He knew this life was wrong, yet he always tried to be a good person. But the longer he spent in this room, inhaling smoke and the tang of alcohol, he felt as if he was becoming someone he couldn't recognise
////////////////////////////////////////////
////////////////////////////////////////////
Jason crossed his arms, standing in the back of the dingy, suffocating room. Music from the Cronos club next door broke through the silence, as the praetors and centurions of the fourth legion stared each other down across the table.
Jason's eyebrows furrowed as more puffs of smoke wafted over to where he stood, overseeing the poker game between his superiors. Chips tossed across the board, the shuffling of cards and the scent of whiskey had become a staple of his day.
Plucked straight from the fifth Barack, where he had spent most of his time working as a cyber security analyst, he was now locked in a room with intoxicated men and scantily clothed women hoping their partner would win big, and they would be compensated for their support.
However, supervising this activity was not his main purpose. No, it was selling his soul to the highest bidder.
Jason's task was to ensure that tempers never flared, or when they did, that the tension wouldn't escalate. All he had to do was ensure that the highest-ranking member won the game. And with a simple sleight of hand or suggestive look, it was an easy task...most of the time.
He hated it. He hated this whole damn organisation. But when he was approached by Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano to be the supervisor, he was not in a position to say no.
Because if he did disagree with the demands of his superiors, Jason would probably be dead In a ditch somewhere. Even if he wasn't, he didn't want to tempt fate and find out.
Octavian, the praetor of the fourth legion, was supposed to be the victor of the game. Having ensured his winning by paying handsomely to Reyna, who did give Jason some compensation.
Jason wanted to be a good soldier for the Titan army. It was all he'd known for a huge portion of his life. He had no family except his comrades, who weren't much of a family to begin with.
He knew this life was wrong, yet he always tried to be a good person. But the longer he spent in this room, inhaling smoke and the tang of alcohol, he felt as if he was becoming someone he couldn't recognise. He'd prayed for a miracle every day, yet none seemed to be heading his way. All he could do was dig himself deeper into this Hell.
Though today...today was a little better. The only reason Jason hated himself today, was because of the woman sitting on Octavian's lap. She didn't look happy to be there at all, but every time the praetor glanced at her, she plastered on a smile.
There was something about her...Jason had never seen a girl more beautiful. Her hair fell around her shoulders and she wore a tight black dress. She was like a breath of air in the suffocating room. Her eyes changed colour as they drifted across the space, almost bored as the game went on. They landed on Jason, confused when they found him staring at her.
Clearing his throat, Jason looked away. He couldn't afford to get distracted.
The game continued on. With a quick glance at Octavian, Jason managed to reveal his opponent's hand. Counting cards had become his speciality, it was simply statistical analysis anyway, what he had been trained for. The girl on his lap raised her eyebrows as if she saw that secret exchange.
"I fold," sighed a centurion named Julius, cashing out of the game upon receiving a phone call. He gave Jason a pointed glance before leaving the room, heading into the Bacchus bar through the adjoining room.
The game went on for a while longer, Octavian's hand the strongest. If it wasn't, Jason was sure to slip him the correct cards under the guise of pouring him a drink. The girl with kaleidoscope eyes, who noticed these exchanges, seemed quite amused
"BOSS," a voice screamed, barreling through the door towards the poker game.
Octavian, who looked annoyed, ushered the girl off his lap. She looked happy to oblige, grabbing a glass of whiskey as she darted to the corner of the room.
"Spit it out Arnold, what is it?!" Octavian drawled, taking a swing of his drink.
"It's...uh...a dozen of our men were taken out. Some are dead, some are just injured," Arnold Beefcake stuttered, clearly not enthusiastic about bringing this news to his superior.
"Fuck!" Octavian cursed, kicking the table over. Chips, drinks and cards flew across the room, raining down upon the crowd.
"Who was it?! Does Micheal know?" Octavian asked impatiently.
