Ransom

Chapter 37: Jason Grace

"Um," Allie started "what's that?" She asked while pointing ahead.

Jason squinted his eyes and saw that it was a wall of darkness that was coming towards them. "Nyx." Jason growled. "She's blocking our way out." Annabeth stated.

Everyone groaned with annoyance. "Seriously?!" Allie White said. Her eyebrows were scrunched together and her mouth was parted slightly in annoyance. Her teeth grit together slightly and her eyes shone bright with fear and frustration.

"I feel the same way." Percy muttered. No, he didn't. When he was in here the first time, he had Annabeth and he was very experienced. When Allie first came in here, she was nine years old, she was shoved in, and she was all alone. Then, in order to escape Elysium, after she had died, she had to go through here again.

Percy had no idea what this felt like for her.

No one does besides her.

"It'll be alright, Allie." Jason said as he put a hand on her shoulder. She rubbed her face and said "Well, let's just go as far as we can go, then once we can't move anymore, we'll stop."

"Alright," Frank said "let's go."

As Jason walked hand in hand with Piper, he wondered to himself. What had it been like in there for her? What happened to her in there? He knew that she would tell him eventually, but it would take time.

"You know," Piper said to him. "when I was in there, on the first day, a cyclops named Polyphemus brought me some toast and water. He wasn't supposed to, so once Nyx realized that he did that, he was sent back to the Land of the Living. It reminded me that not all monsters are bad." She finished, looking deep into his eyes.

Jason gave her a small smile and said "That's good. You know, Allie and Castor met Polyphemus." Jason then proceeded to tell her what Polyphemus had told Allie and Castor.

Piper smiled lightly at the complements that Polyphemus had given her.

And then, it clicked.

Polyphemus liked his wife. A monster, a cyclops that is older than Odysseus, likes his wife.

Jason looked ahead and said "You don't see it, do you?"

"See what?" Piper asked innocently. "It may sound crazy, but Polyphemus likes you. As in, more than a friend." Jason said, looking his wife deep in the eyes.

Piper was confused at first, but then she realized that Jason was right. "Oh my gods..." she said.

"I can't believe that I didn't realize, and I'm a daughter of Aphrodite." Piper said.

"Hey, it's okay." Jason said reassuringly. "I know, it's just...wow." Piper said. She was really surprised by this.

"Guys," Hazel said. "I think that we have a slight problem."

Jason tilted his head in confusion, but then saw what she was talking about.

Behind the wall of darkness was an army of monsters. There were no arai, so their deal was still on.

"Allie," Jason said. Allie looked at him, so he continued. "Call the arai, we're going to need back up."

"Um, slight problem." Allie said. She continued with "I can't exactly call on them. They're off keeping Nyx distracted, remember?"

Jason sighed and said "Then I guess that we'll have to do this the old way, huh?"

"What about Sammy and Silena? They barely know how to fight, Allie and Luke aren't as experienced as us either." Leo said.

"Luke and I will be fine." Allie said. Jason's beautiful daughter held a look of determination in her eyes, and that mischievous gleam made her look even more beautiful.

"Alright, but still. Sammy and Silena can't fight." Frank said. "I can fight." Sammy said confidently.

Allie White then said "No, sorry Sammy but you can't. You're too young and inexperienced."

"I'm a big boy!" He said. "Sammy, honey, it's just, too dangerous now. Maybe some other time, but on this quest, it's a no." Hazel said.

"My sister is right, Sammy. You and Silena have to stay safe." Nico said.

"Maybe...maybe I can shadow travel them out of here." Nico said. "And then leave us here to fend for ourselves?" Calypso scoffed.

"I'll bring the ship to Greece and wait at the Doors, but this way they stay safe and we all have a way to get home once we are all out." Nico said.

"It sounds fine to me." Leo said. "Silena shouldn't be down here, neither should you." He continued, but the last part was directed at Calypso.

"Fine, but Nico," she said. "keep my little girl safe."

"I will." He said. Then, he looked to Frank and Hazel and said "Can I?"

"Go, we've got this covered." Frank said. Hazel strode forward and placed a kiss on her son's forehead and said "Be safe."

Frank hugged his son while Hazel hugged her brother. Leo and Calypso hugged their daughter and kissed her cheeks. "Get ready, at this pace they'll be here in an hour, tops." Nico said.

He nodded to Jason and held the children's hand. After a brief moment of concentration, they flashed away and left behind black mist.

"Let's get ready to fight." Hazel said. Everyone unsheathed their weapons.

Jason knew that Nico wanted any chance that he could get to get the Hades out of there, and he was glad that Nico did get out. He just wished that he had taken Allie so that she didn't have to put her life on the line again. She was too delicate, too fragile.

Nevertheless, she unsheathed her weapon and then laughed at Luke. He was so nervous that he was holding his sword the wrong way. "Here," Allie said. She took the sword from him by the handle and said "This is how you hold a sword."

Luke gave her a sheepish laugh and held onto the handle, their fingers brushing together. Allie smiled and said "Don't get yourself killed."

"Same to you, Allie." Luke said.

Jason always sensed that there was a spark between them, but she was still his little girl, and she was only eight years old.

Jason exchanged a glance with Percy, and they both held a small smirk on their faces.

Jason looked to Piper and said "Good luck, stay safe."

"Same to you." Piper said as she pecked his lips.

"Should we wait?" Allie White asked. "Yeah, gather as much energy as we can get, and then," Leo said. He then put his two fists together and made a symbol with his hand that showed an explosion.

Jason gave him a short, hearty laugh as he sat down. "Let's all rest." He said.

And so, everyone sat down, only for Percy to say "Um, guys. We may have a bigger problem than we originally let on."

Uh oh, what's going onnnn
I guess that you'll have to read to find out :)))
3 votes please
~camp_hero