Állaxe //HOO x m.oc\\ (ON HOLD)

3

Jason Grace was like a golden retriever.

The boy was pulling Jace along and talking about all of the buildings. Which buildings he had been in, what he had helped build, what each building was for.... you get it? It was cute and all but Jace didn't feel like being dragged around by someone younger than him. It was embarrassing. Wait a second... Jace was the oldest during their quest— if you don't count Hedge. He was a year older than the other three.

"Did you know they have a college here as well? And a high school." Jason started explaining about the school buildings. Jace slowed his pace and dragged behind a little so Jason wouldn't speed walk around the entire area. He couldn't remember anything about anything Jason had talked about in the last half an hour.

Good thing: Jace managed to slow Jason down to a moderate walking pace. Bad news: a child bumped into them.

The little boy looked up at Jace and Jason with a comically over exaggerated shocked expression. Jace didn't know how to act around kids. Jason sure did.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jason asked the kid who shook his head rapidly in response.

Jace couldn't help but look at the kid silently. This was a demigod— or at least the legacy of one.

It felt wrong. Greek demigods had the survival rate of around 45-50% (Jace had counted) so how was this little demigod so carelessly running around and having fun? Maybe Jace was just jealous. That must be why.

"Where are your parents?" Jason asked. The kid didn't respond and just ran away from them. Jace didn't even hear Jason's voice until the boy poked his arm.

"Huh? What happened?"

"You okay? You were just silent." Jason asked him.

"I'm good. Just...worried I guess."

"Everything will work out, we can go on the quest and... all will run smoothly." Jason was positive everything would go well. Then why did Jace still have that nagging feeling in his chest? Something was or will go wrong soon. He knew it.

"Sure, let's go with that." Jason smiled at him before he started talking about new Rome again and his time as a praetor. It was good that Jason had gotten his memories back. Made understanding him easier. Gods, why did he still think like that about everyone? Why did everything have to be a possible enemy?

...

A shrill sound pierced the air. Light flashed in the corner of Jace's eye. He and Jason turned in time to see an explosion blast a new crater in the forum. A burning couch tumbled through the air. Demigods scattered in panic all around them. Jace saw the little kid that had bumped into them scream in terror as the crowd of demigods ran away from the forum.

"What the fuck was that?" Jace asked Jason who was reaching for his coin before remembering he didn't have it anymore.

"Check it out?"

"Yeah."

They both took off running towards the forum that was just targeted by an explosion. Jace didn't have a weapon. He needed one. Angry/scared Romans would most likely think they had attacked them and attack immediately. Anything. Well, anything that wasn't actually a weapon. A brick? A plank? He could use one of those.

When Jace and Jason were closer a second volley of explosions were dropped on the Romans. They came from the sky? What did Octavian do? Jace looked up at the Argo just to see the ballistae heads steaming. Leo? What the hell was he doing?!

"It's coming from the Argo!" Jace yelled while pushing through the panicked crowd. Not all of the Romans were running away. Just the ones that weren't part of the cohorts. Civilians basically. A fight was coming and this was the thing Jace had sensed.