Jason:
"Stay strong" Percys' last words echoed in Jason's head again and again.
"damn it Percy, Jason muttered to himself. 'how the Hades am i supposed to stay strong without you?"
It had been three days since Jason had watched Percy plummet to the depths of tartarus, and the Roman son of Jupiter was struggling to sleep. He'd taken to sitting by the glass hatch near the stables in attempt to cling to the memory of his first night with Percy.
"can't sleep either huh?" an unfamiliar voice called out, startling the blond.
"Who-?"
Jason cut his question at the figures revelation to be Nico Di' Angelo. Nico stepped out further from the shadows, and they ebbed away from him.
"Nico, sorry i'm still getting used to that, Jason motioned to the shadows still fading from the son of Hades. 'what brings you down here?" he asked solemnly.
"The mood of the ship's pretty gloomy, even by my standards, Nico replied. 'It's more peaceful down here"
Jason laughed dryly.
"Sorry but the mood isn't much better down here" he grumbled sourly.
"but you're the only one down here, and that makes it easier" the son of Hades replied matter of factly.
Jason looked down out of the glass hatch at the dark mountain range below. He missed the waves of the ocean alongside his sea prince. He missed the comfort and the strength Percy gave him.
"I fucking hate this" The son of Jupiter growled. Sparks erupted from Jason, briefly lighting the decks below.
"careful!" Nico yelped as he jumped, narrowly avoiding a spark of lightning
"Sorry" Jason muttered.
"you're stonger than your sister, Nico commented. 'The lightning i mean. Thalia has to get really mad for her power to erupt from her like this"
"My sister has a better way of holding her powers in check than i do"
" You should have seen the way she exploded at Percy a few years back. It was my first year at camp, and we were playing capture the flag. i can't remember why but Thalia and Percy ended up exploding at each other. it started with Percy dowsing Thalia with water from the lake which really pissed Thalia off; she got so mad she roared and an arc of lightning shot out of the sky and sent Percy flying on his ass, Nico smiled at his memory. 'it was really something.
"im sure it was, Jason smiled briefly as he pictured the scenario in his head. 'I'm sure Thalia and Percy got on each other's nerves quite a bit"
"All three of us did, Nico replied. 'Being kids of the big three and all, i guess it was only natural that we ticked each other off" The olive skinned male sighed heavily.
Jason sat silently watching Nico for a while. Twenty minutes had passed by before either of them spoke again.
" You miss him don't you?" The Roman asked the italian child of Hades.
It took Nico a while to reply, and when he did his voice sounded hollow and empty.
"I do. I can tell you do as well, He added quickly. 'You haven't known him long and already you seem attached"
Jason avoided looking directly at Nico's eyes.
"I guess Percy has that effect on people" Nico spoke at last, breaking the silence.
"I guess he does" Jason sighed.
*
The mood of the Argo II had been glum for days and Piper had noticed that Jason's mood especially seemed particularly sour. He had taken to locking himself in his room or sitting by himself down in the cargo bay.
"That is it!" She screamed in frustration to Leo.
"woah there beauty queen, calm down, Leo comforted. 'Jason just feels like it's his responsibility to save the others. You can't blame him for being hard on himself, it's what he does"
"Well i have had enough, Jason hardly knows Annabeth, and he's known Percy for like five seconds; he doesn't get to be all doom and gloom like this all the time" The daughter of Aphrodite wailed.
"We gotta give him some time Pipes, Leo sighed as he pranged around under the Argo II control console. 'hand me the monkey wrench over there will ya?"
Piper handed the nearest wrench she could find to Leo.
"I still don't think it's fair" The demigoddess huffed.
"It's not fair, but Jason needs time to heal, we all do"
Piper whirled round to find Nico perched on the edge of the Argo II main deck.
"I suppose you think Jason's mood is acceptable?" Piper glared at the son of Hades.
"I do and i don't, Nico retorted. 'Ive been spending some time with him lately; as the only group leader remaining Jason feels the weight of everything and everyone on his shoulders"
"I hear that one brother" Leo said emerging from beneath the console. He tossed his wrench into beaufords open doors and wiped his forehead of sweat. "I say we try and lighten everyones' mood"
"And how do we do that exactly?" Piper chimed in.
"I say we hold a celebration in honour of Percy and Annabeth's bravery, and it'll help raise the crews moral for when we rescue them" Leo added suggestively.
*
"Can we save him?" Jason asked, his voice cracked from the tears he had been crying.
"Dad owes Percy a lot, and so do I, Luke the god of loyalty replied. "I've been commisioned to lead a betalion of Olympus' fiercest soldiers to keep any harm from happening to Percy or Annabeth, but i can't pull them out from tartarus" the son of Hermes replied. "I can't interfere with their mission and part of it includes escaping from the pit"
"Who in Hades name gave you that order?" Jason snarled angrily
"Olympus gave the protection detail, but the fates ordered the no interference part" Luke sighed.
