━━ chapter seven
jason goes overkill...
( piper )

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    ━━Piper's life had taken a drastic turn in the past few hours. When everything was fine, she had finally gotten Jason to kiss her, and she was holding hands with him on a trip to the Grand Canyon, suddenly he didn't remember her. Not just that, but all of the memories she had of him were fake, her father's whereabouts were seriously getting on her nerves (she was starting to think her dream was actually real) and on top of all of that, she's now a demigod who passed out because some goddess decided to give her a visit (Hera?) and ask to be freed from her prison. 

     She doesn't know how she hasn't just fallen down and wept. She cried in front of Annabeth (which was embarrassing), but Piper really just wanted to hide away where no one can see her and scream. She didn't want to make it seem like the universe has made everything unfair for her, but there was a part of her that selfishly whispered: no one knows what I'm going through. She hated that part, but some of it was true. Because no one did know how much this dream was tormenting her, or how much her father's whereabouts was sending her crazy. And the worst part about it was that she couldn't tell them. And how could she? If it was true, how could she explain to her dearest friends that she had to lead them to their deaths? Their gruseome, horrible deaths. And it all started with the storm spirits on the bridge. It was playing out before Piper like one of her father's movies. Except her father didn't save everyone in the end, and she most definitely couldn't. It would be the worst ending ever, and it would be on her conscience. 

    And now, staring at the campfire in front of her, all she could see was the huge purple bonfire in the dreams and her father tied to a stake. 

    She shivered, even though it wasn't cold.

    Her father.

    Piper had always had a tough relationship with her father. He was a movie star━a busy one. And she was the girl craving for the attention he couldn't give her. And so she stole, and got in trouble, and screamed for attention that ended up in fights and conversations of, Piper, I'm disappointed. And now, her father was in terrible danger; dying (or maybe already even dead).

    Don't cry, Piper, she growled to herself amongst the singing Apollo kids. Focus on something else.

    On what? Her mind wept back. 

    Automatically, her gaze searched the amphitheatre for her friends. She spotted Savreen amongst a bunch of crazy-grinning, mischevious looking campers, and Piper wondered whether she could ask to get her away from there. Sav must hate being around those type of people. And in the firelight, Piper could see her awkwardly sitting, clutching onto the pockets of her denim jacket as if scared they'll steal something from her. Leo was sitting with a bunch of burly-looking campers under a steel grey banner emblazoned with a hammer. He was searching the crowd, too, probably for Savreen. Piper wanted them to get together. She had an entire plan with Jason ... her gaze found the blonde boy sitting in between Annabeth and Claire. 

     Piper wondered whether that conversation had ever happened, or whether she had just made it up in her head? 

    That messed with her head, and her heart, realising that these feelings she grew for a boy━strong feelings, were fabricated by something. This Mist. She had fallen for a boy who never existed; or the ghost of a boy; a puppet on strings made to distract her from the truth. And yet Piper still ached to sit next to him, to feel her hand in his. How pathetic was she? 

    Piper, do you even know his last name? Annabeth had asked.

    The flames of the campfire changed due to the energy around them. It must've felt Piper's, because it was a vibrant gold; she felt like a dull, mournful blue. 

    Finally, the stupid songs finished with a lot of rowdy applause. A guy on a horse trotted up━or rather, what Piper had considered at first thought. Soon, she realised that wasn't the case; at all. It was a centaur. A figure with the bottom half of a white stallion, and the top of a middle-aged guy with curly hair and a trimmed beard. He brandished his spear of toasted marshmallows. "Very nice! And a special welcome to our new arrivals. I am Chiron, camp activities director, and I'm happy you have all arived here alive and with most of your limbs attatched. In a moment, I promsie we'll get to the s'mores, but first━"

    "What about capture the flag?" somebody yelled. Grumbling broke out amongst a group of kids in armour, sitting under a red banner with the symbol of a boar's head. 

    "Yes," sighed the centaur. "I know the Ares cabin is anxious to return to the woods for our regular games."

    "And kill people!"

    "However," said Chiron, "until the dragon is brought under control, that won't be possible. Cabin Nine, anything to report on that?" he turned to Leo's group. Leo found Piper in the crowd and winked, shooting her a finger gun. She smiled slightly, her mood brightening. Then she remembered her dream, and she was back to her dull blue. 

