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Jason watched from the cliff above the water where they had taken a temporary break as Percy and Piper had a surfing competition. He would never tell Piper this but Percy beat her by a landslide.
The wind and water whipped through their hair leaving Piper's wet and messy. Percy's kept dry, being the son of the sea god and all, but it did look very windswept. The lopsided grin on his face, the messy "I don't care about my looks but they are automatically amazing" hair and his eyes that twinkled in the light made Percy look like the surfer guy that everyone stereotyped. He certainly didn't look like he could kill anything.
That's what confused Jason. Everyone he talked to said that Percy Jackson was the coolest, most amazing fighter there ever was. They always said that Percy had the strongest powers of any living half blood and his skill even rivaled that of the older heroes in the stories.
Camp Half Blood had accepted Jason sure, but he was constantly reminded that he was not Percy Jackson. It didn't make him angry, only curious and maybe a little bit jealous. But he was new to camp. The only roman that had probably ever stepped inside the borders and had essentially been the replacement of the almighty Percy Jackson. The only comforting thought he had was, "I bet Percy Jackson is having just as tough a time as I am here at the roman camp." But he was wrong. So wrong. Jason had come home only to find that Percy Jackson had taken his Praetor position in a single week. He didn't show it, but he was really upset. But then, Percy stepped down and gave the rank back to Jason without even batting an eye.
Jason knew that Percy Jackson was kind, loyal, selfless, funny and helpful, sure. But he didn't think he was particularly powerful. At least no more powerful than himself. Oh how wrong he was...
As he, Hazel, Frank, Leo and Annabeth sat on the rock watching the competition, they were truly relaxed. That can be dangerous for half-bloods, they realized too late. A sudden roar sounded from directly behind them.
Jason whipped around and was face to face with three enormous hellhounds. Out of the corner of his eye he was Annabeth reach for her dagger and then curse. Jason reached for his sword but it wasn't there. Then he remembered. All of them had left their weapons on the ship. It was so stupid now that he thought about it. Demigods always have to be prepared for a fight.
The hellhounds growled, inching forward slightly making the five half-bloods back up towards the surf one hundred feet below. Jason tried to call down a lightning bolt but he stopped himself. It could accidentally fry his friends as well as the hellhounds. And while, yay, the hellhounds were dead, five of the seven demigods would also be burned to a crisp. Plus, Piper could kill him for dying.
Without warning, the monsters lunged. Not read for an attack, the half-bloods jumped back on instinct. This would have saved them and it did. From the hellhounds. Now, they were plummeting quickly towards the waves below.
Seriously? Jason thought. This is how I die? Long live Jason Grace, falling from a cliff.
He was vaguely aware that he was screaming, but so was everyone else. He would have time to be embarrassed later when he was dead. He looked down and saw that he was only a few meters away from the water. Well, this is it, he thought and closed his eyes.
He wasn't dead.
Wait, what?
Jason opened his eyes and saw he was underwater. Around him were Annabeth, Frank, Hazel and Leo, all very much alive and all very much confused looking.
The next thing that registered was that Jason was breathing. He did a double check.
Under water?
Check.
Breathing?
Also check.
He looked around again and noticed that about three feet to his left, there was a blur in his vision. He couldn't see clearly. Then he realized he was being surrounded by an air bubble.
Before he had time to ask is he really was still alive, he found himself being pulled as if caught in the current. Which he actually was. Huh.
He and his friends were being dragged by the current. He trued to struggle but the ocean was powerful. Suddenly and quickly, he felt himself being lifted up. They broke the surface and were placed on top of a wave. With record speed, they rode the wave. And then they weren't. The water hill lowered them and Jason felt his feet hit solid ground, something he was grateful for. Now they were standing on the deck of the Argo II. Before Jason could ask what the heck kind of dream this was, Piper came running towards them. She launched herself into Jason's arms.
"Oh my gods! Are you okay?" she shrieked, half sobbing half laughing in relief.
Jason checked himself. Two arms, two legs. "I think so."
"What's going on? What happened? How are we not dead?" Leo asked rapidly.
Piper pointed. "Percy."
On top of the water, Percy had created a hurricane. It was huge. He stood on top of it level with the hellhounds that were still on top of the cliff. He held Riptide in his hands (right, it always returned to his pockets, Jason remembered) and was slashing at the dog like creatures. There were only two, meaning that he had already killed one. That was already scary enough until Jason saw his eyes.
They were dark green, swirling in the depths was a lighter blue. It was mimicking that massive hurricane that was supporting him. It was truly a terrifying sight.
Percy rose to the cliff and stepped onto it, still not dropping his wall of swirling water behind him. The monsters snarled and pounced but Percy rolled to one side, came up on one knee and slashed at its neck. The hellhound exploded into gold dust.
The third hellhound growled at the loss of its companions but this one seemed bigger, more experienced for a monster. Percy jumped but at the last second, rolled over the creature and swung his sword. It was an eye boggling move but the hellhound turned at the last second and swatted Percy out of the air.
"No!" Annabeth cried. It looked like the only thing keeping her from helping her boyfriend was the ocean between them.
Percy landed on a particularly sharp rock and yelled in pain. His sword clattered out of his hand, over the cliff and into the water. For a scary moment, Percy didn't move. But then, he stood up gingerly and winced as his left foot touched the ground. He lifted it again balancing on one foot. Jason didn't know what else to do. They were too far away. but Percy looked determined. In fact, his face was virtually terrifying.
He closed his eyes and a huge geyser of water shot up and solidified, encasing the hellhound in a sphere of water.
Then it began to steam. Jason realized what Percy was doing and gave an involuntary shudder. Percy was heating the water, drowning the hellhound in burning hot water. After a tense minute where Jason could see Percy's little energy waning, the monster exploded into gold dust.
With a heavy limp, Percy made his way to the edge of the cliff and jumped off. Jason gave a sharp gasp but he needn't have worried. Percy summoned a wave and landed in it, then sent himself at unimaginable speed to the ship.
Percy landed on deck and immediately threw a hand out. Roped started maneuvering everywhere, tying themselves to sails and hooks. Then, the ship started moving at impossible speed out and away from the rocky beach.
"There was a lot more coming," Percy explained tiredly. "Have to get away quickly.
If there was any word to describe how they were moving, it was quick. In about thirty seconds, the cliff they were just at had turned into a small dot on the horizon and only when it disappeared completely did Percy stop controlling the ship, letting the wind push the sails.
He turned around to the rest of them watching and was about to step towards them but the moment he raised his foot, his knees buckled and he collapsed on deck.
Annabeth ran up to him and hugged him.
"Percy, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," he said dismissively. He tried to push himself on his feet but gave a sharp intake of air. All the color left his face and he hit the deck again. "Actually, I think my ankle's broken." He grimaced and then sighed as if it were just a minor inconvenience. "I'm fine," he said again and Jason did not think he could have been any LESS fine. But Percy looked at the others. "You guys are okay right? Nobody's hurt?"
Jason thought it was amazing that Percy could be more worried about them when he had just saved all their asses back there. But he found himself nodding at the older boy's question.
"Yeah, thanks to you," Frank affirmed.
Percy let out a slow sigh of relief. "Then I'm just going to nap here," he said faintly as if the pain was just finally catching up to him.
While Annabeth tried to get him to wake up, Jason made a silent oath on the River Styx (apparently greeks did that) that he would never question Percy's Jackson's power ever again.