The Life After Tartarus

Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Jason
"Where's Leo?" Percy asked.
"He's helping his dad create some kind of invention to help in the war." Reyna answered. Percy ran his fingers through his hair. We still had 4 more hours and none of us knew how to make a portal. Percy started pacing around the room. His ADHD kicking in. He led a war before so I didn't understand why he couldn't do it again. 'Because of Annabeth' I thought. Annabeth was by his side all the time. Annabeth and Percy worked together to lead people.
"Um why don't you guys just portal there." Walt asked.
"Because we can't just make portals like that. Jason and I were in Greece. But we had to come back here to gather troops. You can only kill a giant with a demigod and a god working together."
"Well how did you get here?" Sadie asked.
"By a portal..."
"Then why--"
"Because a god made that portal and that portal is only reopening in 4 hours. So much could happen..." Percy trailed off. I knew he was thinking about Annabeth. They were separated so many times already. I noticed ever since Percy came back from "being dead" he was a lot more Jumpy, as if everything around him was trying to kill him. I had a feeling he was scared of leaving Annabeth alone without his care. I was worried about Piper. I hope she and the others were all right. I also hoped whatever crazy thing Leo was making would help a lot.
"We can make a portal. Take some kids now. It will stay for about 30 minutes but---"
"That's great actually! Percy! We can send some people the others will be ok! Carter can you four go there and help? I don't know a lot about your powers but I'm sure they will help. Just find Annabeth or Piper. Annabeth has blonde hair and gray eyes. One of her siblings can help you find her. And Piper has choppy brown hair and wears tattered clothes and her eyes seem to be different colors but she's really beautiful and she smells like--"
"Hey I didn't get to describe how pretty Annabeth is so you don't get to do that about Piper." Percy exclaimed. The others laughed. We made up our plans and went back to the great hall where the demigods were still whispering about the mysterious teenagers. Percy stood on the Poseidon table and everyone immediately fell silent and gave him their undivided attention. It's amazing how Percy still has that affect on them even the Romans. As if he led both demigods. I was never able to get their attention that fast.
"Um hi. I'm Percy Jackson. But most of you already know that. You also know that there's a war going on in Mt. Olympus- the original one."
"I thought it didn't start yet." Clarrise said. She didn't seem scared more disappointed that the war started without her. I looked at Percy. He didn't seem mad that she interrupted.
"Well that was when we first came. Jason and Reyna recently Iris Messaged them and the war has started with only 4 demigods on our side. The portal only opens in 4 more hours. Luckily our friends here." He pointed to Carter and the others. "Can create a portal to get to Greece. It will open for 30 minutes and in that time we will be sending cabins there to fight. Jason and Nico will be associating you." Nico and I looked at Percy.
"Wait you never said anything about--" I started.
"I know." Percy said in a low voice. "But you guys need to be in the war. I have to stay."
"So let me stay to Percy. Send Reyna."
"No. I have to stay until the portal opens. Camp Half Blood is my home Jason. I need to escort them. An-And if you see Annabeth... Can you tell her to stay alive. Until I come?" I looked at Percy. He was scared. But why? Nico came and nodded at Percy. He then turned back to camp. "Ok I need half of Athena, Hephaestus, Ares, and Hermes. The same with the Romans. The other half will go with Percy. I will also need some Satyrs and nymphs who are willing to fight." The Greek demigods nodded and wen to get ready for battle helping each other strap themselves up.
"Why should we trust them?" Octavian exclaimed. Percy groaned.
"You're still here? I thought when I hit you against Thalia's tree you ran off."
"I am the leader of the Romans."
"No you're not. You can come if you want. Though I don't know how you're going to use your talent of murdering stuffed Animals to help in the war. I scared you don't have enough brain in that giant head of yours that you will probably thing Gaea is you grandmother and join her side. I do see the family resemblance though."
Percy hopped off the table and went off to his cabin. I turned back and saw that everyone was crowded around Carter. I walked toward them to help Nico getting everything under control.
"HEY! EVERYONE GET INTO TWO LINES! ONE BEHIND THE OTHER!" I yelled. They immediately obeyed and Carter thanked me.