"Yes boss, he knows. He actually sent to me tell you," Arnold explained.
Octavian scowled, "And who attacked? Was it another insurgent group?"
"No sir...it was Annabeth Chase...and some dude," Arnold lowered his head.
Octavian looked livid, ready to explode. He cursed for almost a minute, saying things that would probably break some law.
Jason tried to decipher his feelings. Of course, Octavian's men were the most despicable out of the whole Titan army. And having a few of them killed was probably a good thing for the planet.
He knew who Annabeth Chase was. She was Luke Castallen's sister. He'd seen the centurion at a few poker games before and heard of the way he murdered a man who spoke ill of his sister just a day or so ago.
But should he be rejoicing at death? A year ago, when he was in the 5th barrack, he would have never thought the news of demise would have him satisfied. Moving to this barrack did nothing for his sense of good and bad.
He glanced over at the girl, who made no effort to hide her emotions. She was grinning, as if she'd murdered those men herself. It was unbridled, and Jason found himself wondering what was going through her mind.
"Screw that bitch!" Octavian howled, stalking out of the room, and cursing some more. His men scrambled out the door behind him, tossing a longing glance towards the upturned poker table. The women soon filtered out too, some grabbing whatever cash was floating around the room.
Jason sighed in relief as the game came to an abrupt halt. He turned on the fan, the smoke-laden air dissipating slowly as he began propping the table back up.
"You were staring," came a voice from behind him.
Jason turned to see the girl with kaleidoscope eyes, her gaze sweeping over him like a cat's.
"Sorry..I...I..really didn't mean to, Miss," Jason stuttered, mentally slapping himself for having made her uncomfortable, "I was focused on the game and-"
"And..cheating?" she raised an eyebrow.
She laughed at Jason's defeated expression, moving closer, and propping up a chair.
"Relax, I know how these things work," she grinned.
"Sorry...I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Jason apologised, fixing up the table with her beside him.
"You didn't, surprisingly," the girl shrugged, "Though it's hard to feel uncomfortable when you've never felt comfort."
Jason blinked.
The girl extended her arm, "Piper McLean. And you are?"
"Jason Grace," he shook her hand. Sparks tingled across his skin at the touch.
"Well Jason," Piper replied, "I just wanted to say. Next time you hear about murder, don't look so shocked. It makes you seem weak."
"And grinning is noble?" He raised an eyebrow, as she let go of his hand.
Piper shrugged, "None of us are noble here. Those men got what they deserved."
Jason opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him off.
"Don't tell me you thought they were good?"
"Of course not," he retorted.
"Then, it doesn't matter. Who cares," she replied nonchalantly.
She checked her watch after it let out a little buzz, "Ah..well..bye Jason. I have work to do. Can you clean this up yourself?" she asked
"Sure, no problem. Have a nice day?" Jason asked.
Piper looked just as confused as he did, "Uh..sure. Have a nice day too," and disappeared.
After a few minutes of silence, Jason rang for a maid to clean up the mess, and a woman who he recognised as Hazel Levesque appeared. She was usually the one to clean up this mess, and Jason got used to her silent presence.
They spoke quite rarely, they seldom had the need to communicate. Hazel simply understood what to do whenever she entered the dark room, nestled between the walls of the Bacchus Bar and Cronos Club. And it was easy that way.
Leaving Hazel to clean and lock up, Jason headed straight to the Bacchus Bar. Another terrible habit he'd picked up since he began working in the second legion.
But today, he didn't go in. His mind was racing with thoughts of Piper, his waning conscience, and the next game of poker he'd have to supervise.
So instead of heading to the bar, he did the one thing which made him happy. Something that had re-ignited his soul. He picked up some food and headed straight to the alley behind the bar.
He passed through the roads until he came upon a clearing beside the alley, and that's when he saw them.
Bianca and Nico were sitting on some steps, playing a round of mythomagic, Nico's favourite and only game.
