"Is Luke dead?"

Jason halted abruptly, his boots crunching against the forest floor. He stood still, the question hanging in the air as he slowly turned to face Percy. For a moment, his blue eyes softened, and the hardened expression he usually wore flickered with something more vulnerable. The question had caught him off guard, and he paused, searching for the right words, his body momentarily frozen in place as Percy stared back.

"No"

Percy continued,

"You told me he loved his mother, so why hasn't he come back?" Percy demanded, frustration evident in his voice.

"He's doing what any son would do for his mother," Jason replied calmly.

"Abandon her?" Percy shot back, his tone dripping with disgust.

No, he's avenging her, Percy thought bitterly.

"Percy," Jason said, his voice firm, "if you were in his shoes, you'd have done the same. It's your fatal flaw."

"What flaw?"

"Loyalty," Jason explained, his words deliberate. "You'd let the world burn to save the ones you love."

"How can you be so sure?" Percy asked, suspicion creeping into his voice.

Jason sighed, his gaze growing distant. "Because I've been there," he said, his tone weighed down by memories.

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Jase, has anyone ever told you that you're annoyingly mysterious?"

Jason shook his head. "Can't say they have."

"It was rhetorical," Percy muttered with a sigh.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed through the forest, interrupting the conversation. Jason flipped IVLIVS and caught the sword that emerged from thin air, Percy uncapped his ballpoint pen.

Percy waited for what seemed like centuries until he saw a woman emerge. She possessed chocolate-brown hair, cut choppy and unevenly, with thin strands braided delicately down the sides. Her eyes were a mesmerizing kaleidoscope, seeming to shift in color with every glance, reflecting the depths of the earth and the sky. She locked eyes with Jason, a tempest of anger swirling within her gaze.

Percy also glanced at the dagger she held tightly, hoping it wouldn't be necessary.

Percy decided to say something since Jason and the newcomer were locked in a staring contest. He raised his sword in a friendly gesture.

"Hey, fellow demigod, right? Nice to meet you."

The woman's voice, smooth and commanding, cut through the air with an almost hypnotic quality. "Drop your weapons," she said, her tone imbued with an undeniable authority. Percy heard Jason's sword clatter down onto the floor. Percy raised his eyebrows towards Jason in confusion.

"Charmspeak. A rare ability from Aphrodite, it makes you do what you most desire."

Percy frowned. He wasn't sure why Jason had dropped his weapon.

"Listen, Lady, there's no need to use your mind magic. We don't want to fight."

Apparently the Lady wasn't in the mood for talking as her hand flicked with swift precision, sending the dagger hurtling towards Jason at bullet-like speed. The blade gleamed ominously as it sliced through the air, cutting a deadly path. Jason's reflexes were sharp, though, and with a swift, practiced motion, he deflected the knife with his forearm. The blade skidded off his defenses, grazing his shoulder with a sharp sting.

Dark clouds amassed on the horizon. A palpable tension hung in the air, charged with static electricity. The wind, once a gentle breeze, now stirred with increasing urgency, rustling leaves and bending branches in its wake.

Percy was about to rush in as he saw the lady momentarily standing disarmed with the knife now embedded in the wall behind them.

Jason put his hand on Percy's chest to hold him back.

The storm calmed. Percy wasn't causing the storm. He hesitated, his eyes meeting the Jasons. In that moment, he saw something unsettling deep within Jasons gaze—something dark and powerful, lurking just beneath the surface. It was a flicker of raw intensity, a force that felt both ancient and overwhelming, Percy could feel that Jason was struggling to hold back a storm of immense power. Percy's breath caught in his throat,

"Jase," he said, uncertainty creeping into his voice.

Jason ignored him, looking straight ahead.

"I'm taking Percy to Bunker 9," Jason stated, his voice unwavering as he locked eyes with the woman.

Her reaction was immediate—shock, disbelief, and anger flared across her face. "You can't be serious," she whispered.

Jason didn't flinch. "It's the only place he'll be safe," he replied, his tone brooking no argument. He wasn't asking for her permission—he was telling her what was going to happen. The irony wasn't lost on him, taking Percy to a place she had once fiercely defended against forces he had once served.

His gaze bore into hers, searching for any sign of resistance. The memories of battles fought, betrayals endured, and losses suffered hung heavy in the space between them.

"I'll look after him," she said finally, nodding toward Percy. Her eyes briefly flicked to Jason, a silent message of defiance passing between them, as if she were telling him that he wasn't welcome.

"Piper McLean," she introduced herself, her voice steady but guarded.

Before Piper could say more, Jason stepped closer, his voice cutting through the tension with quiet authority. "I swore an oath to get him there," he said, leaving no room for debate. His gaze remained locked on hers, challenging her to oppose him.

"There's no need to shield him," Jason added, his tone firm but calm. "Percy is Poseidon's son. He can handle himself."

"That's what worries me," Piper said, her voice laced with concern. "The two of you together..."

Piper turned to Percy, searching his face as if seeing him for the first time. Percy shifted uncomfortably under her intense scrutiny.

Piper said with increased urgency, "We should go, before we attract monsters."