    The girl next to Leo stood uncomfortably. "We're working on it," she said.

    There were more grumbling.

    "How, Nyssa?" an Ares kid demanded.

    "Really hard," the girl answered before sitting back down to a lot of yelling and complaining. The fire sputtered. Chirons tamped his hoof against the fire pit stones━bang, bang, bang━and the campers all fell silent. 

    "We will have to be patient," Chiron told them sternly. "In the meantime, we have more pressing matters to discuss?"

    "Percy?" someone asked. 

    The fire dimmed, but Piper didn't need it to tell the entire camp had gone sullen. This Percy must be someone extremely important for the whole camp to have this much anxiety over his disappearence. 

    Chiron gestured to Claire. She stood up, her fingers fiddling with the key-necklace danging just past her camp shirt collar. Piper saw something shine with it; a crimson sea-shell. Her fingers fixed around it, holding onto it tight. She took a deep breath. "I━I didn't find Percy," she announced, her voice cracking slightly. "He wasn't at the Grand Canyon like I thought. But we're not giving up," she added, but she sounded far more like she was reassuring herself more than anyone else. "Grover, Tyson, Cain, Nico, Annabeth and I, the Hunters of Artemis━everyone's out looking. We will find them. Chiron's talking about something different. A new quest."

    "It's the Great Prophecy, isn't it?" a girl called out.

    Everyone turned to the voice; amongst a group in the back, settled under a rose-coloured banner with a dove emblem. They had been chatting amongst themselves and not paying attention until now, when their leader stood up: Drew.

    Of course, it would be Drew.

    Everyone looked surprised. Apparently Drew didn't address the crowd often. (Why is Piper even suprirsed).

    "Drew?" Clare frowned up at her. "What do you mean?"

    "Well, come on," Drew spread out her pretty hands like the truth was obvious. "Olympus is closed. Percy's disappeared. Hera sends you a vision and you come back with four new demigods in one day. I mean, something weird is going on. The Great Prophecy has started, right?"

    Piper whispered to Rachel next to her, "What's she talking about━the Great Prophecy?"

    Then she realised everyone else was staring at Rachel, too. 

    "Well?" Drew called down. "You're the Oracle. Has it started or not?"

    Rachel's eyes looked very scary all of a sudden in the firelight. Piper tensed. She was afraid she might clench up and return to the freaky voice that had spoken to her before, but she just stepped foward. With a calm voice, she addressed the crowd. "Yes," she said. "The Great Prophecy has begun."

    What followed was something not far off from chaos. 

    Amongst it all, Piper caught Jason's eye. He mouthed, You all right? She nodded and maaged a smile, but then looked away quickly. She swallowed down the bile in her throat. God, this was awkward.

    (Or should Piper start saying Gods? Oh, she doesn't even know).

    When the talking finally fell away, Rachel took another step to the audience. Fifty-plus demigods all leaned away from her. "For those who have not heard it," said Rachel, "the Great Prophecy was my first prediction. It arrived in August. It goes like this:

       "Ten half-bloods shall answer the call.
     To storm or fire the world must fall.

     Only can fear guide harmony in acceptance,
     or face true mournful, chaotic disceprance━"

    Jason shot to his feet. His eyes look wild, like he had just been tasered. 

    Even Rachel was caught off guard. "J━Jaosn?" she said. "What's━?"

    "Ut cum spirity prostrema sacramentum dejuremus," he chanted. "Et hostes ornamenta adden ad ianuam necem."

     Piper did not make a pretty face. She━much like everyone else at the campfire━stared at Jason in complete shock. Her mouth hang open. She never knew Jason could speak Latin (yes, she knows it's Latin)━then a shock hit Piper: you don't even know this Jason at all. 

    "You just ... finished the prophecy," breathed Rachel in a stammer. "━An oath to keep with a final breath, And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. How did you━?"

    "I know those lines," Jason's hands flew to his temple, wincing. "I don't know how, but━but I know that prophecy."

    "In Latin, no less," called out Drew in a sultry purr. "Handsome and smart."

