"Arise, Jason," Zeus boomed.

Jason lolled his head, a whimper ripping from his lips. He looked so helpless. Percy hated how strong Jason had looked before; like a god in his glory he had conquered three women, showing Percy that though their power levels coupd be debated, Jason certainly looked manlier than him. Big blow to the ego. Now? The hot shot looked like anyone could kill him.

"My son," Zeus said, and Percy swore he heard actual emotion in his voice. "Rise and avenge yourself."

Jason opened his eyes, gasping as he sat up. His gladius flew into his hand, and Percy watched as he turned towards Zeus, eyes wide in fright and admiration. The giant broke free from his daze and the battle began.

Percy had never really seen Zeus fight. There was a reason, he supposed that there was a reason Zeus was king of the Olympians. Jason followed along perfectly. He was zipping around, following along his father, slicing and dicing the giant who'd just fucked up his life forever.

Percy glanced down, realizing he should probably help, when Hera put a hand on his forearm. Gods, he hated Hera...he always had, but even more so since she'd switched Percy and Jason and let hom live without Annabeth for months. If he was being honest, her weirdly close relationship with Jason wasn't doing Jason any favors in Percy's book, but he figured Jason knew that now after the last hour.

Now, Percy had trouble hating Hera. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and haunted...as if something inside of her had broken; or something had been stolen from her that she couldn't get back. His heart broke for her, because just a half hour ago, Annabeth had crawled naked, and humiliated into his arms with the very same look in her eyes. Hera had been protected from this side of the world for so long; no one dared touch the Queen of Olympus; but now she'd been damaged, destroyed.

"This is his fight," Hera whispered to him. "This is their fight."

Jason's gladius was skidding across the stone floor as the giant picked him up in his fist, bringing him closer. Jason spit on him, before biting an actual chunk of flesh out of his finger. Percy's eyes widened as the giant dropped him, but Jason managed to scale his arm, pull himself up to ram his entire arm into the giant's eye.

At the same moment, Zeus tossed him a lightening bolt, and Jason drove it through his temple, and Zeus drove another one through his chest. The giant fell to his knees, howling, as he was electrocuted, his brain snd guts leaking out onto the floor.

"Burn in Tartarus," Zeus hissed as the giant dissolved into dust.

Jason hopped down, his mouth bloody, and his arm covered in eye goop. Percy whistled. He always wondered how Jason had toppled Krios with his bare hands, but he understood now. Nico Di Angleo might be the most powerful demigod that Percy had ever met, but Jason Grace was the scrappiest. Jason fought like a wolf. He fought like he'd built Rome.

"What happened here today was an atrocity," Zeus said, his voice stern. "Annabeth Chase and Hazel Levesque, you will be compensated as much as we can. You will be attended to physically and mentally as our apology for this happening."

Their attention turned towards Jason as he began to sway. Percy winced at his cuts and bruises, and just how exhausted he looked. His eyes were half-lidded, but when he opened them to meet Percy's eyes for a second, Percy shivered. Percy would never forget the look in Jason's eyes: it was the same fires that Nico, Annabeth and himself all carried. In the course of an hour, Jason had walked through his own Tartarus. And Percy knew it was just as bad as his own journey.

"What about Jason?" Piper asked, her voice shaky, squeezing Annabeth and Hazel's hands for support.

As if on cue, Jason's knees gave out and he collapsed. Zeus caught him, flinging his son over his shoulder. There was a pause, the cusp of the end, as a breeze of doomsday swept through Aphrodite's temple.

"Jason has to fight to live," Zeus said and Hera whimpered. "He has his own demons, but he will pull through. Please, give him grace."

Percy hadn't ever heard Zeus sound so soft. His feelings about Jason were complicated. Gods, he knew he couldn't hold any of this against him, as much as Annabeth and Hazel were forced, he had been too.

"He wasn't acting of his own accord," Zeus said again, "it was the same magic as Annabeth and Hazel."

"For now," Hera said placatingly after glancing at Frank's face, "let's go back to the Argo II."

….

Percy wondered what Leo thought when they showed up, Jason being carried by Zeus, the king gruffly asking Leo where Jason's cabin was. A triage of random looking Ancient Greek looking women coaxed Annabeth and Hazel below deck, and refused to let Percy or Frank go with them, even against the girls' protests.

"What the fuck happened to you guys?" Leo asked, wide eyed. "I was about to call Chiron.."

