REMEMBER ME ---- BOOK I / Heroes of Olympus / Leo Valdez Fanfiction

a little replay of life

☀️

"MEDEA, YOU'RE MEDEA"

she shouted. She looked at the stunned Piper, who continued. "You helped the original Jason steal the Golden Fleece. You're one of the most evil villains in Greek mythology. Jason, Leo-don't trust her."

Piper put all the intensity she could gather into those words. She was utterly sincere, and it seemed to have some effect. Jason stepped away from the sorceress.

Leo scratched his head and looked around like he was coming out of a dream.

"What are we doing, again?"

Penelope sighed in relief and slapped him hard behind his head.

"Boys!" The princess spread her hands in a welcoming gesture. Her diamond jewelry glittered, and her painted fingers curled like blood-tipped claws. "It's true, I'm Medea. But I'm so misunderstood. Oh, Piper, my dear, you don't know what it was like for women in the old days. We had no power, no leverage. Often we couldn't even choose our own husbands. But I was different. I chose my own destiny by becoming a sorceress. Is that so wrong? I made a pact with Jason: my help to win the fleece, in exchange for his love. A fair deal. He became a famous hero! Without me, he would've died unknown on the shores of Colchis."

Jason scowled. "Then ... you really did die three thousand years ago? You came back from the Underworld?"

"Death no longer holds me, young hero," Medea said. "Thanks to my patron, I am flesh and blood again."

"You ... re-formed?" Leo blinked. "Like a monster?"

Medea spread her fingers, and steam hissed from her nails, like water splashed on hot iron. "You have no idea what's happening, do you, my dears? It is so much worse than a stirring of monsters from Tartarus. My patron knows that giants and monsters are not her greatest servants. I am mortal. I learn from my mistakes. And now that I have returned to the living, I will not be cheated again. Now, here is my price for what you ask."

"Guys," Piper said. "The original Jason left Medea because she was crazy and bloodthirsty."

"Lies!" Medea said.

"On the way back from Colchis, Jason's ship landed at another kingdom, and Jason agreed to dump Medea and marry the king's daughter."

"After I bore him two children!" Medea said. "Still he broke his promise! I ask you, was that right?"

Jason and Leo dutifully shook their heads, but Piper wasn't through.

"It may not have been right," she said, "but neither was Medea's revenge. She murdered her own children to get back at Jason. She poisoned his new wife and fled the kingdom."

Medea snarled. "An invention to ruin my reputation! The people of the Corinth-that unruly mob-killed my children and drove me out. Jason did nothing to protect me. He robbed me of everything. So yes, I sneaked back into the palace and poisoned his lovely new bride. It was only fair-a suitable price. A price you'll pay"

"You're insane," Piper said.

"I am the victim!" Medea wailed. "I died with my dreams shattered, but no longer. I know now not to trust heroes. When they come asking for treasures, they will pay a heavy price. Especially when the one asking has the name of Jason!"

The fountain turned bright red. Penelope saw Piper drawing her dagger, but her hand was shaking almost too badly to hold it. "Jason, Leo-it's time to go. Now."

"Before you've closed the deal?" Medea asked. "What of your quest, boys? And my price is so easy. Did you know this fountain is magic? If a dead man were to be thrown into it, even if he was chopped to pieces, he would pop back out fully formed-stronger and more powerful than ever."

"Seriously?" Leo asked.

"Leo, she's lying," Piper said. "She did that trick with somebody before-a king, I think. She convinced his daughters to cut him to pieces so he could come out of the water young and healthy again, but it just killed him!"

"Ridiculous," Medea said, and Penelope could hear the power charged in every syllable. She felt that Medea spoke the truth. "Leo, Jason-my price is so simple. Why don't you two fight? If you get injured, or even killed, no problem. We'll just throw you into the fountain and you'll be better than ever. You do want to fight, don't you? You resent each other!"

"Guys, no!" Piper said. But they were already glaring at each other, as if it was just dawning on them how they really felt.

Penelope had never felt more helpless. Now she understood what real sorcery looked like. She'd always thought magic meant wands and fireballs, but this was worse. Medea didn't just rely on poisons and potions. Her most potent weapon was her voice. And she herself felt powerless.

Leo scowled. "Jason's always the star. He always gets the attention and takes me for granted."

"You're annoying, Leo," Jason said. "You never take anything seriously. You can't even fix a dragon."

"Stop!" Piper pleaded, but both drew weapons-Jason his gold sword, and Leo a hammer from his tool belt.

"Let them go, Piper," Medea urged. "I'm doing you a favor. Let it happen now, and it will make your choice so much easier. Enceladus will be pleased. You could have your father back today!"

"Oh dear Penelope. Haven't you always been known to prevent the wrong? Fight the boys. Prove girls are strong enough to fight and lead a whole army. You always felt like an outcast from your home, now am I right?"

Penelope felt a throbbing pain in her head. It was horrible, like her own head was about toe explode. She fell down on her knees, trying not to scream. And all of it returned. All of her past, it flew back in her memories.

Was charm speak that powerful? Powerful enough to let a lost one back on their track? She'd know. She was 7 when she'd reached Camp. Camp Jupiter, the camp for Roman demigods.

She remembered Jason, playing with the necklace she wore on her neck. She remembered her first stripe, when she had helped them retrieve the lost spear of power. She then remembered fighting the nemean lion, who'd broken down her cabin. Then she remembered those days, when she'd wandered in the Labyrinth. Her loosing her sanity was the reason that after everyone distanced themselves from her. Except Jason and Reyna.

She always thought that the reason they stuck around until Bacchus had come was because they were responsible as Praetors to do so. She chided herself for the thought. Then she remembered how she'd held up the sky. That 1 hour, she felt useless. The senate fought, and she held up the sky. That made her resent the Titan Atlas. Then she remembered the horrible battle at Mount Othrys, where she defeated the Titan Atlas, dragged him down to the underworld and threw him down Tartarus. Then she'd gotten the blessing of her father, Apollo, who'd given her the atomic arrows.

Then, the last, her mother. Her mother had gone crazy after Apollo left her, and she had run away from her house. Something she hoped it could've stayed forgotten.

Then the final, before she had taken refuge in the enemy camp. Reyna had trusted her to find Jason. Octavian disregarded her judgements, saying that Penelope was a loser. Her anger led her to accept the quest, to find the lost hero.

But now, she was the lost hero.

How could she find herself?

Would they trust her, knowing she had stayed in with the Greeks? Of course they'd forgive Jason. He was former Praetor. But she was just a demigod.

She knew that she had to talk either with Chiron or Lupa right away.

She looked up, and saw all hell break loose.