Author's Note:
This chapter was literally not any better for me to write than the last chapter. But it's important, and I don't want to shy away from writing real issues, especially ones that are important to me.
This takes place at the same time as last chapter, but now we're focusing on what's going on with Jo and Ian. There's also kinda a weird perspective shift so it goes Jo/Ian/Jo. I put line breaks in because no amount of tinkering was going to change it.
Trigger Warning: Racial profiling
I do not hold the opinions of the bigot in this chapter, please do not equate his words as my ideals.
Cheers!
justapercyjacksonfan
Chapter 16
Jo was humming happily to herself, congratulating herself on her good work. She was a good sister. A great sister, in fact. Afterall, she had just made her brother spend actual time with his crush. Caleb was way too dense to actually make a move. It was really her responsibility to make sure things progressed.
So she had insisted that Jess and Caleb spend their afternoon together. She didn't give any reasons, just made sure that it happened. Who cares what the rest thought of her? She had just done her brother a solid. Least she could do, considering he had saved her life.
What neither of them realized was that they were being watched.
"Okay, what is up with making them group together?" Ian asked.
Jo hesitated. "Just because."
"Seriously. You can tell me."
"Well, maybe but….no, no I promised."
"Are you serious? Jo, we're a team, we need to trust each other!"
"I know, I know, but I promised Caleb I wouldn't mention it. I'm just doing him a solid, it's not a big deal."
Ian stopped and turned to face her. "It actually is a big deal? I mean, anything that divides our team is a big deal. We need to know we have each other's backs, Jo!"
"I know! I am, I'm having Jess and Caleb's backs by doing this!"
"What, so you can tell everyone but me?"
"We are not having another Bri here. Besides, they don't know what's up. Well, Caleb probably figured it out, and Jess might have, but the point is, I'm not keeping secrets."
They failed to notice the man coming up to them, having noticed their argument which involved a lot of hand waving.
"Just tell me!" Ian pleaded
"I'm not going to." Jo said, stubbornly crossing her arms. "Because it doesn't matter!"
"If it didn't matter, you could tell me."
"It doesn't!"
"Then why can't you tell me?"
"Because the reason may not matter, but I gave Caleb my word, and that does matter."
Ian hesitated. The man in the blue uniform reached them, separating the two teens.
Line break
"Hey!"
"What the-" Ian protested, both him and Jo being startled by the sudden interference. When he saw the offending man was an officer, he immediately bit back everything he had been about to say.
The man ignored him, instead focussing on Jo. "Are you okay?"
"Wha - yeah, why? Is there someone in the park, officer?"
"You're safe now, young lady. You were clearly having a disagreement earlier. You don't need to worry about what he was going to do to you anymore."
"What he was going to-what did you think he was going to do? He's my friend, friends have stupid arguments."
"You don't need to cover for him. People like him are dangers to society."
"Dangers, officer, what are you talking about? Ian is my friend, he's not going to hurt me!"
"Young lady." The officer was clearly annoyed now. "Listen to me. This is about your safety."
"No….oh my god, is it because he's black? What the actual hell, that doesn't make him a danger to society, how bigotted can you be! I think we're done here."
She started to storm off. Ian didn't follow. He was stuck in place, absolutely petrified.
The memories tugged at his mind. Seeing cops in general set him on edge, this...this was way to much like what happened to her, if he did the wrong thing, it would be exactly like her, Jo was putting him in danger by protesting-
"Ian, come on!" Jo said, coming back to grab his arm. "I'm perfectly safe, officer. We're going to meet up with our other friends now. How dumb can you get?"
"Hold on, young lady!"
"This is my cousin, officer. I think I'm fine."
"Really? Would you mind telling me how you're related to her?" he asked, incredulously. He clearly thought Jo had made it up.
Ian managed to nod, the words hard to get out. "Our dads are brothers. Her dad's name is Apollo."
He scoffed. "As in, like the sun god? Right, so you're lying. To an officer, I might add."
