Chapter 17: Watched
Okay almost forgot to upload this lol here we go.
Jason
The blonde clasped his palms together, and, tears streaming down his trembling face, prayed to his father Jupiter for his life.
"Ave hail Lord Jupiter... Your majesty... My f-father... Please... save me." His voice cracked at the end, and more tears ran down his cheeks.
—o 20 Hours Ago o—
Leo/Nico
"Jason...!" The son of Hephaestus could barely get his voice out, and had to stop himself from whimpering. He immediately replayed the sound on the speaker. No matter how many times Leo replayed the audio, no matter how hard it was for him to believe that it was Jason who had whimpered, that was the truth.
Leo banged on the screen, frantically trying to get some kind of video connection with his best friend. "No! I c-can't lose him too!" He barely stopped tears from leaving his wet eyes. The door opened behind him, and Leo rushed to wipe his eyes. It was the son of Hades.
"Frank heard banging, you alright?" Leo nodded without turning to face his friend. Nico stubbornly walked to Leo's side and sat on the second chair. "Tell me what happened."
Leo looked at Nico's face. "J-Jason... he..." He couldn't bring himself to say it, so he played the audio for the son of death to hear himself.
"Don't worry. He's not dead." The son of Hades said, staring down at the floor glumly. He didn't know much about his condition, but he knew he wasn't dead. He just didn't want to worry Leo anymore than was absolutely necessary.
Still, Nico was disturbed and terrified after hearing his friend's voice crack and tremble. Leo's eyes widened as he stared straight at his friend, the son of death. "Y-You sure?" A small nod reassured the son of Hephaestus.
"Yes," Nico smiled and embraced Leo, letting the smaller boy cry on his shoulder. Nico was not the greatest at handling emotions, evidently from his past, but he had to try for his friend. He put on a smile. "It's fine. I swear"
Leo sniffled and composed himself, while staying in Nico's warm hold. "Sorry man, that just kinda came out." The son of Hephaestus walked back to the control pad and laughed.
"Dude I'm not leaving you alone." Nico stood behind Leo, putting his hand on the boy's bony shoulder. He knew what Leo would do if he was left alone, and he wasn't ready to let the boy die yet. Or ever.
"You really don't have to, I can keep everything running up here." Leo said, grinning "I am the captain of this ship, you know. I know a thing or two on how to use these things," he pointed to the buttons and laughs.
Nico squeezed his shoulder. "I know sir but I'm not leaving you." Leo's smile disappeared with understanding.
"Thank you," Leo whispered. His eyes watered as they met Nico's. "Thank you," he repeated in a hushed whisper.
Nico pulled up Leo's shirt, exposing his stomach, and helped him wipe his eyes on it. "We're friends. It's what we do."
Leo felt a surge of emotion at Nico's words. He struggled to keep himself sitting up. He was comforted by Nico's arm which had just been slung around his shoulders, and leaned oh so slightly into the embrace.
Jason
Jason opened his mouth to scream. His voice instantly cracked. He felt his body fly through the air, and slam into a marble column. Suddenly, the son of lightning snapped out of it. He slammed his javelin into the minotaur. It was stupid to even try to physically compete with the minotaur, but Jason was a dead man anyway.
To Jason's surprise as well as the minotaur's, the beast fell to the ground, and ichor exploded on the floor.
The first thing that came to the hero's mind was Leo. He had turned on his mic to tell Leo of his impending doom, but had only been able to whimper as the monster was charging toward the demigod. Now he attempted to connect his comlink again, to tell his friend he was alright. Then he realized that the line was already live. He must have hit it when he was slammed into the wall.
"Jason! JASON?! Jason answer me!" Leo's voice broke, and frantic breathing came through Jason's ear piece.
"Leo, I'm here." He heard a gasp on the other side, and louder sobs.
"Jason!" Leo's voice was high and broken, and he couldn't talk normally. "Oh god, Jason what happened! You scared me!"
Jason sighed and a drop of sweat rolled down his face. "Leo... I'm... I'm alive."
"Oh thank god... What happened?"
"Four minotaurs. Last one almost killed me. I don't know how I took it out, it's... quite strange really."
"I was begging my dad."
"That explains it." Does it though. "I'm gonna go deeper in, a'right?"
"Careful. Update me as often as possible."
"Got it. Out." The line died.
