The Beginning of the End (J. Grace)

III: Gods, this isn't my day

We wondered through the cobbled streets of New Rome with the sweet scents of a café and a bakery, the inviting sights of verities of shops and -above all- the laughter and happiness of groups of demigods. It was amazing.

Lightning Boy had said that we were going to the Circus Maximus... I don't know what that is, but it sounds cool.

After a while of comfortable silence while I took it all in, I finally decided to speak up... at the wrong time. "Are you sure you're okay? I mean, you haven't been yourself since we got off the ship."

That was when I heard footsteps behind us, and Percy practically jumped onto my back, causing me to fall forwards and lose my footing a little, but I stayed up and laughed.

"Hey Seaweed Brain!" I greeted as I felt his arms wrap around my neck from behind.

"Hey, Lara!" He responded. "Just wanted to say thanks, for helping us out back there."

"No worries." I shrugged, turning around to see Jason, Frank, Hazel and Piper looking at us with amusement.

"Sorry to have overheard you and now I'm going to sound quite creepy," Hazel started, nervously looking from Jason, to me then to Percy. "But you said that Jason hasn't been himself since you got here and... I agree." I straightened up, shaking Seaweed Brain off me. Finally! Someone else thinks that something's off about him! She turned to Lightning Boy, narrowing her eyes. "You're usually a bit more... hostile towards people you aren't friends with and don't know. What's happened?"

"What?" Dove and I exclaimed together, looking at Jason incredulously.

"I've never seen you snap at anyone before today!" I cried, not knowing what to think, not knowing how to feel... are we talking about the same Jason here?

He looked up to one of the hills which was covered with temples and sighed. "I don't know who I want to be anymore." He admitted after a while. "When Juno wiped my memories... I forgot who I was. Then I remembered again and some things have gone back to how they used to be, but... I don't want to be the person who makes people afraid. I don't want to be hostile anymore. I don't want to go back to being the asshole who killed a demigod in some stupid game of Death Ball."

"You didn't know how strong that acid was going to be!" Hazel protested in his defence.

"I smashed it into his face!" Lightning Boy yelled back with frustration and guilt. "I knew what I was doing!"

I stared at him with horror: he'd... he'd killed an innocent demigod?! Why? What had provoked him to do that? Why would he... Jason would never... I know him, he wouldn't ever...

He looked over at me with an expression filled with sadness and electric eyes filled with remorse. The Jason I know and love wouldn't do that. He's changed.

"I'm sorry." We made eye-contact and I did my very best to hide all my emotions: he already regrets it; he doesn't need me adding to that and making him feel worse. "I don't know who I am anymore."

I snapped out of my trance of complete and utter horror at that. "I'm glad you've made the decision to change away from that." I stated. "But I'm not glad that it took you getting your memories wiped to do so!" I laughed and that seemed to make him more at ease. "You're a friend, a dad, a fighter, a demigod, a hero. None of us can tell you who you are, you've gotta decide for yourself."

He smiled appreciatively at me.

"Woah, when'd you get wise, Lara?" Percy broke the moment, punching my forearm good-naturedly.

I gasped dramatically and placed my hand over my heart, feigning hurt. "That is so rude!" Then, on another note: "When'd you start loving vegetables, Guineapig?" I grinned, knowing that no one else would have the slightest idea as to what I was on about apart from Piper because Annabeth and I explained it to her when we went jet skiing.