me, throwing in a move of his. I ducked his head-cut, rolled, side-stepped his third strike and then blocked his fourth. He came at me and attacked. I blocked, struck, counter-blocked and then jabbed. He hit me with his arm, blocking my swing and then slashed my face. I snarled, ducked and stabbed his leg. The moves felt weird to me and then I realized I wasn't using any moves that I remembered I had been taught. Because even Will was having trouble recognizing my moves. Usually campers could recognize the moves of another.
I glanced at Jason and noticed he was anticipating my moves, as if he could tell what techniques I'd use. Some realization snapped in his eyes and I knew immediately I would ask him later unless he beat me to it.
Will sprang, disarming me but I kicked him away with a well placed kick to his chest. Then he attacked savagely.
Jason had enough finally. What he did next shocked me about his strength.
All he did was stick his arm out firmly and Will slammed into it at the chest, being thrown to the ground. I stared at Jason in awe with the fact that he didn't even wince and wasn't hurt at all. Will crashed to the ground, winded and shocked. He groaned as he tried to sit up, spitting and calling Jason names. I stepped forward defensively, about to strike but my brother stopped me.
"Enough Jessica. He's finished."
"No he's not. Not until I'm satisfied," I growled, trying to push past Jason.
"Well I am," he replied.
"I don't care. I'm not. So back off."
I stepped past Jason but he grabbed my wrist and yanked me back suddenly. I tried to jerk it out of his grip but he held it firmly between our faces.
"Jessica Aquila!" he hissed.
I glared.
"Let go of me Jason Grace. I could care less if you're my older brother. I will not be satisfied until I've struck fear in him," I hissed back.
"Yet, I'm the one with authority over you," Jason snarled defiantly, looking me straight in the eyes. His eyes turned a cold, icy blue, sending shivers down my spine and I felt my arm slack against his unyielding grip. Jason smirked and let go of me roughly.
He looked down at Will.
"Let me get one thing across with you: Being Roman or not, don't mess with my sister unless you want to get chest-pounded again. You leave her alone because no one gives her any "unreasonable" orders unless it's me."
I snorted and he gave me a pointed look. Will swallowed, nodding and Jason backed away, sheathing his gladius. And he grabbed my arm lightly and took me outside the infirmary, leaving Will inside racked with coughs.
We reached our cabin when Jason grabbed me and pushed me against the wall before I could even open the door.
"Listen to me carefully. If you ever again try to kill a demigod before we go to Camp Jupiter, I'm going to kick you podex. Do you understand me?" Jason growled, his hands locking around my wrist as I tried to push him away.
I just glared.
"Do you understand?" he asked again more intensely, Jason's grip getting tighter.
"Why are you always putting me in check? I don't need you to do that."
"Because you're out of control."
"You barely know me Jason."
"Doesn't mean anything. I know your exact type."
"My type?" I hissed. "What's that suppose to mean?"
"Are you stupid or something? Your type. Reckless. Dangerous. Not caring about much really. There are other people like you Jessica that I have met."
"Yeah and then there are people like you. Cold, haters, rude and come off seeming like they are perfect to everyone else. Always obeying the law and the rules. Seeming like you are too perfect," I retaliated.
Jason snarled at me, his hand tightening around my wrist, keeping me pinned.
"That's beside the point. Any of this. The question you still haven't answered is, do you understand that I will kick your ass if you kill someone here before we go to Camp Jupiter?"
"I'm not answering."
Jason other hand grabbed me around the neck, slamming me against the cabin wall again.
"Answer me," he hissed into my ear.
I coughed and wheezed.
"Fine," I managed to get out through gritted teeth.
He let go of me and I spluttered, able to breathe. I gave him one more glare and then threw open the door to the Zeus cabin.
I went straight to my bunk and grabbed some light armor. I pulled on my my leather armguards and finger tabs that were attached to the shooting glove. I then grabbed my quiver, slung it over my back and took my bow in my bow arm, pushing past Jason who was pulling on armor for sword training. There was quite some awkward silence for the fifteen minutes we were getting ready.
As I was leaving, Jason finally called out to me.
"Jessica."
I sighed quietly and turned on him at the doorway. He sheathed his gladius and walked over to me, standing close. We were about the same height, probably a few centimeters shorter than him.
"Look. This is going to sound stupid but I'm sorry. I know it sounds like I'm only apologizing because I want something from you. But the truth is, I really am. And the reason I'm so protective of you is because I don't want to lose you. I've barely seen Thalia in the past eight months and you came along and I knew I didn't want anything bad to happen to you. I put you in check in fear that if I don't, Juno will take you away from me. And I don't want that. You're powerful Jessica. So am I. You and I together as a team makes us almost unstoppable. But the power you supposedly have can destroy us. Juno told me this and asked me to protect you because you can be useful later," he told me quietly, looking me straight in the eyes. He wiped the blood from my cheek thanks to Will's lucky hit. I flinched but Jason wiped the rest of the blood away.