"He's not lying!" Jo put in. "Our Grandpa named both of our dads after Greek gods. They just...always called him Al. His dad's name is Dionysus, but I call him uncle Dio. We know each other, and I'm not in danger. Far from it, in fact, Ian agreed to come with me to keep me safe, at my dad's request. Speaking of which, we're going to be late to see our friends. Can we go now?"
The officer pursed his lips and gave a curt nod that conveyed he would continue to keep an eye on them, or more specifically, Ian.
Jo tugged on his arm, dragging him away. Somewhere in Ian's mind, he found it hypocritical that the man was so concerned that Jo had been in danger, but didn't think Ian might be in trouble as she forcibly dragged him away. He wanted to be angry - he was angry, it was so stupid - but it didn't materialize into the physical world.
Cops scared him. They were supposed to protect the people, but if the people weren't white that just went out the window, apparently.
That wasn't just an irrational fear either. Ian knew what happened to people if they didn't comply exactly with what an officer said. He knew way too well.
"Oh. My. Gods." Jo was muttering under her breath. "Gods, I wanted to hit him so bad. I don't know how you kept your cool...absolutely unacceptable...just wait until Jess and Caleb hear about this. We're heading to the meeting spot early, I'm...ugh! We fight monsters day in and day out, but our weapons don't work on that kind of monster."
Her mutterings continued as Ian gradually got it together again, managing to shake the memory back. That was too close.
Line break
Despite them having arrived at the meeting spot early, Jess and Caleb were also already there. Sitting an uncomfortable distance apart. Maybe things hadn't gone exactly according to plan afterall. Worrisome. But they were blushing pretty hard. Reassuring. But that didn't matter. That stupid plan - she was a mere babe when she made that scheme. She felt she had aged five years after what happened, and she wasn't even the target of his bigotry!
It worked out that they were actually cousins. And to be fair, their grandpa had named his kids Greek gods. And if Jess was right about the swan, her dad had helped them all take care of her. The only lies she had told were the nickname bit.
"Hey Jo, Ian. So um. So….so we found some monsters. And we think we found the base-"
"No one cares, Caleb. You will not believe what just happened!" she began.
"Jo, we found the base, what are you-"
"We encountered a worse monster!"
"Oh my gods. Did you take care of it?" Jess asked, alarmed. "Is it coming, do you need backup?"
"I mean, yes, but I'm talking about a bigoted, stupidhead, racist cop."
Both of them made nasty faces, and they only grew more horrified as Jo told the story in her rage.
"And this dude is still in the park?"
"I haven't exactly been following up with him, Jess." Jo said, with more ice in her voice than Caleb could ever conjure up. "Gods, Ian, I don't know how you stayed this calm about it."
"Not like it's anything new. I know people who've had it worse than me."
"That doesn't make it acceptable!"
"No, but it makes it predictable." he said.
"Still absolutely not okay. Caleb, show Ian the camp. I need to talk to Jo about something, we'll meet up with you at...at that spot."
"Where?"
She gave him a meaningful look. "You know. That spot. Where...you know, we fought those monsters?"
"OH! Right, that spot. Got it."
After the boys left, Jo turned a questioning gaze toward Jess. "What's this...spot?"
Jess blushed. "Just where we fought those monsters we talked about. Come on, I need you to show me something."
Author's Note:
Once again, I will say that I do not agree with anything that the officer said.
Moving on from this, because it makes me angry, let's go to something that makes me happy: shout-outs
Thank you to JollenStollen97 who favorited this story!
Fairyn - thank you! It's kinda a relief that you didn't find it off putting, because I was certain it wasn't going to go over well.
Lovewind - Jo's a good one. I say that, but of course I love all of my OCs. Everyone else is getting all angsty and she's just like, but have you considered being….cheerful? (Also, I'm sorry because by the time you see this, Jo will have been stabbed a bunch)
Anyone excited to get Bri back? We're so close!
Have a lovely day!
justapercyjacksonfan