Nico/Leo
The son of Hephaestus wrapped his arms around Nico. "Jason's alive! You were right!"
"Course I was." Nico grinned. After a few seconds, the bony son of Hephaestus pulled away.
Leo struggled to find the words, "Thanks, Nico. This wasn't the first time you've stood by me and supported me, I don't even... know... what to say."
"Don't say anything. Leo, I heard... about you leaving the ship."
The other demigod sighed. "It's nothing, I—"
Nico cut him off. "I just want you to know, you are wanted, and we all love you. Anyone who does so much as make you feel unsafe can taste my fist, not to mention my wrath. You're... one of the best people I know."
Leo stammered, and fought to keep his cool. He threw himself at Nico and buried his face in Nico's powerful chest. For a minute or two, the pair of heroes stood, arms around each other. Then, the son of Hephaestus recovered his voice.
"Nico..." Their eyes met, and Nico rested his forehead against Leo's. "... thanks again."
Jason
The son of Jupiter staggered to the wall, his momentary strength leaving him. He leaned his back against the white marble and panted for breath. He wished Leo was with him. He needed help. Needed it badly.
After gathering his energy once again, the boy balanced himself and stealthily ran through the halls, going on with his recon mission.
Percy
The green-eyed boy walked briskly through the corridor, and turned a corner on his way up to the deck. That was when he collided with a specific praetor.
"Whoa! Sorry, sorry." Percy said quickly taking a step back.
Reyna mumbled something along the same lines, without meeting his eyes and attempted to quickly pass him, when he grabbed her by the arm. Reyna turned to face Percy, with an annoyed expression.
"Hey, what's wrong."
"I don't know what you're talking about, Jackson... Let me go."
Percy sighed. "Reyna, you can't lie for shit. Well you can, but not to any of us. Spill." He knew he was successful, since he saw his former colleague sigh and meet his eyes reluctantly.
"Nothing really... it's just... I wasn't sure how you felt about... Nico and me being... well... you know..."
The son of Poseidon chuckled at his friend's inability to elaborate. "A couple..."
"Yes..." She blushed. Percy struggled to keep a normal (well relatively) poise, because inside he was squealing.
"Well you don't need to worry, I'm happy you both found each other."
She broke into a half smile.
"I'm not gonna stop you from being with my best friend. And anyway it's great that he's found someone other than me to be in love with."
"I'm not sure if it's too soon or not, but say that around him and I guarantee he'll kick your ass." Reyna grinned.
"Oh pffft, you think I'm gonna say that around him? I like my life! He doesn't... really mind though... right?"
"Yeah, it won't really hurt his feels or anything, but it will hurt your bones."
"Got it, don't need to tell me twice."
"You gonna let go now? Or what."
Percy quickly released her hand, and she fixed her hair before slowly walking away. The green eyed demigod went his way. Both heroes were completely clueless of what eyes was watching them.
Jason
What do monsters play in arcades? The blonde thought to himself as he jumped to the right rapidly. Whack-A-Jason... OH SHI—
The demigod turned and dashed, fleeing from a ball of fire the cyclops just shot at him. He quickly fumbled to turn the comlink on. "Leo! Cyclops! What do I do?!" Thank the Gods the fireball barely missed the son of Jupiter.
"It's a recon mission! Not an invasion!"
"I know, I don't want to fight, but if I run from this one, he's gonna sound the alarm!" Jason sprinted away, the huge monster fresh on his trail.
"Erm..."
"Leo! He's gonna kill me! Hurry!"
The son of Hephaestus audibly gasped. "J-Just fry him. Be careful to do it up close, so you can't be tracked by more monsters!"
Seems legit. Jason turned to face his foe, preparing electricity in his hand. The cyclops roared and leapt toward him, and its face was met with a compacted string of lightning, which caused it to disintegrate, ichor flooding on the floor around the pile of dust. "Leo... it worked."
"'Course it did. You alright?" The worry slowly left Leo's voice.
"Yeah, 'm good. I'll go deeper, a'right?"
"Cool. Be careful."
"Got it. Out." The comlink died.
The hero ventured further into the enemy's stronghold, unaware of what his power had caused, and how deeply he would regret it.
Welp, cringed as I briefly skimmed this but told myself I'd upload whatever I wrote a decade ago before writing more. Next chapter in a week hopefully!