"What?" Percy glanced at him, trying to clear his head and understand what Leo was actually saying.

"Jason told me to call Chiron if you weren't back-" Leo paused, studying Percy's face. "Dude, for real, what happened?"

Percy felt like he was dreaming after explaining to Leo what happened. But those images would be stuck in his head forever. He'd never forget the urge in him to kill Jason, the feeling of happiness that he wasn't waking up. He knew that wasn't logical-Propyrian was the real enemy, and this is why Gaea had played this hand: to destroy trust and kill their team.

"Gods, are they okay?" Leo asked, and then realized it was a stupid question and ducked his head. "That's awful, man."

They sat in silence after that. Percy appreciated somebody to sit with in the silence. Not knowing what was going on deck was killing him. Frank came beside him, his eyes set in a faraway glance, his eyes filled with deep anger. Leo, sensing that maybe he didn't belong, muttered something about needing to fix the ship.

"She'll be okay, Frank," Percy tried to reassure. "Hazel's tough, she'll be okay."

"I know it's not his fault," Frank said distantly. "I know Zeus is right, but I'm so angry with him."

"That's the point of why they did it," Percy said. "They want to break us, make us lose trust with each other, and Jason was conveniently not around for the original kidnapping, and so they used him."

"Or it was on purpose," Frank said morbidly. "Maybe they set everything up like this. Hazel made a point to me yesterday-Jason was Hera's first play when it came to the Giant War, he's certainly going to be her last. If-if we can't back him up, he will fail."

Percy sighed. Frank was right, if they couldn't stand behind Jason in whatever was coming, if they couldn't stand united at all, they would fail, and the world would burn before them. Gaea was deeply evil, but she was smart.

"Perseus?"

Percy jumped, looking at the nymph/nurse/weird-olympian-medic standing at the top of the stairs. She was the one who had gone with Annabeth, and Percy looked at her expectantly.

"Miss Chase would like to see you now," she said, before walking past him to Frank. Then she called over her shoulder. "But King Zeus would like to speak to you in the hallway, first."

Percy didn't love speaking to his kingly uncle. They had been on terrible terms, really, since the accusation of him stealing his lightning bolt, and the whole 'refusing godhood' hadn't really gone over well. And that had been when Percy thought he was only calling out Zeus for ignoring one kid, Thalia; he hadn't realized Zeus was actually ignoring his other child, too. But here he stood before the King of Olympus, awkwardly shifting feet in the hallway below the deck of the Argo II.

"So," Percy started, nervousness always building. He could feel the electricity in the room, and he hated it. He liked water, not voltage. "It's been almost a year since I last saw you, Uncle Zeus."

Maybe the finger guns were a bit too much. Zeus raised his eyebrow. Percy thought he deserved a little grace, considering Zeus had just let Percy watch his son fuck Percy's girlfriend. Sure, Zeus had maybe witnessed his son screwing his wife (which, by the way, if Hera had stepped in as Jason's godly-parent, that was like porn level fucked up shit), but Zeus cheated on Hera all the time.

"I need you to talk to Jason," Zeus blurted out awkwardly. "He's a good man, Perseus, he's kinder than any son I've ever had. I didn't know Beryl could produce such selflessness, and Styx knows any of my genetics produced an ounce of the sacrifice Jason holds."

Percy had never heard Zeus sound so uncertain, or so real. Usually, he was just angry at demigods for not doing his will, or embarrassed that demigods hadn't followed his will and ended up being right and saving the world and keeping him on his throne. At least now, he was recognizing his selfishness.

"I'm not sure I'm the best person to talk to Jason, right now," Percy stammered. "Is he even awake?"

"He's in and out," Zeus said grimly. "You're his cousin, and in a way, you two understand each other. Hera switched you because you are in similar situations."

"Right, but he didn't just watch me fuck three people," Percy pointed out and Zeus winced, which made Percy wonder if this situation was a little much even for him. "Including my girlfriend. If you claim it's all magic, can't you have Piper calm him down? Or Leo? Leo's like his best friend."

"Piper's tried," Zeus said. "Hera's tried. He's convinced he's a rapist."

Percy swallowed down the bitterness in his throat. He knew that wasn't true. Despite how angry he was at everything, Jason hadn't raped them. Annabeth and Hazel had wanted it just as much as he did, and Jason had clearly been fighting against the magic, and was extremely distraught.