"Right so I'm Carter Kane. This is my sister Sadie and these are my friends Walt and Jaz. We're magicians. Which means just like you guys follow the path of the Greek Gods we follow the path of the Eygptian Gods. But we aren't children of these gods we're more of Hosts. We can summon the power of the god that choose our body and help us in battle. We also use weapons and well magic. Walt here is going to make a portal to Mt. Olympus. Then we have to find Annabeth and Piper." The demigods all nodded their heads. Carter started explaining some more things while I went to Nico.
"Hey did you see that Percy was scared?" Nico nodded.
"It's because last time in the Titan War, Percy already fought Luke. The guy that was the host for Kronos. We knew what do to and where to start. Given Annabeth and Thalia's history with him and the multiple fights between Percy and Luke, though now when I think about it I wonder if it was I've the world or Annabeth? Anyways I helped Percy start the process of defeating Luke by going into his past and figuring out bits and pieces of why he's going against the gods. But this time we don't know anything. We don't know what we're up against. We only know myths and legends and we don't know who to trust and what to expect. Last time Kronos wasn't fully back because he was still in a mortal body. Luke Sacrifice himself before Kronos can burn away the mortal essence and saved everyone but this time if Gaea rises it's over. We can't look at gods in their natural form without burning up. That's why Percy's scared."
"Everyone stand back." Walt said as he started drawing a portal. Once the portal was done we saw Piper and Annabeth. They were covered in monster slime and dust and had a few cuts here and there but other than that they seemed fine.
"PIPER ANNABETH!" I yelled.
"They can't hear you. This is just showing us the location we will land at. Now who'll step first?" Walt asked.
I ordered the two lines of Demigods to walk through. I saw Annabeth and Piper turn and smile at the reinforcements. Annabeth still looked worried. Probably looking for Percy. I nodded at Walt as Nico and I stepped through the portal. Piper jumped on me and crushed me with a hug. After a few minutes Carter, Sadie, Jaz, and Walt stepped through.
"Who are you guys? I've never seen you before?" Annabeth said holding her weapons out. Carter put his hands up while Sadie studied her.
"Blond Hair and Grey eyes. You must be Annabeth. Percy told us about you."
Annabeth's face lightened up. "You guys know Percy? How? Is he here? Jason where is he?"
"Annabeth he's still at Camp. He has to escort the other campers." Her face fell just for a second before she put a brave face and turned to Carter. She was strong but in her eyes I saw the same amount of fear I saw in Percy's eyes.
"Explain." She said to Carter. Carter explained everything on how he met Percy and they worked together to stop an Egyptian beast. He explained what he is and what they do. He explained how Percy called him while they were at Camp. Annabeth nodded and turned back to the demigods waiting for her command. She looked tired but happy to see familiar faces.
"Ok we're going to separate you guys into the groups. Piper is in one group, Frank and Hazel is in one group, and I'm in one group. Now that Jason is here, he will accompany Piper..." She looked at me for approval an I nodded. She smiled but it wasn't real. She was waiting for a person to fight along with, preferably Percy.
"And Nico can accompany you in your group." I told Annabeth. Annabeth looked shocked but quickly nodded. I watched Annabeth break everyone into Groups she also put Walt, Sadie, and Carter in each of the groups while Jaz talked to some of the Apollo kids about healing techniques.
"Why did you pair me with Annabeth?!" I jumped.
"Holy Hera. Nico you really need to put a bell or something on you."
"Answer my question."
I shrugged. "She needed a partner."
"She needed Percy."
"And you're the closest to Percy at the moment?" I tried.
"What does that mean?!"
"Meaning that you two feel the same for Percy an so it's easier for you to connect with her." Nico looked at me for a second and then he punched me in the gut.
"OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!" I yelled.
"For earlier. When you practically announced my secret to the world. And I don't feel that way for Percy anymore. I've directed that towards Reyna. Percy and I are like brothers. And Annabeth doesn't know I had feelings for Percy."
"Well tell her then." Nico just shook his head and walked ahead to get to Annabeth.
"Hey." Piper came next to me. I smiled.
