Partners in Crime || PJOxHP || Marauders' Era

Thunder

"Where were you?" Thalia asked frantically as Jessica ran towards the Big House with her packed bag in hand. 

"Met an old friend," Jessica panted. "A ventus."

"A what?"

"A wind spirit," Jessica explained. "He's usually my owl, but he's actually a horse. He took me to the sea and we had a jolly old time, y'know?"

"No," Thalia said, staring at Jessica like she had gone mad.

"Jessica." She turned around to see Chiron sitting on his wheelchair by the front stairs of the Big House and smiling at her. "One moment here, if you please."

Jessica nodded. She followed Chiron into the Big House and into the rec room. It was lit brightly- a Christmas tree stood imposingly at the corner of the room, decorated with all sorts of things that did not even mix with Christmas, but it was fine. Camp was known for being odd that way. Jessica smiled when she saw that the top ornament was actually a bottle of wine. 

"Jessica," Chiron said, snapping her back into reality. "Do you know why I suggested you to go on this mission?"

"No," Jessica said. "But I bet it has something to do with the fact that I ran from camp the last two times you didn't let me go on a quest."

Chiron sighed. "Percy, I don't pretend to understand prophecies." 

"Yeah," Jessica said. "Well, maybe that's because they don't make any sense." 

Chiron gazed at the ping pong table in the room. He twirled the paddle in his hand. "Thalia would not have been my first choice to go on this quest. She's too impetuous. She acts without thinking. She is too sure of herself." 

"Would you have chosen Percy?" 

"Frankly, no," he said. "In fact, I wouldn't have chosen you. The three of you are much alike." 

"Thanks a lot." 

He smiled. "The difference is that Percy is less sure of himself than Thalia. That could be good or bad." 

"And what about me?" Jessica asked. 

"I've noticed one thing, Jessica," Chiron said. "Thalia is much like Ares- impulsive, vengeful. But you are more decisive.. and you can take control- something you can thank Annabeth for, I think. And that is why I chose you to go on this mission. Because both Zoe Nightshade and Thalia fear you."

Jessica's jaw dropped. She waited for Chiron say LOL, just kidding! but he never did. "Zoe fears me?"

Chiron smiled. "You should've seen the relief on her face when I told her that you will not be joining for Capture the Flag. She is very... ah, wary of you, if I may say so. Especially after you told Artemis that you weren't really interested in immortality. And Thalia- Thalia fears you just as much as Zoe does. And that means-"

"Only I could stop their fights," Jessica sighed. "Was that not your intention?"

Chiron smiled. "Well..." he shrugged.

"You could've just let Percy come too.... besides, Phoebe is not going anyway."

"One thing I can say: the three of you together would be a dangerous thing." 

Jessica straightened. "We could handle it." 

"The way you handled it at the creek that night?" 

Jessica didn't answer. He'd nailed her. "That was a special case?" she said finally. "If Annabeth had been around..." her voice trailed off.

Chiron patted her shoulder. "For what it's worth... I almost volunteered for this quest myself. I would have gone, if not for the last line."

"One shall perish by a parent's hand. Yeah."