Jason

He doesn't like how his father treats Thalia; the cold-heart business man sees his son as a trophy and daughter as a safety pin, in case Jason explodes. He witnessed too much and knew too much. So, a great mind like him uses the inseparable relation between his kids to control them.

Zoë leads the six of them out the house after they exchange names. Jason thinks there is something about Zoë that doesn't match up. He is certain that she isn't adopted by Chiron, otherwise he would introduce her as his daughter. And she seems a little unfamiliar with the house, like the way she ran through all the cupboards in order to find things she need. She hasn't been here for long. The attitude she and Cal held towards Chiron is too polite considering they are living under the same roof.

"First of all, we need to work on your stamina. You don't want to collapse in the middle of a chase." She said after we line up in front or her at a corner of the house.

Sounds like she's been in the middle of a chase before.

"Boys six rounds, Bianca and Thalia five rounds, Hazel four rounds." They all groaned at the request. "In ten minutes. Starts… Now!"

"I don't like her." Thalia said through her teeth beside him then ran off with Bianca.

"We better finish this shit in ten minutes, I don't want to find out what's the punishment and there's definitely one." Nico said next to him, this is the first time they have a private conversation. He has a feisty mouth for a 9-year-old. Jason looked towards Zoë, she reached an eyebrow at the boys, asking them why aren't they moving. Percy pats them on the shoulders and slightly push them for starting.

One hour later, after running, stick type and learning some basic knife throwing, Jason can confirm that his soul officially left his body. All of them are resting in the house, Zoë and Calypso is liking cooped up in their room while Thalia and Bianca are lying on the couch whisper and chatting; they seem to get closer after the run. Jason knows his sister isn't a people person, seeing her getting alone with someone else set his mind at ease. Percy joined them soon after, it takes only one look to know that they're going to be invincible in the future. Nico looked unbothered and gives Hazel some water to drink, locking his glaze at the group on the ground after whispered something on his phone to Hazel and make her laugh. It's still a mystery to him that why the girl has a different last name than her brother and sister's, Jason took a mental note to find out later.

Knowing they need to be familiar to each other sooner or later (they are people brought by his father and the first time he met someone near his age.) Jason approached to the pair of brother and sister, wishing to join the conversation. He saw Thalia eyeing at his movement on the couch and give him a thumbs up; Jason ignored her.

"What are you guys laughing?" He popped his head between Nico and Hazel's, the two jumped a little.

"Bianca's picture." The little girl answered him by showing a chat room of Nico and his mother. The boy sent a picture of his older sister limping on the couch, their mother's replied foreshadowed that Bianca is going to get a literature on how to sit properly after she's home.

"Someone mentioned my name?" Bianca yelled from the living room while they were at the dining table.

"No one!" Hazel answered her in a rather cheer voice.

"And you said I'm the evil one." Nico chuckled in a low voice and ruffed Hazel's head, showing his affection towards his sister.

"You guys are really close."

"Things happen when your parents don't care much." Nico said. Jason nodded in agreement.

"Percy seems close with his dad." Hazel tilted her head and look at the two older boys.

"That's because his dad is nice." Nico answered his sister.

"You see them before?" Jason asked in surprised. The day in the hospital is the first time he met Poseidon and Hades.

"We were invited to dinner." "And Sally is super nice." "Sally is Percy's mom." "Your dad was there too!" They keep blasting him with new information.

"Then I guess the dinner wasn't so fun, if my dad was there."

"Yep." Hazel said popping the p.

"So, the golden boy, what are you curious about?" Nico asked, Jason couldn't tell if his was mocking or just a little joke.

"Is that a question or statement?" Jason challenged him.

"Statement, I want to know what is working under that blonde hair of yours."

"Enlighten me."

"Why are you two speaking like that?" Hazel suddenly cut in.

"Cause we are smart?!" They answered in unison before glaring at each other.

"Hum, I'm smart too! Because I know what Jason want to ask." Hazel said with a smug smile and pride threading through her voice. Jason chuckled at the cute behavior.

"Tell me."

"You want to know why my last name is different with Nico and Bianca's." Jason didn't know what to reply, so he kept his mouth shut. "It's okay, I will tell you, you are a good person, right?" Jason nodded. Though she is asking him, it's more like she wants him to prove her judgement is right, and Jason can tell that Hazel is never wrong.

"We have different mothers; they say I was born under my father's affair." He winced at her choose of words. "But it's okay, I don't like my real mother anyway, and Maria is really nice to me." Hazel gave a shrug after finishing her story. He supposed Maria is Mrs. Di Angelo, Nico and Bianca's mother. Jason thought this might be deep, but not this deep and the last person he expected to hear it from is Hazel herself; who could think that an 8-year-old girl has so much in her?

"Well, my dad always treats Thalia bad and our mom doesn't love us. Guess we all have terrible parents." Jason feelings like he needs to share something since they just told him their family drama. Nico hummed at his confession.

"Seems like only Percy's family is the normal one." Hazel let out a sigh.

"I won't say that, can't judge a book by its cover. We just have ugly covers and he has a pretty one; doesn't mean he also has a wonderful story inside."

Sometimes, only sometime, Jason wishes he wasn't that smart.

"So, did you know why Hazel has a different last name?" Thalia asked, then Jason told his sister about the Di Angelo's family drama. They are now in his room; Thalia is lying on his bed while he is in his chair.

"That's quite impressive."

"Your review is also impressive, that's all you gonna say?"

"But I think Dad hasn't have any bastard pop out is more impressive." It's an open secret that Zeus likes to cheat on his wife, and that's why their mother is indulged with drug.