    Her siblings from the Aphrodite cabin giggled. What a bunch of losers, Piper thought. I'm glad I'm not with them. Their laughter didn't do much to break the tension. The campfire was burning a noxious shade of green. 

   Jason sat down, looking embarassed. Annabeth placed a hand on his shoulder and muttered something reassuring. Piper hated how she felt a pang of jealously. She should be sitting there next to him, comforting him; the Jason she was supposed to know, and like, and find really cute with all of his smarts and yet severe hopelessness. But Piper had to keep reminding herself. This was not that Jason. 

    Rachel Elizabeth Dare still looked a little shaken. She glanced at Chiron for guidance, but the centaur stood grim and silent, as if he were watching a play he couldn't interrupt━a Greek tradgey that ende with a lot of dead people onstage. 

    I feel you, Piper thought bitterly to herself. 

    "Well," Rachel tried to regain her compsure, squareing her freckled shoulders. "So, yeah, that's the Great Prophecy. We hoped it might not happen for years, but I fear it's starting now. I can't give you proof. It's just a feeling. And, like Drew said, some weird stuff is happening. The ten demigods, whoever they are, have not been gathered yet. I get the feeling some are here tonight. Some are not here."

    The campers began to stir and mutter, looking at each other nervously. Out of nowhere, a drousy voice called out, "I'm here! Oh ... were you calling roll?"

    "Go back to sleep, Clovis!" someone yelled in the laughter that followed.

    "Anyway," Rachel continued, and the tone returned sullen, "we don't know what the Great Prophecy means. We don't knwo what challenge the demigods face, but since the first Great Prophecy predicted the Titan War, we can guess the second Great Prophecy will predict something at least that bad."

    "Or worse," Chiron murmured.

    Piper wondered whether that had been really necessary. 

    "What we do know," said Rachel, "is that the first phase has begun. A major problem has arisen, and we need a quest to solve it. Hera, the queen of the gods, has been taken."

    Shocked silence. Piper remembered the voice she heard in the goddess's cabin. She shivered again. Fifty demigods started talking at once. Chiron pounded his hoof again. Once Rachel had everyone's attention again, she explained what had happened at the Grand Canyon━about how Coach Hedge had sacrificed himself when the storm spirits attacked. Piper's gaze fell. She had never liked the coach, but to think that he could be dead ... something clawed at her chest. He had died to help them. She went onto explain Piper's vision in Hera's Cabin (she tried to keep a straight face at this, but her blood boiled at Drew who pretended to faint with her sisters), and her message to Jason. 

    Bow to his will, and their king shall rise, dooming us all. Hera had warned Piper. 

    (And she was back to wanting to scream).

    "Jason," Rachel said. "Um ... do you remmeber your last name?"

    He looked self-conscious, shaking his head stiffly.

   "We'll just call you Jason, then. It's clear Hera herself has issued you a quest."

    Piper wondered how Jason could just sit there, set his jaw and nod; brave and determined, "I agree," with everyone's eyes and pressure on him. 

    "You must save Hera to prevent a great evil," went on Rachel. "Some sort of king from rising. For reasons we don't yet understand, it must happen by the winter solstice, only four days from now."

    "That's the council day of the gods," said Annabeth. "If the gods don't already know Hera's gone, they will definitely notice her absence by then. They'll probably break out fighting, accusing each other of taking her. That's what they usually do."

    "The winter solstice," Chiron spoke up, "is also the time of greatest darkness. The gods gather that day, as mortals always have, because there are strength in numbers. The solstice is a day when evil magic is strong. Ancient magic, older than the gods. It is a day when things ... stir."

   The way he said it made Piper's skin crawl. Her breath hitched, thinking of the giant in her dream, and her father at the stake. 

   "Okay," grumbled Claire, glaring at the centaur. "Thank you, Captain Optimism. Whatever's going on, I agree with Rachel. Jason has been chosen to lead this quest, so━"

   "Why hasn't he been claimed?" somebody yelled from the Ares cabin. "If he's so important━"

    "He has already been claimed," Chiron announced. "Long ago. Jason, give them a demonstration."

