Not a Hero

chapter five

𝐉𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐄'𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃.

She hadn't noticed yet, she probably would've pulled away if she had, but Piper certainly had. She didn't look like she liked it one bit. She hated Hale, Jason had figured out that much, but he still couldn't understand how he could look at her like that. Yes, Hale was selfish and cared for no one but herself but she didn't seem like a bad person to Jason. That was why he trusted her. Or maybe because she was the only one there. It could be either. 

All Jason knew was that he liked holding Hale's hand - a lot more than he probably should. Her hand made him feel like he had a thousand butterflies just fluttering around in his stomach. It was a nice feeling. 

He would've felt a lot nicer if Hale didn't look like she wanted to jump off the chariot. She kept glancing over the side and had this look in his eyes. Like she was planning something. Jason wasn't particularly fond of it. 

Only Leo seemed to be genuinely enjoying. Jason liked Leo. He was easygoing and straightforward. He was also very funny though his timing was horrific. Hanging onto the side of the chariot, he looked like he was having the time of his life. 

"This is so cool!" shouted Leo. He spat a pegasus feather from his mouth. "Where are we going?" His question was one that Jason had tried to ask many times but could never quite gather the courage to. 

"A safe place," answered Annabeth. Jason noticed that she was lot less hostile to the others than she was to Jason. And Hale. She didn't seem particularly fond of the sandy-haired girl. Jason had a feeling that very few people were. She wasn't exactly the most likeable person. "The only safe place for kids like us. Camp Half-Blood." 

Somewhere in the back of his mind, there was a voice. A voice that told him Annabeth was wrong. That there was another safe place. He ignored the voice - it made his head hurt. 

"Half-blood?" repeated Piper. She didn't look like she liked the word very much. Jason was beginning to wonder what she did like. "Is that some kind of bad joke?" 

Hale leaned against the side of the chariot. "She isn't being racist," Hale clarified. "She's talking about half-bloods as in half mortal and half..." Her voice trailed off. 

 "Half god." He hadn't meant to blurt it out. The words had come out of his lips before he could stop them. He knew he was though. Somehow. "That's what we are, right? Demigods?" 

Annabeth looked at him, frowning slightly. "You seem to know a lot, Jason." Most people would thinks she was praising him, she sounded like she was praising him, but Jason knew what it truly was. An accusation. "But yes, demigods. My mom is Athena, goddess of wisdom. Butch here is the son of Iris, the rainbow goddess." 

Hale's eyebrows raised. "Rainbow goddess? Life must suck." Hale, Jason discovered, doesn't have a filter. 

Before Butch could retort, Annabeth cut him off. "Butch is our best equestrian," Annabeth said. "He gets along great with the pegasi." 

"I find it hard to believe," said Hale, Jason really wished she would shut up, "if I saw his face, I would probably have nightmares. Of course -" 

"Finish that sentence," warned Butch, fists clenched tightly around the reigns, "and I will toss you off the fucking chariot." 

Hale smiled. "Go ahead." Jason really hated her smile. "I'd love to see you try." 

Annabeth interfered before the conversation could get out of hand. "Can you two not -" She was cut off as the chariot suddenly lurched. There was a flash of lightning and when he looked at the left wheel, he saw it on fire! White flames lapping up the side of the chariot.