Mark of Athena

Jason- I

Jason- I

   Jason was really starting to wish Hera wasn't his patroness. For one thing, he couldn't didn't know if dating Piper or Reyna was right. The next, he had no idea how to address his camp.

   Annabeth was pacing the deck nervously, double-checking and triple-checking on everything, making it right. She had made a backup plan, and a backup plan for the backup plan, and even managed to get Coach Hedge out of the way for a while.

   As the Argo II protruded from the clouds, he hoped the holographic scroll Leo had sent to the Romans had worked. If it didn't... things could get ugly.

   He stood on the raised crossbow platform, where Annabeth had set him so that the Romans hopefully could easily spot him. He was gripping the gladius of his sword so tight his fingers turned white. Jason had also worn his toga over his Camp Half-Blood shirt, symbols of his old praetor rank, his old life.

   Beside him was Piper, practicing her charmspeak. "Lower your weapons." She said with such power he had the urge to just fling his sword off the ship. "We just want to talk." She looked beautiful too, with her hair done in a braid with an eagle feather at the bottom. Perfect for the peace-keeper of the Argo II.

   Jason turned around suddenly, and he noticed Annabeth's hard look at him before she turned away. She had never really trusted him, seeing that he had switched her boyfriend's position, and he was Roman. And it didn't help that every time she glanced at him, it left thoughts of Percy in her mind.

   A sudden jolt caught his attention: Annabeth's hand was half about to catch Leo's attention when she stopped, and the horns blew. The Romans had spotted them.

   He looked down and smiled. There was Camp Jupiter, just the way he had left it. It left warm memories in his heart: training with friends, attacking the Krios fort... Gwen, Bobby, Dakota, Hazel, Reyna...

   Hannibal the war elephant paraded into the forum, followed by numerous senators in togas. Jason couldn't wait to greet them all, when something behind him went BOOM!

   The explosion almost knocked Annabeth overboard, and Piper winced as she hit the side of the flying warship. 

   Jason whirled around, finding himself staring at Terminus, who was having a staring contest with Annabeth. "Unacceptable!" He shrieked, sulphourus smoke rolling off his shoulders. "I will not have weapons inside the Pomerian Line! I certainly will not have Greeks!"

   Jason shot Annabeth an I've got this look, then turned to the statue. "Terminus." He said. "It's me. Jason Grace."

   "Oh, I remember you, Jason!" Terminus grumbled. "I thought you had better sense than to consort with the enemies of Rome!"

   "But they're not enemies-" He tried to say, only to be cut off by Piper.

  "That's right. We just want to talk. If we could-"

   "Ha!' Terminus snapped. "Don't try that charmspeak on me, young lady. And put down that dagger before I slap it out of your hands!"

   Piper glanced at her dagger, which she apparently forgot she was holding. "Um... okay. But how would you slap it? You don't have any arms."

   "Impertinence!" The statue screeched. There was a loud POP! and a flash of yellow, and Piper yelped and dropped the dagger. "Lucky for you I've just been through a battle. If I were at full strength, I would've blasted this flying monstrosity out of the sky already!" Jason certainly did feel lucky.

   "Hold up." Leo interrupted, stepping forward while wagging his Wii controller. "Did you just call my ship a monstrosity? I know you didn't do that."

   Annabeth seemed to stop acting paralyzed. "Let's all calm down." She said, in her I'm a leader so you better obey me tone. She help up her hands to show she wasn't holding any weapons. "I take it you're Terminus, the god of bounderies. I'm Annabeth Chase, daughter of-"

   "Oh, I know who you are!" The statue said. "A child of Athena, Minerva's Greek form. Scandalous! You Greeks have no sense of decency. We Romans know the proper place for that goddess."

   Jason sensed danger as soon as Annabeth clenched her jaw. "What exactly do you mean, that goddess?" She snapped. "And what's so scandalous about-"

   "Right!" He cut her off. "Anyways, Terminus, we're here on a mission of peace. We'd love permission to land so we can-"

   "Impossible!" The god squeaked. "Lay down your weapons and surrender! Leave my city immediately!"

   "Which is it?" Leo asked. "Surrender, or leave?"

   "Both!" Terminus shrieked. "Surrender, than leave. I am slapping your face for asking such a stupid question, you ridicoulous boy. Do you feel that?"

   "Wow." Leo studied the statue with professional intrest. "You're wound up pretty tight. You got any gears in there that need loosening? I could take a look." He put the Wii controller back in his magic toolbelt and tapped the statue's pedestal with a screwdriver.

   "Stop that!" Terminus insisted. Another small explosion made Leo drop his screwdriver. "Weapons are not allowed on Roman soil inside the Pomerian Line!"

   "The what?" Piper asked.

   "City limits." Jason translated. His heart dropped. How would they ever manage to land?

   "And this entire shop is a weapon! You cannot land!" Terminus screeched.

   Annabeth's stormy grey eyes looked down at the legion, now halfway to the city. She seemed to be thinking, until her eyes was fixed on a single spot. "Leo, stop the ship." She ordered.

   "What?"

   "You heard me. Keep us right where we are." She said sternly. Leo pulled out his Wii controller again and yanked it upwards. The ship stopped sinking. "Terminus, there's no rule against hovering over New Rome, is there?" Jason stopped moving and stared at her.

   "Well, no..." The statue said.

   "We can keep the ship aloft. We'll use a rope ladder to reach the forum. That way, the ship won't be on Roman soil. Not technically."

   The statue seemed to ponder this. "I like technicalities." He admitted. "Still..."

   "All our weapons will stay aboard the ship." Annabeth promised. "I assume the Romans- even the reinforcements marching toward us- will also have to honor your rules inside the Pomeranion line if you tell them too?"

   "Of course!" Terminus cried. "Do I look like I tolerate rule-breakers?"

   "Uh, Annabeth?" Leo asked. "Do you think this is a good idea?"

   Annabeth clenched her fists, her grey eyes seemingly in another world. "It'll be fine." She said, sounding like she was forcing herself to stay calm. "No one will be armed. We can talk in peace. Terminus will make sure each side obeys the rules." She looked at Terminus. "Do we have an agreement?"

   The marble statue sniffed. "I suppose. For now. You may climb down you ladder to New Rome, daughter of Athena. Please try not to destroy my town."