We must never give up the fight. The minute we do that, we have lost - Ezio Auditore

New Venice, California; 10 AM

A girl about sixteen, with piercing black eyes and glossy black hair worn in a single braid, having a regal and beautiful face of Hispanic descent, walks up to Jason Arc and asks, "What are you doing here in combat class if you aren't going to participate?"

"Well, mio caro," Jason began as smoothly as possible. "I was just waiting for someone to challenge me. And it seems like you just did."

"I didn't challenge you, erm..." the girl trailed off as Jason just smiled a little and said, "Jason, Jason Arc, and you are a Daughter of Bellona the Roman Goddess of War. This means you can either be Hylla Ramirez-Arellano or her sister, Reyna Ramirez-Arellano. Which one is it?"

"Reyna," the girl replied, her eyes narrowed. "But how did you know that?"

"That's my secret, Ms. Ramirez-Arellano," Jason replied with a smirk. "Now then, are we going to fight or just sit here and chat?"

"Meet me in the arena in ten minutes," Reyna said with narrowed eyes. "I'll show you who the superior fighter is and show you to respect your superiors."

"Yes ma'am," Jason said with a two-finger salute.

Ten minutes later, Jason was walking out of the boys' changing rooms and towards the arena, decked out in a white jacket with red insides and had a dagger and a sword strapped to his sides with a crossbow on his back. When he arrived, Reyna asked, "No armor?"

"Don't need it," Jason replied suddenly serious. "It slows me down enough that I can't really move that well. I'm used to being fast and agile, not slow. Besides, this has built-in protection. Enough to keep a sword, and a bullet, from doing too much damage."

Without warning, Reyna charged at the Assassin, and with reflexes greater than any other child of Mars/Ares, Athena, or Bellonna, Jason drew his blade and blocked her sword with his own.

"How did you...?" Reyna trailed off as Jason said, "I've been trained from the age of 5 to fight superior opponents, Ms. Ramirez-Arellano. You can't beat me with your level of experience."

Reyna glared at the Assassin and gave him an assault of attacks, only to have him either block or parry them with a calm expression on his face. Jason then smirked and said, "My turn."

And so, the hidden Assassin began to assault her in a flurry of attacks, so fast, that he was like a lightning strike. When he was done, he sheathed his sword and said, "Good luck next time, Daughter of Bellona."

As Jason was leaving, he caught sight of a girl about his age with dark crimson hair, hypnotic kaleidoscopic eyes, wearing a long-sleeved shirt, a pair of skinny jeans, and tennis shoes.

"Hello there," the girl said, her voice sweeter than honey. "I'm Piper the Goddess of True Love, Beauty, Visions, Weapons, and Illusions. What's your name?"

"J-Jason," Jason stuttered at the beautiful woman in front of him, even though he surprised himself by stuttering. "Jason Arc."

"Let me guess," Piper said with a kind smile. "Not quite used to seeing one with a beauty that matches mine?"

Jason shook his head and said, "No. No, I am not, Il mio amore. I can see that you are a beauty that defies all else on Earth."

Piper smiled and said, "You're sweet, but I can't be swayed by sweet words only, Mr. Arc. I'm not my mother after all."

Jason chuckled and said, "I can tell. Want to get some lunch with me?"

"Asking me out, Jason?" Piper asked as the hidden Assassin blushed. "Sure. We can get to know each other and maybe even become friends."

When they arrived at a restaurant not far from the school, Jason heard people whispering about his new friend.

"I-It's one of the Olympian Beauties."

"Why is she with him of all people?"

"He probably paid her to go out with him."

"Yeah most likely."

Piper then turned to glare at the ones who said the last two sentences and said, "If you all must know, we are just friends having lunch together. And if I hear one more comment about him paying me to hang out with him, I will make your love lives miserable."

Everyone nodded their heads so fast, Jason was afraid that they'd lose their heads.

"You sure know how to get everyone to shut up real quick," Jason said with a twitch of his lips. "But I'm not too surprised about their comments. I've had as many dates as Venus does in a year."

"So you're a player," Piper deadpanned.

"It's mostly girls who are after my family's money," Jason replied with a slight frown. "You see, the Arc Family is known as the richest mortal family in California. And since I'm the only male of 8, the inheritance is mine to receive. The consequence of that is that I am followed by practically every girl in school trying to get in my pants and into my family's money. That and I just talk to them and they ask me out."

"What do you do?" Piper asked.

"I just take them out and read them," Jason replied. "I've noticed that every girl, with the exception of you, is only after me to get into my pants and then my money."

"Then we have something in common," Piper said to the Assassin. "People think that just because my mom is Venus, I'm like her, and they try to get in my pants, but I show them that I'm not."

"I have a question for you, Piper," Jason said as their food was brought to them and they began to eat. "Why is it that you have the Domains of Weapons and Illusions?"

"I am an only child of Vulcan and Venus," Piper replied. "Since Father makes weapons, I guess the Fates deemed me worthy of the Domain of Weapons. As for Illusions? Well, Love makes you see things that aren't really there. It casts an Illusion over you."

"I can see it," Jason said after thinking about her Illusion domain.

After eating, Piper said, "Thanks for taking me out, Jason, I had fun talking to someone who wasn't trying to woo me."

"Same here," Jason replied with a small smile. "I hope to see you again, Piper."

"You just might, Jason Arc," Piper said as she watched him walk back towards his school. "You just might."