"Let me see if Annabeth's okay," Percy grumbled. "Then I'll talk to Jason."

Zeus nodded and Percy pushed open Annabeth's door. It was right next to Jason's cabin, and Percy felt a twinge of guilt imagining Jason laying in his bed, with the doom looming over him that he'd raped three women. Which wasn't fair, all four of them had been coerced against their will. Jason was a victim, too.

"Wise Girl?"

Annabeth lifted her head and patted the seat beside her, and Percy sat with her on the bed. They were silent for awhile, and Percy squeezed her hand. She looked okay, but when she was quiet, Percy always worried.

"How-"

"Okay," Annabeth interrupted. "I passed the mental exam the medic did with me, which is good, I guess."

"That's good," Percy said, not knowing what to say next.

"Physically, my cervix is bruised," Annabeth continued, and Percy tried not to think about the reason. "The nectar is wearing off, and I'm a little sore, between my legs, but that's nothing compared to the pain we've been through before."

"Emotionally, this might be our biggest challenge," Percy whispered. "Gods, Annabeth, are you okay?"

"No," Annabeth said, surprisingly calm. "I'm angry; at myself, at Jason, at the giants. I feel guilty and embarrassed and-and ashamed. I feel violated, and humiliated in ways that I never have before. I have no idea how I'm going to face Frank and Hazel, or gods, Piper. Not to mention Jason. I feel every ounce of teamwork we have fought for has been destroyed in an hour, and all I want to do right now is crawl into a hole and die. Hell, half of me wishes we were back in Tartarus."

Percy just wrapped his arms around her tighter, pressing his cheek to the top of her head when she rested it on his chest. Pain shot him in the heart to hear her say those things, and tears dripped down his cheeks as he cried with her.

"I'm so sorry, Annabeth," he whispered. "You are so strong."

"I love you," she murmured to him. "Gods, though, none of this pain compares to the panic I felt when we were apart. Never ever leave me again."

"I'll never leave you," he promised. "Never."

"Then I can get through this," she said, taking a shaky breath after a while. "If you're here, then I can heal."

….

Percy waited a couple minutes outside Jason's door. Annabeth was sleeping, now, and he'd made sure Frank was doing okay, and Leo didn't need anything. Zeus and Hera had left a couple hours ago, Zeus making sure Percy would keep his promise, and now Percy stood at the door. Maybe Jason would be asleep, and Percy could wiggle out of this for a few more hours.

"If you knock, he won't answer," Piper said behind him.

Percy turned, and he looked Piper right in the multi-colored eyes. They were bloodshot and swollen. Her hair was wet as if she'd just showered, after crying her eyes out, and then sobbing in the shower, and bawling after her shower. Percy didn't blame her. She'd just watched her boyfriend screw three other women the night after their first time.

"You should go in and talk to him, though," she encouraged. "I'm going to go bring Hazel some food. I'm sure Jason would appreciate you reaching out."

Jason was awake. Percy pushed the door open to see him sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at a picture on his wall. Percy had been in every single cabin except Jason's. Annabeth's was obvious, he was either in her cabin or she was in his every night. He and Frank liked to play cards in Frank's cabin when he was bored, and Hazel had shown him a few of her art projects when they had the rare free time. Leo had asked him to grab tools for him a couple times, and Percy was amazed at the amount of tools and mechanics Leo had shoved into his tiny bedroom. Weirdly enough, one time he, Annabeth, and Piper had played truth or dare on the floor of Piper's room one night when the storms were so bad that no one could sleep and the rest of them were on guard duty, or in Leo's case, trying to keep the Argo II in one piece. But Jason's? Never once.

He was Roman, so Percy wasn't surprised everything was neat. He was sure Jason probably had gotten beat or something for leaving his clothes on the floor. It was plain; everyone else's was a little personalized, but Jason's was empty except for a picture on the wall, the one Jason was staring at. It was a picture of Thalia. Luke and Annabeth were in there too, but Percy knew Jason was only looking at Thalia. His only family member.

"Keep a tight ship, huh?" Percy asked, nervousness building in his stomach as he sat beside Jason.

"Don't have much stuff to leave around," Jason murmured back, his eyes still fixated on the picture on the wall.

"She's still going to love you," Percy said gently. "Thalia never stops loving."

Jason gave a grim smile. "She leads a group of women who kill monsters and rapists. I may be on her next top wanted."

