"No." Rachel told me for the fourth time, clutching my javelin in her hands.

I had finally managed to stand on my own two feet, but it took great effort. I steadied myself against the tree and extended my hand. "Please, I need to do my part."

Rachel shook her head. "Not like that. Gwen is right, you can live to fight another day."

I growled in frustration. "What would I be fighting for if there is no one left?" I shouted. "Look!"

I pointed my finger at Epimetheus. He covered his right eye thanks to an arrow Gwen had fired into it. "There stalling for time. That's it. They can't take him down without my help."

"And who's going to help you get up there?" Rachel countered, taking a step back from my vain attempt to grab my javelin.

My voice quivered. "I'll fly up there."

Rachel gave me a side eye. "Right, like you did last time."

I slammed my back against the tree and slid back down to the ground. "Why the hell do you even care?" I asked in frustration. "You don't know me. I could die right now and it wouldn't mean anything."

Rachel kept her focus to the titan as it reeled back, trying to recover. "It wouldn't mean anything to me? Or to you?"

I growled some more, something I hadn't done since I was a kid. Rachel crouched down. "Maybe this is happening for a reason."

I laughed with sarcasm. "There WAS a reason. But I decided to break fate."

Rachel avoided my gaze and then sat down next to me, her legs crossed. She placed the javelin to her left, just far enough away for me not to reach it.

"Look, I don't know how fate or destiny or all that stuff works, but I do know how unfair life can be." Rachel said, staring at Epithemus while he fend off the others. Swatting at them like fly's.

"There's so much we can't control. "Rachel continued. "I wish my dad wasn't a money hungry capitalist. Hell bent on making a profit for his short sighted goal of preserving his legacy."

She took a deep breath. "All I've ever wanted was to spend time with him. Form a bond. Take a moment to smell the roses, if you will. He spends so much time on his work, he doesn't realize the damage he's doing to himself. No matter how much me or my mom tell him."

Rachel sat back on her hands. "But he's stubborn. He pushes on because deep down....... I know he believes in his heart he's doing the right thing. He loves me and my mom and he doesn't want us to go through the things he went through."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked her.

Rachel smirked. "I used to hate it. So much. But when my mom put it that way. Gave me a different perspective as to why my father behaves in the way he does, I forgave him. My mom put it this way.."

Rachel looked at me. "Reason is not given, it's something we give ourselves. Jason.... Your heart is in the right place. But I hope you find room to care for yourself, like you do others."

She stood up , holding my javelin with both hands. "And maybe that starts with............ Letting someone help you."

She extended her hand, her emerald green eyes fierce with determination. "So.... What do you say?"

I stared at her hand, not sure if I should take it. The last thing I wanted to do was put others at risk. But without help....... I couldn't make it far.

"What are you waiting for?" A voice to my left said.

We both watched as Nico appeared from the shadow of the tree, his hands in the pockets of his aviator jacket. "Are you going to take her hand so we can help you?"

*****************************

"Where's my brother?" Thalia asked me while I stabbed a hellhound into dust.

"You must be-" I ducked a flaming fire ball. "TaTa." I said.

Thalia smirked solemnly while smashing a demigod in the face with her shield. "He remembered the nickname. Where is he?"

"Priorities, Thalia." I told her while helping a wounded demigod towards the backline. A deep gash wound in their leg, Thalia followed behind. Protecting me with her shield.

Tyson tossed a flaming fire ball back towards the enemy. He scooped up the demigod like a baby and ran towards the backline where our medics had set up camp. Thalia trust her spear in the air, another lightning bolt ricocheting from it's tip and blasting back Epimetheus latest attempt to crush us beneath his boots.. 

"DAM IT!" The titan roared again, his greek chiton burnt and tattered from the multiple lightning bolts striking his chest.

"There, I bought us some time." Thalia said. "Our forces can hold back Kronos's army, we're on an even playing field now. So tell me where my brother is."