"Hey Pipes how's the war doing ya?" She shrugged. "It's fine. I'm just so tired. Annabeth said it's because it's my first war. But I could tell Annabeth is tired too. She refuses to sleep and is up all night making more battle plans. How was camp?"
"It was fine. We got them under control. Well except Octavian but I could care less about him. It was fun seeing all of my old friends again. I've regained my full memory so I remember all the fun." Piper just nodded and smiled but her eyes looked sad. I squeezed her hand. "Hey what's wrong?" She's looked at me with her different colored eyes. "Are-are you going back to Camp Jupiter?" I shook my head. "Why would you even ask me that?"
"Because Camp Jupiter has been your home since you were 3 and you have so many memories and friends there and you're their leader and there's Reyna..." Ah so that's what this was about. I stopped and looked at her, cupping her face in my hands. "Yea I have all of that at Camp Jupiter but there's one think I don't have. And that's you. I want to be wherever you are and if that means being stranded in the middle of Antarctica, so be it." She brought her face closer to mine and kissed me. I put my arms around her wait and pulled her closer to me as she put her arms around my neck. "Gosh guys! I thought I only had to tell Percy and Annabeth to get a room." We broke away and looked at Leo. He was shaking his head and grinning like Madman.
"You know I can't wait until you save Calypso, then we'll be the ones saying you guys need to get a room." I joked. Leo's face fell a little. "If I save her."
Piper put a hand on Leo's shoulder. "Hey you will save her ok? We're gonna win this war and you're going to figure out how to save her. Whether you journey on Festus or use some weird crystal thing I don't know abut you will find her." At that Leo's eyes lit up. I knew that look. It was the same look he got when he was around an unknown contraption of some sort.
"THE CRYSTAL!!! PIPER YOU ARE THE BEST! HONESTLY IF YOU WERENT DATING JASON AND I WASNT MADLY IN LOVE WITH CALYPSO I WOULD TOTALLY KISS YOU RIGHT NOW!" Leo started jumping up and down when Annabeth ran over to us.
"LEO! Did u finish your---why is he jumping around?"
"He found a way to save Calypso. He didn't explain but he's determined to start on the trip." Piper said.
"Wait you aren't going to fight? But Leo we need every demigod we can get right now!"
"I know Annabeth but I'm pretty sure you can do well without me besides in 3 hours Percy will be here. What if you fell in Love with Percy but he was forced to stay on an island where you can probably never see him again and then you found a way to get to him. Wouldn't you go?" Annabeth chewed on her bottom lip and started messing with her beaded necklace.
"Fine. But can you at least fight until Percy comes?" Leo nodded.
"Now how do you work these robot things?" Annabeth asked.
Leo explained a lot of mechanical and measurement stuff to Annabeth. Those two spoke a different language while we just stared at them with a blank face. Leo looked back at us.
"Ok so I'll dumb it up for you. Just push the red button-no one is color blind right?- and you command the robot to do whatever. They're powered with Demigod and Godly blood and--"
"Where did you get it from?!" Piper exclaimed.
Leo shrugged. "My dad and I. Anyways this way one of these things could kill a giant by itself. But we only made like 5 and Giants are pretty big so they could crush thing easily. So--"
"What is it made of?" I asked.
"Celestial Bronze... So it might cut them but they could easily crush it because of their size... NOW STOP INTERRUPTING! Anyways as I was saying. Since they can destruct easily don't use them until you absolutely need them. And I mean like every single demigod is dead need them." We all
nodded while we ran back to our groups and gave instructions. Then we all marched out where some of the giants were already fighting. I saw the gods fighting against the giants and Annabeth immediately sent two demigods: a roman and a Greek to help out. Annabeth took out her shield and looked at the battle scenes.
"It looks like every single entrance to Olympus is guarded by giants or monsters. I just wish we knew where they were coming from. Then we can cut the source and continue from there." She showed us where to go and we set off to fulfill this prophecy.

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Nothing Left To Say Now by Imagine Dragons on the side

art by viria

LOVETHAT SONG AND VIRIA! she should be the illustrator of these books we should start a petition :)