JASON

Percy held the son of Hephaestus' hand as he staggered off the stage. Piper came over from her spot and patted his elbow, smiling kindly as conversation broke out in the demigod crowd. Percy curled his fingers through hers and they both led him away from the platform, the others following behind. Annabeth gave him a sad smile and he returned it, but she kept her distance and spoke to Reyna as they walked. Jason sent Piper a half-smile before turning back to speak with Frank and Hazel. Nico followed from the very back.

Leo squeezed Percy's hand and the son of Poseidon looked at him. The elfish boy grinned at him.

"Hey man, it'll be fine," he reassured quietly. "Dirt-face's stupid to think you aren't worth anything."

Piper reached over and squashed Leo's unruly hair in a friendly pat.

"Look at you, storm and fire, best friends," she cooed.

Percy froze and Leo made a choking noise before they both looked at Piper. Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth.

"Oh my gods," she yelped. "No…"

The others suddenly arrived and they were looking at the three unmoving demigods with confusion. Frank coughed.

"Uh, what?" he asked, and Leo, Percy and Piper turned their heads to him in unison.

"Storm or fire," Leo murmured. Jason gave him a strange look.

"What about it," he asked, and Leo and Percy made identical noises of terror before they let go of Piper and the son of Poseidon launched himself at the Latino, hugging him within an inch of his life.

Annabeth's knees gave out and she hit the ground hard, staring. Hazel ran to her and Reyna helped the daughter of Pluto get the blond back on her feet. Annabeth stared at Percy and Leo. Jason looked between them, utterly lost.

"Storm or fire," the child of Athena breathed. "It was never you, Jason." Her breathing hitched. "Poseidon is the god of Seas and Storms. 'To storm or fire the world must fall'. Percy and Leo…"

Hazel made a small noise of realisation. "Whoever wins," she choked. "They'll have to…"

Percy fell out of Leo's grip and tumbled to his knees, hands against the earth. His eyes were wild and scared.

"No no no no, I won't kill Leo, I won't hurt Leo, you can't make me touch Leo!" he yelled, digging his nails into the dirt.

"You CAN'T!"

Leo dropped down beside him and stared at the sky.

"No," he said, his voice far away, "I won't. Not Percy."

Piper covered her eyes and choked out a sob before Jason ran over to her and pulled her against him, muttering into her hair.

"I wish it was me," he said quietly. "I'd rather Leo killed me than have to hurt Percy. It's not…

"…it's not fair."

Percy fell on his side and started heaving in air, his hands shaking. Reyna gave him one look and pushed Frank and Hazel towards the cowering hero.

"Panic attack!" she shouted. "Help him!"

They did, Frank gently lifting Percy onto his lap and Hazel running her hands through the hoys raven hair, keeping herself in his line of view and whispering words of comfort into his ear. Percy closed his eyes and shook his head.

"No no," he cried. "I want Leo. I want Leo and Piper and Annabeth. I want Annabeth."

Hazel gave a wracking breath and called for Annabeth and Piper, who made their way over. Frank looked over his shoulder for Leo, who was kneeled against the earth and fisting handfuls of dirt in his fingers. The Chinese-Canadian reached over and put a hand on Leo's shoulder. The fire-wielding demigod turned around, sizzling tears searing his cheeks. Frank gave him a small, sad smile and gestured to Percy. Leo wiped his nose and crawled over. Piper left Jason and stumbled towards the four, Annabeth beside her. They knelt down and took Percy from Hazel and Frank, who stayed with them on the side. Jason was left with Nico and Reyna.

"It's unfair," he said again, and Nico looked at him, his eyes dark.

"Nothing's fair, Grace," he muttered. "Nothing. Percy may as well have just gone to Tartarus and back, but he's still the centre of the prophecy, and now he has to kill the rock of his sanity to save the world. No one can change it. There's no point crying over spilt milk."

Jason whirled on the son of Hades, anger burning in his gaze.

"Do you care about anything?" he spat. "Can you at least pretend to feel something for Percy!"

Nico faced him, a deadly aura surrounding the air at his fists. Reyna took a step back and looked at Jason.

"Jason, calm down, it's not Nico's fault," she said sternly. They ignored her and she rolled her eyes, walking quickly away towards the rest of the group around Leo and Percy.

"How would you know what I feel, Jason!" Nico challenged. "I care for Percy more than you'd understand and it kills me to watch him go through this. It kills me, do you hear?"

