Sunflower

11

Tw for anxiety attack

Jason instantly sets out toward camp, abandoning all the food him and Aelia had taken. He goes towards the training area and sees most of his friends there. He collects them all and explain what's happening, "Aelia's gone."
"What do you mean by gone?" Annabeth asks.
"Hecate is after her and the other followers. She seriously just left. I don't know when she'll be back."
"Will. Does Will know this?" Nico asks, "He'll be a wreck."
"Aelia went to him. Said she had to get something from him."
Nico nods slowly, "I'm going to go find him. I'll tell the rest of the group if I see them."
"Thanks." Jason mutters.
"So Hecate is after them? What does that mean for them?" Percy asks, mostly looking at Annabeth for answers.
She looks lost in thought, "I have no idea. Jason, did she say anything about their homeland?"
"The boy who came to get her, I think his name was Jessie, said their township was wiped out." Jason says.
"Jessie's not a boy. Jessie's a they." Percy says absently.
"Right, sorry."
"This is bad, if Hecate wiped out the township she really is out for blood. That township is where children live. Even a goddess wouldn't purposely kill them. At least not without reason." Annabeth mutters quickly. "Do you know where she went? Aelia I mean."
Jason shakes his head, "No but she may have told Will. She trusts him with that kind of stuff.
The ground shakes beneath them and Annabeth looks to Percy. He shakes his head, "This isn't an earthquake."
Jason looks back over his shoulder and sees a black glow emitting from the middle of camp, "That must be Hecate."
"Are all of her followers gone?" Annabeth asks in a panic.
"I think so." Jason says.
The three of them run towards the light and it dims when they get there. Hecate is storming around camp, toward her cabin. Before any of the three can go forward Leo and Piper find them. "Where's Aelia? And why is Hecate here?" Leo asks.
"Um, they're actually linked. Hecate is going after her followers and Aelia left a few minutes ago to get away from Hecate. She's already killed most of her followers." Percy whispers.
"That's why she's here? I just saw Isaac, isn't he a follower?" Piper's voice is filled with fear.
"No he's gone." Will says, coming up behind them. "He saw Hecate and bolted."
Him and Nico join the group as they watch Hecate float back out of her cabin. Chiron is watching from a distance not daring to approach the angry goddess. All she does is set fire to a few trees before disappearing again.
Once she's gone the campers come out from their hiding spots and some of them rush towards the Hecate cabin to see if everyone is alright.
Jason turns back to his friends and they all are staring at Will. He's looking at his feet completely oblivious to all the eyes on him. Nico puts a hand on his shoulder and Will slowly  looks up, "She's gone. She's hidden from Hecate."
"We know. Are you okay?" Piper asks.
He nods, "I'm fine, I'm just worried for her."
"I think we all are, but she'll be fine." Piper whispers.

A month later

Piper hits the dummy and it flies back. "Woah! Watch where you're hitting that thing!" Leo warns.
"Then don't sit behind my dummy. Then maybe you won't get hit with it." Piper points out.
She fixes her dummy and stands it back up. She kicks it over and over before Leo comes over, "You're bruising your foot."
"I don't care."
"Piper, she'll be back soon."
She scoffs, "Face it. It's been a month and nobody has heard from any of her followers. Even Jessie's been MIA."
"Quit being a pessimist Pipes." Leo says.
"I'm not being a pessimist. I'm being a realist." She mutters.
"Leo's right for once in his life." Jason says with a smile.
"Low blow man. Not cool!" Leo complains.
Piper looks away from the two of them and goes back to the dummy. "I come bearing good news!" Jason says.
Leo's head snaps up, "Aelia?"
Jason grimaces, "Not quite. But Hecate has started answering her kids' prayers now. So maybe she's cooled down?"
"Or she's trying to draw her followers out of hiding." Piper growls.
"What is wrong with you? When said you get all rude?" Leo says to her.
Piper ignores him. "Piper?"
"I just don't see the point in hoping. I did that once before and it didn't turn out well."
Leo looks down now, knowing full well what she was talking about. Jason shakes his head, "If I think I know what you're talking about than this is different. For what we know she wasn't stabbed with a spear."
"For all we know she was." Piper counters, "Look I can't deal with this right now."
She walks off, leaving the two boys alone. "She's been like this for the past week." Leo whispers, as if he was scared Piper would overhear them.
"I know. Just leave her be for a little while." Jason replies.
"Have you heard from Reyna?"
Jason shakes his head, "No I haven't. I'm planning on going in a few days if she doesn't respond soon."
"Good. Maybe Nico will go with us. He's been wanting to see Hazel for a while."
"Why doesn't he just shadow travel there?"
Leo shrugs, "Who knows. I think he's trying to stay with Will. He hasn't been taking Aelia leaving well either."
"Have may of us really?"
"I just hope she's not dead..." Leo says quietly.