Percy
Chapter 27: To the Rescue
I sat at a coffee shop in New Rome, sipping on a regular cup of coffee and thinking. I had been doing a lot of that since Annabeth left, I guess because now there was no one around to do that for me now. I worried about her, sure. But I mean, that's my job. I always worry about her, even when she's not in danger. I love her, that's how it's supposed to be.
But it wasn't just her, it was August and Ariadne too. Not because I didn't think they could do a quest, they totally can and I've seen them do so, but because I felt a deep sense of dread about this quest. More dread than when she had gone off on her own last summer. I just felt like this quest was built so they would die, and I couldn't have that happen. If I lost Annabeth again, I don't know if I would make it. I mean, even if I lost August or Ariadne, I still don't know if I could live with that. But Annabeth especially.
Now the reason I was in New Rome, sipping coffee and worrying about how my girlfriend and two good friends of mine might die horribly instead of at home with my mother and Mr. Blofis getting ready for Christmas, was because I had gotten a letter from Jason the day before saying that he had a request he would like to make. The dude is so formal sometimes. Why couldn't he just say something like 'I need to ask you something'? Whatever, that didn't matter now.
"Sorry I'm late." Jason said as he took a seat in front of me at the table. "Thalia just came in from school and I had to greet her."
"No problem." I said, handing him a coffee. "Hope you take it sweet."
"For the most part, yeah." He said as he took the cardboard cup and took a sip. "I guess I should just get down to business."
"Ok." I nodded and listened.
"I've been thinking about this quest, the one that August is on. The entire thing feels like one big trap laid by Typhon, and we can't let August, Annabeth, or Ariadne run around out there alone." Jason said, going very serious.
"I agree, but what made you think that?" I asked. Jason was usually a champion for letting others make their own marks and finish their own quests. He wasn't someone who would intervene without some sort of thought behind it. He would have never gone after Grover like Annabeth and I had in our second summer, preferring to wait and see what the other campers could do before jumping in.
"This whole quest is just so…" He trailed off, trying to think of a word. "Bullshit." He finished. That surprised me. Jason wasn't the type of guy to just curse.
"Wow. Never thought I'd hear you talk like that." I commented.
"It's true though. I mean, the only reason they're even on this stupid quest is because Typhon decided to be ornery and cause and uproar. This whole thing is really only an excuse to lure August away so he and his broad of newly hatched killing machines can kill her more easily, and now Typhon has Annabeth and Ariadne in his trap too." He sighed, and then slammed his fist down on the table. "We can't just let them die out there!"
"Whoa, ok I agree but calm down!" I said, glad that Jason was showing some enthusiasm, but not wanting to cause a scene.
"You'll join me then?" Jason asked, looking me up and down, making sure I was ready for the challenge.
"Join you?" I asked. "Like, on a rescue mission?"
"Exactly! We're going to go after that group before Typhon finds them and destroys them." Jason responded with the same amount of enthusiasm.
Jason's eagerness was honestly a little surprising. This was not a very Roman way to act. Romans usually planned and waited first, then acted. Jason, on the other hand, was completely gung-ho and ready to go kick some titan butt in the name of saving three girls who weren't even his best friends, one of which caused him a decent amount of trouble barely a year and a half ago.
"Why the sudden change in attitude, Jason?" I asked with a smile.
"What are you talking about?" He asked back, looking at me warily.
I took another sip of my coffee. "This whole 'take action, not charge' thing is very Greek, not Roman at all."
"Well," He started, leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head, "when you hang out with them long enough, they kind of start to rub off on you a little bit."
I chuckled, and extended my hand. "Alright, Jason. You've got yourself a partner in crime. But, let me ask you something."
He shook my hand and nodded. "Shoot."
"Why do you care?"
He looked at me thoughtfully. "I guess I would want someone to do the same for Piper if something like this happened." Jason shrugged, and continued. "Well, not just Piper even. I mean, this quest is pretty much a suicide mission, and you all are my cohorts now. Roman or not, family is family and I'm not about to sit here and watch them die when this could all be prevented."
"That's good enough for me." I said, happy to be taking action before the worst happened.
"Well now we just need a third member." Jason said, leaning back and thinking.
"Why?" I asked. This wasn't a quest, no need for another member.
"Because three are needed to go on a quest." Jason said like it was obvious.
"Who said this needed to be a quest?" I asked.
"Well how else are we going to get permission to leave camp to go and rescue these guys?" He looked at me like I was crazy.
"Simple, we just leave." I said, pointing to the gates of New Rome.
Jason looked at me, stunned. "We can't just leave!"
"Why not? I have." I stated, taking another sip of coffee.
"What?" Jason looked even more shocked.
"This isn't a quest, Jason. There are no prophecies stating that we have to go and save those three before a certain date. We're just two guys, worried about our friends, and are going to make sure everything is ok." I explained.
Jason looked at me, still a little stunned. "We just like, leave then?"
"That's the idea." I nodded.
"How?" He looked at me again like I was still crazy. "Jupiter's security would never allow for us to-"
"Well then we don't leave through Jupiter." I said, cutting him off. "We leave through Half-Blood."
Jason nodded sat back in his chair again. "I'll meet you in front of Zeus's cabin in the morning. Pack light."
I smiled and nodded back. "Now you're thinking like a true Greek."
I live...
I LIIIIIIIIIVVVVEEEEEEE!Where have I been you all may ask? Well, I wound up moving from my home in Atlanta in 2012 to my new home in Olympia, WA to go to college. And then college happened, and trust me when I say that college is a FUCK LOAD of work. But, I'm now majoring in film and tv studies, and I'm writing my own show! You may get to see my show on Netflix soon enough in the coming decade or so for your binge watching needs.
Also, don't take this update as meaning "updates will be regular." This update means "at least once a month at some point in time I will post something on one of my fics." But, good news kids, I'M BACK! And, so is Percy and Jason.