    At first, Jason seemed unsure on what he wanted him to do. But Piper had an idea. She had seen him on that skywalk. And while she didn't know who this Jason was, she knew one thing; he was a hero, and very brave. As he stepped forward, his eyes found her, and she was a little surprised. But she ended up mimicking flipping a coin. 

    He reached into his pocket. His coin flashed in the air, and when he caught it in his hand, he was holding a lance━a rod of gold about seven feet long with a spear tip at one end. The other demigods gasped. Rachel, Annabeth and Claire stepped back to avoid the point. 

   "Wasn't that ...?" Annabeth hesitated. "I thought you had a sword."

    "Um, it came up in tails, I think," said Jason. "Same coin, long-range weapon form."

    "Dude, I want one!"

   "Yeah! Better than Clarisse's electric spear, Lamer!"

    "Electric..." murmured Jason at the Ares childrens' words, like that was a good idea. "Back away..."

    Annabeth, Rachel and Claire got the message. Jason raised his javelin, and thunder broke open the sky. Every hair on Piper's arms stood straight up. Lightning arced down through the golden spear point and hit the campfire with the force of an artillery shell━CRACK!

    When the smoke cleared, and the ringing in Piper's ears had subsided, the entire camp sat frozen in shock. Cinders rained down everywhere. Jason lowered his lance, sheepish. "Um ... sorry..."

    Chiron brushed some burning coals out of his beard. He grimaced as if his worst fears had been confirmed. "A little overkill, perhaps, but you've made your point. And I believe we know who your father is."

    "Jupiter," said Jason. "I mean, Zeus. Lord of the Sky."

    Piper felt herself smile with a breath of awe. It made sense. Not just in the way that Jason screamed son of the King of all gods in his golden glory. But he had flown them right up out of the canyon, saving her life. 

    All though, the rest of the camp wasn't so sure. Everything broke into choas, with dozens of people asking questions until Annabeth raised her arms.

    "Hold it!" she snapped. "How can he be the son of Zeus? The Big Three ... their pact not to have mortal kids ... how could we not have known about him sooner?"

   Chiron didn't answer. Piper had the feeling he knew. She pursed her lips. 

    "The important thing is," said Rachel, "is that Jason's here now. He has a quest to fulfil, which means he will need his own prophecy."

    She closed her eyes and swooned. Two campers rushed forward and caught her. A third ran to the side of the ampitheatre and grabbed a bronze three-legged stool, like they'd been trained for this duty. They eased Rachel onto the stool in front of the ruined hearth. Without fire, the night was dark and cold, and Piper could shiver without feeling out of place. Green mist started to swirl around Rachel's feet, and Piper's eyes widened. When her eyes opened, they glowed like torches. Emerald smoke issued from her mouth. The voice that came out wasn't her own, but one much older; raspy and ancient.

      "Child of lightning, beware the earth,
     the giant's revenge, the ten shall birth,
     the forge, the dove and their harmony shall break the cage,
     and death unleash through Hera's rage."

    On the last word, Rachel collapsed, but her helpers were ready to catch her. They carried her away from the hearth and laid her to rest. 

    "Is that normal?" Piper asked. Then, she realised she had spoken into the silence, and everyone was now looking at her. Oh, great. "I mean ... does she spew green smoke a lot?"

    "Gods, you're dense!" sneered Drew. "She just issued a prophecy━Jason's prophecy to save Hera! Why don't you just━"

    "Drew," Claire snapped, shooting the girl a sharp glare. "Piper asked a fair question. Something about that prophecy isn't normal. Like━if breaking Hera's cage unleashes her rage and cause a bunch of death ... why would we free her? It might be a trap, or━or maybe Hera will turn on her rescuers. She's never been kind to heroes."

    Jason rose. "I don't have much choice. Hera took my memory. I need it back. Besides, we can't just not help the queen of the heavens if she's in trouble."

    Claire looked like she'd be pretty happy with that. Annabeth tilted her head as if to say, Well...

     Nyssa stood up from the Hephaestus cabin again. "Maybe. But you should listen to Claire. Hera can be vengeful. She threw her own son━our dad━down a mountain just because he was ugly."

    "Real ugly," snickered someone from Aphrodite.