"I'm sorry Jessica."
"It's fine," I answered.
My brother still looked concerned but he nodded and ruffled my hair. I ducked away but I was too late.
"Really? You going to do that often?" I asked in a teasing way.
He grinned.
"Unless you can away in time, then yeah."
"Lovely. Thanks for messing my hair up," I grumbled. "Besides, you might want to be careful. I'm the one with a long distance weapon."
Jason chuckled.
"You'd have a sword at your throat before you could pull an arrow."
"Oh yeah?" I challenged.
"Heck yeah."
I suddenly kicked Jason away and pulled and arrow faster than light from my quiver and notched it, taking perfect aim. Jason got up and smiled and then chucked his gladius like it was a boomerang. He knocked the bow from my hands and then lunged for me. I yelped as he tackled me and wrestled me to the ground. I pulled my dagger on him as I held it at his throat, his gladius up against mine as he pinned me down.
"Nice," he praised. "Fast reflexes."
"Annabeth taught me well."
"I can see. She's amazing at fighting."
"Well she has been here since she was seven."
"True," he laughed. He got off me and offered a hand. I took it and he pulled me to my feet as I retrieved my bow at the same time.
"We should go," I said.
He nodded and he headed for the arena as I hit the archery range.
"Try and shoot this Jessica," Annabeth challenged me, an hour later.
"What?!" I complained as I stared at the apple in her hand.
"Well, I can tell you got potential to do archery and you're good at shooting slow moving targets and still targets perfectly. But I want to see if you can shoot a falling target, fast moving target and one going up. There's a difference between the speed of an object falling and going up. Gravity takes control of the object as it falls, making it faster. As it goes up, it may spin out of control, harder to shoot. See where I'm going with this?"
I nodded.
"But Annabeth, you make it sound like I haven't used a bow and arrow before," I complained teasingly.
"Well you haven't in a while," Annabeth pointed out, smiling. I laughed and took position, loading my bow and taking aim.
Annabeth looked at the apple and then tossed it up in the air. I shot, missing completely and nailing a target behind the apple.
I cursed.
The daughter of Athena chuckled, picked up another apple and tossed it in the air. I shot again and again, missing and hitting the targets still.
"Gods! These stupid EVIL APPLES!" I shouted. Finally in total anger, I purposely missed the next one and shot for the accidental bulls-eye I made as I missed the apple a few tries back. Annabeth watched in shock as my arrow split the other arrow in half down the middle. Annabeth looked at me slowly, eyes narrowed as I seethed.
"Hmm. Interesting. I've only done that once and I've never seen you do that before. Do it again."
"Throw an apple," I growled.
Annabeth did and I missed again and shot right through another arrow. Annabeth chuckled.
"Beautiful."
She tossed an apple without a warning. Instantly, I shot, skinning the side of the apple.
"Good job. Well I think we're done. Shooting apples seems to tick you off. I don't think apples like you."
"And I don't like apples either. But one more Annabeth. I swear I got this," I said.
"You sure?"
I nodded.
Annabeth waited with the last apple in hand.
I loaded, pulled back and breathed several times. Annabeth tossed the apple and time slowed. Then in the middle of an exhale, I shot.
I missed again but rage broke in my body.
Because I did the unexpected.
Fuming, I loaded another arrow faster than light and my eyes followed the now falling apple. On an instinct, I shot, everything feeling right. Annabeth stared as the arrow pierced the apple and pinned it to the center of the target behind.
"Good job sis," said a voice.
Maybe he shouldn't have surprised me.
Because I turned, loading another arrow as the tip was already aimed for Jason's chest. He raised an eyebrow, looked at Annabeth who smiled slightly and then back at the arrow.
"Sorry," I murmured, lowering my bow.
"Aww. Did the apples tick you off?" Jason teased.
I rolled my eyes.
"Shut up. Why don't you try to shoot a moving apple without having practice for so many months?" I retorted in the same playful voice.
"Haha, because I don't feel like it."
"Or is it because you can't shoot?" I giggled.
"He couldn't shoot for his life if he did try," Annabeth cut in.
"Yet Thalia can."
We busted up and high-fived each other. Jason face palmed himself.
"I hate when two girls gain up on me, especially if Annabeth is one of them," Jason grumbled.
"What? Can't handle the pressure?"
"Jessica!" Jason said, trying hard not to laugh. The playful tone of his voice was basically telling me he was pleading for me to stop or else he would have to shut me up.
"SORRY!" I laughed in defiance. Annabeth was red in the face from laughing so hard. I could tell all the stress she had was being released, even if it would return later.
Finally, we all calmed down as the conch horn signaled lunch. Dropping our weapons off, we headed for the Mess Hall.
A/N: Please review and subscribe. Sorry I haven't posted any chapters on any of my other stories. Been really busy with training for soccer and talking with the SAT website even as a freshman. But I will do what I can to post! Please review and subscribe please! Thanks!