"Second that." A pause. "Hate you. You win this time." They have this little competition, if one person let another agree on their point of view in a conversation, they win.

"But that better never happen, I don't want to call the ambulance for Mom again." Thalia murmured under her breathe.

Jason recalled a memory happened three months ago. One afternoon, he was listening to music while play sudoku in his bedroom like usual. There is an invisible rule in the Grace house hold: don't stay in the common area unless necessary. You might find an angry host if you stick your nose in the wrong place, either that or a mad hostess throwing tantrum at the person who look her in the wrong way. Let's just say the pair isn't the nicest parent nor boss you want to have.

He walked out from his room wanting to get a glass of water, of course he could ask a servant to do that, but if he needs someone to do such little things for him what kind of person will he be when he is older? Therefore, Jason always tries his best not to bother the people who work in the house hold.

As he reached to the cupboard and took out a glass, ready to pour water in; he spotted a woman figure leaning lifeless against the sink. Needles scattering around her hand which was limped on the floor, with the significant wave of the blonde hair spreading on her shoulder and covering her face, Jason realized the person is in fact his mother.

"Thalas!" He shouted out the nickname to his sister. He used to call her Thalas all the time when he was little, but as time when by, he noticed she only like to be called by Thalia. So, he stopped, he only used it when he is in trouble or scared, usually trouble, but this time he was terrified.

Thalia bolted out from her room, which is pretty close to the kitchen. From her messy hair and none properly-wear clothes, she must be taking a nap. Her eyes darted from the panic face which belongs to him to the person on the ground, then she locked eyes with him.

"Jas, are you hurt?" She asked in a firm voice.

"No…"

"Okay, go stay in your room." Then she rang dad, telling him the situation before calling the ambulance. That's what he heard before shutting his bedroom door close.

Jason knew why his sister tell him to stay in the room, if Dad noticed he is the one who found Mom, he would be the one to take the blame. The reason to the image of their 'perfect' family crumbling. Thalia is protecting him; she always was and will keep doing it in the future.

"Jason?"

"Hum?"

"What do you think about the rest of the group?"

"They're fine. Besides, I saw you and Bianca are doing just alright."

"What can I say? She is like the most interesting person I met for the past few years. And she doesn't piss me off."

"Then who holds the first place? The most interesting person that is."

"Excluding you, Annabeth." Annabeth is a girl Thalia met one time she ran out of the house, sadly, she is caught after sneaking out 12 hours later. Starting from then, their father seen her as a failure and treat her badly. Though Thalia acted like she doesn't care, he knew she is still hoping their parents can see her as a child who needs love and care.

"I really wish you guys can met one day; you are both a smartass."

"What is dad doing with the whole training thing?" Jason asked his sister, wanting to know her thoughts.

"They all have an empire, and we are basically their heirs, so I would say self-protection. But I think there is more. Remember their conversation at the hospital, they mentioned something called 'Argo' and 'the Golden Age'. I bet this whole training has something do with it."

Then, a loud sound of plates crashed came from outside the room. They shared a look and put their ears on the door, wanting to hear what's going on outside. The voice of their mother screaming and trashing the house passed through the thick wooden door, along with their father's deep vocal ordering the people to clear out.

"Where are you last night! Are you sleeping with another woman? Again? Do you want to see me die?" What a selfish person. Jason thought in his mind. All his mother care about is not getting the love from their father, the two children she gave birth are just a method to earn his attention.

"I was in the office, you know that"

"How would I know if you weren't fucking your secretary in your office!"

"Dear, my secretary is a man."

"So that's why you don't love me? Because I'm not a man?"

"Drink some water and go take a nap, we will discuss this when you are sober." Seems like Zeus couldn't stand his wife any more, after having her settled, he let the servants clean up the house and left.

"Remember to bring me next time you decided to run away." Jason looked at his sister seriously. Thalia gave him a solid nod.

"What is the most important thing?" Zoë asked them.

A month have past, the group have been closer due to the weekly training. They were working on physical skills the past hour after that is the brainstorming time. They've learned knives, punching and guns (only Thalia, Percy and Bianca, the rest of is too small for guns.) Jason can tell immediately he is better at knife and like it the most, but planning deadly plans is more of his way than fighting face to face. Thalia loves gun, she, Zoë and Bianca grow a lot closer because of their similar taste in weapons while Percy is more of a punching guy.

"In general?" Nico asked before Zoë gave him a positive nod.

"Friends and family." Percy said.

"Money." Bianca and Hazel spoke in sync. Their choose is pretty understandable, their family owns most of the mines and the biggest bank in the country after all.

"Jason." Thalia answered without hesitation.

"Ah, thank you sis, I love you too." Jason thanked her in a joking way. It's not often that Thalia shows him her affection towards him, so it's good to know from time to time that she still loves him.

"Power." He replied to the question.

"Fighting skills?" Nico said with half question.

Zoë looked pleased at his and Nico's answer, but Jason has a feeling that those aren't the answer she wants.

"And what if those things don't exist anymore or were taken away from you."

"Fight for it?" Percy said.

"How?"

"With a plan."

"And that plan didn't work?" Jason starts to see where this is heading.

"Backup plan?!"

"So, tell me again, what's the most important thing?"

"Backup plan."

"And that's your first lesson." Percy opened his mouth, ready to shot back a reply. "I mean, the lesson with five stars plus highlight, this is the first one." Zoë stopped him with adding the importance of this motto.

At that moment, Jason knew what his is born for, a manipulator.

- I love that Jason and Thalia have this sibling bond.