    "Shut up!" growled Nyssa. "Anyway, we've also got to think━why beware the earth? And what's the giants' revenge? What are we dealing with here that's powerful enough to kidnap the queen of the heavens?"

    No one answered, but Piper noticed Annabeth, Claire and Chiron having a sient exchange. Piper thought it went along the lines of:

    Annabeth: the giants' revenge ... no, it can't be.
    Chiron: Don't speak of it here. Don't scare them.
    Claire: Wait, should I know about this? 
    Annabeth: You're kidding me! We can't be that unlucky.
    Chiron: Later, child. If you told them everything, they would be too terrified to proceed.
    Claire: I really feel like I should know about this. Annabeth, tell me.

    Piper knew it should be impossible to read their expressions so well━three people she barely knew But she was absolutely positive she understood them, even the, later, Annabeth sent Claire afterwards, and it scared her. Almost as much as her dream.

    Annabeth took a deep breath, "It's Jason's quest," she announced, "so, it's Jason's choice. Obviously, he is the child of lightning. According to tradition, he may choose any two companions."

   "In this case," said Claire, still frowning, "I think he needs to choose three. Forge, dove and harmony are mentioned."

    The boy sitting next to Savreen stood up and yelled, "Well, you, obviously, Claire, or Annabeth. You've got the most experience."

    "No, Travis," she said, shaking her head. "First off, I'm not helping Hera. No way. And secondly, Annabeth, Cain and I are leaving first thing in the morning to find Percy."

    "It's connected," burted out Piper before she could stop herself. "You know that's true, don't you? This whole business, your boyfriend's disappearence━it's all connected."

   "How?" demanded Drew. "If you're so smart, how?"

    Piper tried to form an answer, but she couldn't. She flushed. Luckily, Claire stepped in, "You may be right, Piper. If this is connected, Annabeth, Cain and I'll find out from the other end━by searching for Percy. As I said, I'm not about to rush off to rescue Hera, even if her disappearence sets the rest of the Olympians fighting again. But there's also another reason we can't go. The prophecy says otherwise."

    "It says who I pick," Jason agreed. "The forge, dove and their harmony shall break the cage. The forge is the symbol of Vul━Hephaestus."

    Under the Cabin Nine banner, Nyssa's shoulders slumped, like she' djust been given a heavy anvil to carry. "If you have to beware the earth," she said, "you should avoid travelling overland. You'll need air transport."

    "I would offer my dad's chariot," then said Claire, "but after breaking it, I think I might be grounded from it for a little while..."

    "And the pegesi are being used to search for Percy," continued Nyssa. "But maybe Hephaestus cabin can help figure out something else to help. With Jake incapacitated, I'm senior camper. I can volunteer for the quest."

    She did not sound enthusiastic.

    Then, out of nowhere, Leo stood up. He had been so quiet, Piper had almost forgetten he was there. "It's me," he said. His cabinmates stirred. Several tried to pull him back to his seat, but Leo resisted. "No, it's me. I know it is. I've got an idea for the transportation problem. Let me try. I can fix this!"

    Piper saw Savreen in the crowd, her eyes wide and looking back and forth between Leo and Jason, terrified. 

    Jason studied Leo for a moment. Then, he smiled. "We started this together, Leo. Seems only right you come along. You find us a ride, you're in."

   "Yes!" Leo pumped his fist. 

    "It'll be dangerous," warned Nyssa. "Hardship, monsters, terrible suffering. Possibly none of you will come back alive."

    "Oh," suddenly, Leo didn't look so excited. Then he remembered everyone was watching. "I mean ... Oh, cool! Suffering? I love suffering! Let's do this!"

    Annabeth nodded. "Then, Jason, you need to choose your third and fourth quest member. We ..." she gazed unsurely at the crowd, then Chiron. "We don't have a child of Harmonia here. Maybe you'll meet up with someone else on your quest, or ..." her gaze settled on the Hermes cabin. Piper could see Savreen staring intently at her fingers. Annabeth pursed her lips, but continued nonetheless. "However, we do have the dove━"

    "Oh, absolutely!" Drew was on her feet and flashed a smile. "The dove is Aphrodite, everybody knows that. I am totally yours."

    Piper's hands clenched. She stepped forward. "No."

