the great wave | percy jackson

𝑥𝑣𝑖𝑖 - jasper

Jason
♃

The basin was filling with alarming speed for a place that had no exit. They'd climbed into the alcoves to gain some height, but with water pouring out of each one, it was like trying to balance at the edge of a waterfall. Even as he helped Piper clamber into his niche, the water was soon up to their knees, and rising fast.

"I could try lightning," Jason suggested as his mind raced with possibilities. "Maybe blast a hole in the roof?" The water was unnaturally cold as it lapped around his legs, draining his energy with expeditious speed.

"That could bring down the whole room and crush us," Piper said, and Jason was almost surprised to hear Ash let out a pitiful whimper, as if this idea terrified her more than anything else they'd ever done, which was saying a whole lot.

"Or electrocute us," Percy added, drawing the girl closer and up into him in a feeble attempt to lend her some height, which wasn't working–the water was already creeping up her abdomen.

"Not many choices," Jason said through a tightly locked jaw.

"Let me search the bottom," Percy said, speaking over Ash when she immediately began to protest. "If this place was built as a fountain, there has to be a way to drain the thing. You guys check the niches for secret exits. Maybe the seashells are knobs or something."

It was a desperate idea, but Jason wasn't going to argue, because what else could they do? At least it was something. Ash clearly didn't feel the same way, but only managed to get out a "Perseus, please," before he'd pulled away from her and jumped in. Letting out an exasperated sort of half-sigh-half-scream, Ash blinked in and out of existence, flickering between the niches much quicker than they would have been able to, before arriving back in her alcove shaking her head, breathing hard and looking about ten times more ragged.

"There's no–" she struggled for air, "exits," and Jason was letting out a rare curse when Percy suddenly broke the surface of the water much sooner than expected, gasping and flailing. Ash shrieked and immediately pulled him up into the alcove beside her, where he nearly collapsed onto her shoulder, body wracked with heaving coughs.

"Couldn't breathe," he choked as Ash patted him firmly on the back, looking scared out of her wits. "The water... not normal. Hardly made it out."

You didn't need to be descended from Poseidon to know that. The life force of the nymphs had become so poisoned and malicious, even the son of the sea god couldn't control it, and as the water rose around them, Jason could feel it affecting him too. A bad tremor had started in his hand; he was having a hard time holding his sword, and his legs ached as if he'd been running for miles. Even the two girls with their luminous copper skin, one unblemished, one scarred, both flawless, even they looked unnaturally pale, and Ash was shaking like a leaf. Percy didn't seem much better–drenched, shivering, yet refusing to take back his jacket.

"They're taking our power," Piper said. "Draining us." Ash nodded, clinging onto the collar of Percy's shirt, and Jason noticed she was starting to have a hard time keeping her head above water. And keeping her eyes open. Not a good sign.

"Jason," Percy coughed, "do the lightning."

He raised his sword, putting all his effort into calling the strike. The room rumbled, storm clouds gathering in the dome above, but no lightning appeared, and the walls didn't break. Instead rain poured down on them, dark and acidic, filling the fountain at an even higher rate.

"Not what I wanted," Jason grumbled as his muscles, tensed from using his powers, relaxed, sending waves of exhaustion throughout every part of his body. The water was up to their chests and Percy was fully carrying Ash by this point. "We'll survive," Piper kept murmuring to herself over and over again, and Jason almost believed her.