"You're not a rapist, man," Percy said. "You're a victim, too. We all know that."

"Why are you here, Percy?" It was a question said carefully, with that robot voice of Jason's, as if everything he said was calculated. He thought about everything he said or did, each word or action going through the senate in his mind to make sure it was the wisest, most strategic choice.

"Because your dad made me come in and talk to you," Percy answered honestly. He had a sinking feeling Jason could sense lies, so he figured he'd be honest. "I didn't want to. I told him Piper or Leo should talk to you. I wasn't trying to intrude, I swear, I know we're not very close."

Jason looked at him curiously. Percy then felt bad. What if Jason thought they were close? Gods, sometimes Percy could screw things up. He didn't think him and Jason were that close, for awhile they hadn't even gotten along! Then Jason laughed.

"Leo would never come talk to me," he said. "He does better with machines."

It was a bit awkward after that. Percy tapped his foot on the floor. Him and Jason had been doing better since getting back from Tartarus, if he'd been honest, he didn't really like Jason before. After Tartarus, him and Annabeth had agreed, Jason had kept the rest of them alive and in one piece, and they liked him a bit better for it. They'd gotten closer, hell, Percy had been the first one to know when Jason had lost his virginity, and now, they were here.

"Sorry about my dad," Jason said. "You, uh, you can leave if you want to. If he ever asks, I'll let him know you had a chat."

Percy looked at him, and when Jason blinked, he saw desolation in his eyes. A deep sadness.

"I'll be up for guard duty soon," Jason said. "I-I don't know how everyone feels about me. But Gaea still has to be defeated. We still have to finish. If I have to, I will split after, unless of course, we all die, but I have to finish. Besides, if it's to storm or fire, that gets Leo off the hook."

"What are you talking about?" Percy asked incredulously. "Are you talking about committing suicide?"

Jason gave him an annoyed glance. "Of course not, I'm just saying if it comes to either Leo or I, it might be easier for me."

"Like you wouldn't have sacrificed yourself before?" Percy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jason laughed. "Of course I would."

They sat in silence after that. Jason kept staring at Thalia. His foot tapped awkwardly after a while; and Percy contemplated on what to do.

"Jason, you're not a rapist," Percy said, and a weight fell out of his own heart.

He didn't want to admit that Annabeth was as enamored with Jason, magic or not, and in his heart it made him feel better if Annabeth was forced against her will. Which she had been, but so had Jason. In Percy's mind, it was just hard not to think every guy was attracted to Annabeth; she was beautiful, he assumed everyone knew that. He just didn't want to think about Annabeth being attracted to Jason. Maybe because Jason was attractive. He was taller than Percy, more muscular, and gods know, a much bigger cock. Watching Annabeth moan with pleasure, another man making her finish not once but twice, hadn't been great for Percy's ego.

But Jason mattered, too. He was a valuable part of the team, and they needed him. Jason was powerful, Daddy Zeus had given him many gifts, a huge dick, apparently, but lightning was helpful, and so was wind control.

"Thanks, Percy," he said, but Percy could tell he was faking it. "I appreciate you saying that."

"No, I mean it, man," Percy insisted. "I'm not going to pretend last night wasn't hard and painful for all of us, and I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I still want you as part of our team. I want you as my friend."

The words were forced, and Jason knew it. He raised his eyebrows at Percy. Percy winced. Usually he could fool people with his loyalty, but Jason was no fool. Annabeth had always told him that she'd been bothered how easily Jason got a read on her, and how not-so-easily she got a read on him. Percy suddenly felt that uneasiness.

"Percy," Jason started. "I'm sorry."

Percy turn to look into Jason's eyes and he saw the fires of Tartarus. He remembered Camp Jupiter, and everything everyone had said about Jason, and what Percy had built Jason up to be in his mind. At first, Jason had seemed like the hero who he was painted as-serious and calculating, a bit of a hotshot who always saved the day, a natural born leader who was always ready with an answer. After all, he was the prince of gods.

But even Reyna hadn't represented him well. Even Reyna didn't know him; she hadn't tried. She knew and loved the idea of him.

Now, the seven had been forced to know him-but only the shallow parts. He'd been on display for all of them to see him intimately. But it was the same surface level shit, the same way he'd always been judged. Jason Grace had been born to be neglected, even when he was in the spotlight.

"You've got nothing to be sorry for, man," Percy croaked, a tear falling down his cheek. "Fuck the giants."