Nico put a hand to his chest, his eyes burning and he dropped his head to look at the ground.

"He saved my life when I was ten," he murmured softly. "I admired him to the ends of the earth and then when he told me my sister was dead I thought I'd hate him until the day I died." He wiped something from his cheek and Jason's hostility started draining away. He didn't think Nico even remembered he was there.

"But I could never hate him. He's Percy Jackson and I don't deserve to be anywhere near him but he wants me there by his side. I can't… I don't understand it. He should never want to see me ever, he should want to hunt me down for giving him so much hell. Everyone wants me dead, even my father, but not him. Not Percy."

Jason watched in absolute horror as Nico swayed on the spot and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. He looked like a kid. A kid with a big sword and scary glares but also a kid who was lost and confused and hated but didn't know why. Jason realised Leo and Percy may have the biggest problem, but that didn't mean no one else didn't have any.

Nico looked up slowly to see Jason frozen with an expression of self-loathing on his face. The son of Hades stared and jerked backwards as he realised he'd just spoken his thoughts and feelings out loud and Jason had heard everything he said. He backed up, eyes rimmed red, flicking his gaze to make sure no one saw what a mess he'd made of himself. They were all focused on Percy and Leo, the former holding onto Piper and Annabeth and the latter covering his eyes and shaking his head while Hazel and Frank hugged him. Reyna sat next to Piper and patted Percy's shoulder. Nico looked back at the ground, admitting it was far too late to run now.

He felt a hand on his shoulder.

The black-haired demigod looked up sharply to see the son of Jupiter standing in front of him, holding him sternly with one hand and the other rubbing his own eyes.

"I… gods Nico, I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I never… I didn't think of how selfish I sounded when I said you didn't care. For the love of Venus, di Angelo." He gave a bitter laugh and Nico shook his head, figuring Jason was just about to push him away and tell him to leave.

"You care more than almost anyone. I can't believe I didn't see it before, especially when we counselled on Olympus to get a quest to find Percy. I thought about what Zeus had said but…"

I know your feelings, son of Hades, Nico remembered. Jason gave a shuddering breath before doing the last thing Nico had expected.

Muscled arms gave the skinny son of Hades a tentative hug and Jason chuckled quietly as Nico froze.

"It's alright," he said. "You're my responsibility now, Nico. I won't tell, and I won't let anyone hurt you. We're your family, little brother." Jason pulled away slightly to look at the shocked son of Hades. "And let me be dammed to Punishment if this family is pulled apart."

It was hours into the night, Percy and Leo in the infirmary of Camp Half-Blood together with Piper, who'd sent Annabeth away to sleep, that Jason bolted up in bed and yelled. He grabbed the side of the alcove and stared at the statue of Hippie-Zeus before falling off the mattress to the floor and running outside. It was raining, and he was in only track pants, but he skidded through the mud in bare feet towards the Ares cabin.

"Frank!" he screamed over the storm, pounding on the door in time with the rain. It took a bit more yelling and a lightning bolt to make someone answer him, and by then Jason had slipped down the stairs and cut his arm on the barb-wire, but he didn't care. Frank opened the door and looked at Jason sleepily.

"Wha…" he started, then stopped. "Are you alright Jason?"

Jason nodded and grabbed Frank, pulling him down the steps into the night.

"We have to get Hazel and Nico," he said and, ignoring Frank's questions, dashed for the Hades cabin.

In minutes he had five wet and freaked out demigods in front of the infirmary, preparing to barge in.

"Jason!"

Arms grabbed him and pulled him back, spinning him around to see an angry Reyna.

"What are you doing?" she yelled, and Jason pulled away from her as he rammed the wet door open.

"The prophecy," he gasped. Annabeth looked up, her blond hair stuck to her face while Nico and Hazel looked at each other. Frank made a face and Reyna looked expectant.

"They don't…" he swallowed. "They don't have to…"

Suddenly his vision swam and he slid down the door, his bleeding arm running diluted pink blood all over the skin as the rain lashed at it.

"Earth," he managed, his vision darkening. "Earth… World… Gaea… fall."

His head hit the wood and he only heard someone yell his name before he sank into unconsciousness.

So, feels. I know, I'm sorry, nearly a month.

Also, I honestly don't know what I'm doing here, but I promised not to abandon this story and I won't, I just feel like I might ruin it.

Reeeaalllyyy sorry, guys.

See you soon.

Jasmine Out!