"Goddamit, Jackson. Are you even listening to me?" Jason hissed out, anger boiling beneath the fist he had slammed on the table.
His eyes locked on the other boy's. The green was hard in Percy's, unrelenting. An eerie calm washed itself over the son of Poseidon. Jason never felt the phrase "the calm before the storm" could ever ring so true.
"Loud and clear, Grace." The disgusted inflection as Percy spat out Jason's last name was the only hostility he allowed himself to show. He sat in his chair, arms folded behind his head in a relaxed manner; fauxly nonchalant.
A deep thrumming coursed its way through Percy's body. Him and Jason had never gotten along from the start- they butted heads to put it simply. Each were accustomed to being the lead, knowing what was right for everyone else. They clashed greater than any enemies residing on their planet. Jason thought Percy was reckless. Percy thought Jason was too rigid, too focused on honor and tradition.
The ingrained truths of their upbringings soared when in company with each other. It was a never ending battle, no one ever reigning victory despite the near constant depletion of resources.
"If we don't put this plan into action, we're risking the whole country. If Gaea gets ahold of Olympus, what do you think will happen? We'll lose any shred of hope we had at beating her and the giants. This way is the only way we can at least somewhat ensure the Giants defenses will be weakened." Frustration leaked through every cell in the blonde's body. A vein throbbed on his forehead, peaking out as his stress heightened. His entire body was clenched, stiff with copious amounts of ire.
"That is my city. That is my home," Finally Percy's own anger began to rise to the surface as Percy leaped out of his chair and pushed his body towards Jason's.
They were close enough to the point that their breath mingled. They both breathed raging hot. For the first time in a long, long while Jason felt true to terror. Even with his extra inch on Percy, the other boy simply loomed over him, demanding his attention. A hurricane flashed in Percy's eyes and Jason understood why even gods quivered at his sight.
"Your plan will sacrifice the lives of innocent people. People that don't even know about our world! You do not have any right to drag them into this. Not my people. You have no right to decide their fate. They deserve their normal life and they will stay out of this." Percy was visibly shaking. Shaking from the pure hatred that bubbled as Jason had laid out his plan of action against the invading Giants. The one that would endanger mortals that caused no harm in this brutal war begun by the inept and pompous gods.
"We're soldiers, Percy. We make decisions we don't like and we make decisions that others don't like. But we make those decisions for the greater good. We have an entire country to protect. An entire world. One city and a few thousand lives is fortunate in the scheme of things." Jason bristled.
At Camp Jupiter they trained warriors. Lupa didn't let compassion or guilt weigh into choices. The demigods learned strategy, the emotional detachment from it. When one had to protect themselves from the most powerful sources of evil in the world they did not have room to spare for kindness. Hard choices created victories.
Percy stopped shaking.
When he spoke his voice was a mere whisper- raspy and raw, as though it were born from the beginning of the universe.
"No. What if my mom is included in those few thousands? What if Paul dies and my mom is left alone? Again. What if your plan doesn't work and the Giants take Olympus anyways and you've only managed to kill of a few more undeserving people? So, no, we're not doing your so-called plan. I don't care what you say. I don't care about your strategy.
I don't care that letting them think they're winning will decrease their guard. I don't care.
We're fighting them on the sea before they can even see a speck of land. I don't care if you're not in your element or if fighting on open water doesn't benefit you. You will not put my city at risk. And that is final." Percy was breathing hard, air rattling in his lungs, but he wasn't finished.
In a far darker tone, one that made Percy think back to drowning Akhlys in her own poison, Percy said, "And so help me… If you go against this, you'll have another war at your hands, Grace. It will not be merciful. I only hope you would have a strong enough army to even begin to think about fighting back."
The green of the boy's eyes was near black as he finished his statement, clipped words lashing at the blonde.
Jason believed Percy, he felt the power of it veer through his bones. A chill ran down his spine, a silent thanks to whatever being out there listening that for now Percy was on the same side as him. He didn't want to screw it up.
"And if that doesn't work?" Jason inquiries.
"If it doesn't work then thousands of people won't die." Percy snarled.
Jason nodded, nearly imperceptible, but enough to show Percy his business was complete.
The son of Poseidon stormed out of the room, ferocious even in the way he walked.
Jason stared at the retreating back, thinking to himself no one deserved to have that kind of power Percy possessed. Thinking to himself that he would never be sane if had it.