Jason had met them around a month ago and made sure to bring the food every night. It was weighing heavy on him, knowing that there were children alone on the streets in a world of danger. It scared him each time to leave them alone, and today, he decided to do something about it.
"Nico, Bianca," he called, waving the bag of takeout, "Would you like some dinner?"
"Jason!" Nico grinned, bouncing off the stairs as he hugged Jason's legs, giving him a toothy smile as he pulled back, "Guess what! I won against Bianca!"
"Only cause I let you," the girl pouted, appearing behind her brother. She placed her hands protectively on his shoulders.
"I brought a salad, and some French fries," Jason smiled, "you only get the fries if you eat the salad."
"That's not fair!" Nico stomped his foot.
"Just be grateful, Nico," Bianca chided. She turned to Jason with a smile, "Thank you, Jason."
"It's no problem," he promised, waving towards the stairs, "sit down."
The children sat on the stairs, eager looks on their faces as Jason squeezed some sanitiser on their tiny hands, before letting them scarf down their meals.
Watching them eat tugged at his heart. Jason had come to view Bianca and Nico as his siblings. He had no family anymore and being with them...watching them laugh and play... made him happy.
"I...have an idea I wanted to run by both of you," Jason said carefully, looking at Bianca. She was overtly protective of Nico, and easily spooked when she thought they were in trouble.
It had taken him a long time to earn their trust. And he didn't want to lose it.
"What is it?" Bianca asked.
"Why don't you both...come stay with me? I have a little apartment, and I'm out most of the day so it'll just be the both of you. It's safer than being on the streets," Jason paused, watching Nico's eyes widen.
"-I have a little money now, and we can enrol you in school soon. You can be with kids your age. And I have a TV you can watch, I'm sure you both will love all the cartoons," he stopped, watching Bianca start shaking quietly.
"Bianca," he said softly, regret piercing through him like a javelin to the heart. It was too soon, he shouldn't have brought it up.
"It was just a suggestion. I promise I'll never hurt you. I just don't want you on the streets I-" Jason blinked, realisation dawned on him.
The girl was not shaking, she was crying. He waited for her response, her brother sat equally as silent. He always listened to his sister.
"Would you really do that for us?" Bianca asked, her voice shaky as she finally looked up at Jason.
"Of course...you're like family to me, Bianca. I want you both to be safe and happy," Jason smiled, watching Nico light up as he watched his sister.
"Does that mean?" the boy squeaked.
"Yes, Nico," Bianca nodded, patting her brother's head. She beamed at Jason, "Yes. We would love to stay with you, Jason."
Relief flooded Jason, as Nico came to hug him. He held the tiny boy in his arms as Bianca wiped her eyes, smiling wider than he'd ever seen before.
Life had not been fair to these two children, but he would be. He promised himself.
He could afford to take care of them now. Even had a place for them to rest their heads. The only good thing about Reyna's deal was that he'd been allocated a two-bedroom apartment a few blocks away from the Bacchus Bar, where he'd been staying alone for a year.
Moreover, he'd never spent a dime of the commissions Reyna offered him. Never wanted that black money in the first place, didn't need it either.
But now...he could use it to do some good. To give Bianca and Nico a better life, a proper home. He could use it to keep them safe.
"Finish up your dinner, and let's go home," Jason smiled, releasing Nico from the hug.
The boy giggled, running to hug his sister. He shrieked some words in Italian before inhaling his meal.
Soon, the two children arrived at their new home, eager-faced and anxious as they settled into the apartment.
That night, for the first time in a long time, Jason Grace went to sleep with a smile on his face. Perhaps he could be a good person after all. He would try his hardest at least.
//////////////////////////////////////////////
Well...I wrote this chapter and thought why not post it, instead of waiting for Thursday
Sooo here's the chapter. Don't hate it
Any suggestions for the story?
(Posted: 10-11-2023 — 8:16am)
Stay tuned!!!
—S