    Drew rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, Dumpster girl. Back off."

    "I had the vision of Hera; not you. I have to do this."

    "Anyone can have a vision," said Drew. "you were just at the right place at the right time," she turned to Jason. "Look, fighting is all fine, I suppose. And people who build things ..." she looked at Leo in disdain. "Well, I suppose someone has to get their hands dirty. But you need charm on your side. I can be very persuasive. I could help a lot."

    The campers began to murmur, agreeing about how Drew was pretty persuasive. Piper could see her winning them over, and even Chiron was scratching his beard. 

    "Well ..." Annabeth said. "Given the wording of the prophecy━"

    "No!" Piper's voice sounded strange in her ears and different on her tongue━rich, like honey. "I'm supposed to go."

    That was when the weirdest thing happened. People started to agree with her. Drew looked around, incredulous at their nodding. Even some of her own siblings were leaning to Piper's declaration.

     "Get over it!" she snapped. "What can Piper do?"

    Piper went to respond with something snarky, but her confidence wavered. What could she do? Nothing, really. She wasn't a fighter, nor was she a planner, or a fixer━she had no skills except getting into trouble and asking people to give her things (that she then just gave back). But she knew she had to go on this quest, for more reasons than one.

    Do our bidding, and you may walk away alive.

    "Well," Drew was smug, "I guess that settles it━"

    Her words were cut off by a collective gasp. Every camper stared at Piper like she had just exploded. She glanced down to check whether she was still intact, and yelped.

    Her clothes ... what it the world? What was this? A dress? She hates dresses! They get in her way, she can't run in them, or do anything in them. But now, all of a sudden, she was adorned in a beautiful white sleeveless gown that went down to her ankles with a V-neck so low it was totally embarassing. Piper immediately covered it up, flinging her arms in front of her chest. She felt exposed; with so many eyes staring at her and Drew seething like she had just made things even more personal. Piper's breath hitched at the delicate gold armbands that circled her biceps; delicate designs of damber, coral and gold flowers glittered on her chest from the necklace, and her hair ...

    "Oh, god," she whimpered. "What's happened?"

    A stunned Annabeth pointed at Piper's dagger, which was now oiled and gleaming, hanging at her side on a golden cord. Piper didn't want to draw it; she was scared of what she would see. But her curiosity won. She took out Katropis and used it as her original owner had; a looking glass to see her reflection in the polished metal blade. Her hair was perfect: lush and long and chocolate brown, braided with gold ribbons down one side so it fell across her shoulder. She even wore makeup, better than Piper would ever know how to do herself━subtle touches that made her lips cherry red and brought out all the different colours in her eyes.

    She was ... she was━

    "Beautiful!" exclaimed Jason. "Piper, you ... you're a knockout!"

    Under different circumstances, Piper's heart would leap right out of her chest. But, right now, staring at herself in the bronze of her dagger, Piper didn't like what she saw. She wanted to throw it away. Yeah, she was beautiful; but she wasn't her. 

    Drew's face was full of horror, "No!" she cried. "Not possible!"

   "This isn't me," Piper couldn't bear to look at herself any longer. "I don't━I don't understand!"

    But Chiron just folded his front legs and bowed to her, and all the campers followed his example.

    "Hail, Piper McLean," Chiron announced gravely, as if speaking at her funeral. That didn't make her feel better, at all. "Daughter of Aphrodite, lady of the doves, goddess of love." 

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    a/n: i need to point out that i absolutely love piper and she deserves rights thank. 

     disagree if you want, whatever. but i am so sick of hearing contradicting reasons: she's weak, or she's too perfect, or she's so 'i'm not like other girls'. it makes me want to scream, i'm sorry. her whole life, she's been surrounded by fame, and most definitely by papparazi, tabloids and whatever because of her father. her personality and her life is publicised and already determined because of her father. Of course she doesn't want to be seen! Or looked at! her entire character is trying to be her own person away from the expectations naturally given to her because of her father, and her mother. she wants to be herself. 

    she's a badass fukin queen and i fricken love her and i'm sorry if you don't but like deal with it pls and i don't want any detrimeaning comments about piper, okay?! 

    (this chapter isn't edited, sorryyyyyy).