I took a deep breath, annoyed. I desperately wanted to focus on the task at hand, but Thalia was relentless. Nothing about her reminded me of Jason, outside of her electric blue eyes. Not just aesthetically speaking, but the way she carried herself. She allowed me and Clarisse to lead our makeshift army, without stepping in. She fought in the front lines, but more as a solider. She shared similar traits with the Greek demigods in being an excellent solo combatants, but not a great team member.

Which was odd to me. If Jason were here, he would be by my side, shouting orders and striving to work together. I've always imagined Thalia as a copy of Jason, in some ways. Given Jason's upbringing, I figured his affinity to do what was right came from his sister. In my mind, there was no way a boy growing up in a wolf pack could be so empathic and kind. So I concluded he modeled that behavior from his sister. 

Now, finally having the chance to meet her, she would have thrived within Lupa's pack. She had a vicious mean streak. Almost taking glee in the slaughter of monsters. Something Jason never portrayed. 

My lov-.... Appreciation for Jason grew even more. 

Thalia shot another thunderbolt at the titan. "Reyna! My brother?"

 I forced myself to empathized with her, which calmed me down. If Hylla were somewhere in this chaos, I would have moved Elysium and Olympus to find her. 

I pointed towards the titan. "He should be helping the others with stopping Epimetheus. Percy, Gwen, Sam and Jason were all tasked with bringing him down. But now that you mention him, I haven't seen signs of Jason since he left."

Thalia sent another bolt of lightning towards Epimetheus, this time aimed at his crotch. The titan held his jewels, groaning in pain. "What do you mean by signs?"

I shrugged, my anxiety building up as I contemplated what might have happened to Jason. "Before you arrived, no lightning bolts. No windstorms. When i looked up in the sky, I only see three people assaulting the titan. There should be four."

I swallowed, worried. "Thalia, go up there. Find out what's going on."

Thalia gulped. "Uh, do you have a pegasi around here or something?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Uh, can't you just fly up there like your brother?"

Thalia laughed for a few second, but stopped when she realized I was being serious. "Oh..... Wait, Jason can fly?"

KRRRRRRK BOOOOOOM

Thalia and I flinched, staring at each other. "That wasn't me." Thalia said.

We stared up in the sky, a bolt of lightning striking something in the air. Right above Epithemeus.

********************************************

"We'll travel through the shadows.  I think I can do it." Nico said, blushing. He looked up at me and then snapped his fingers. "Hey! Are you going to pass out again?"

I stared at the sky behind me. Bolts of lightning had struck Epimetheus a couple of times without me summoning them. I thought back to the conversation I had with my father and Bellona....

Maybe they were a sign..... Maybe he did believe.

I forced myself to focus. "Sorry the..... Let's focus."

Nico and I held hands standing in front of the tree's shadow. Nico had the wits to bring nectar along with him. My body was steaming from too much Nectar consumption, but it was now or never time. 

Rachel handed me my javelin. "We believe in you, Jason. I'll be sending good vibes from down here."

I smiled, accepting the javelin. "Thanks, really. I ...... I appreciate the pep talk."

Rachel smiled. "Well you guys did bring me along for a different perspective. Glad I could help." 

Nico swallowed. "Let's make this quick. Are you sure Gwen and the others will know what to do once we're up there."

I nodded. "Yeah, they will. I trust them."

Nico smiled dryly. "Cool. Now let's go. Your hands are sweaty."

I chuckled. "My hands were as dry as the dust beneath us before we held hands."

Nico blushed even more. "Shut up! Are you ready?"

I took a deep breath. "Rachel, stand back."

Rachel was already behind a near by rock. She gave me a thumbs up. "Good luck." She yelled out.

I raised my javelin, the hairs on my skin standing up. Nico shivered. "I hate that feeling."

The javelin sparked a few times before blazing to life. My javelin had turned into a lightning bolt, similar to Jupiter's master bolt. Shrouded in blue electricity. I squeezed Nico's hand. "Can I take this into the shadows? Last time I shadow traveled, it messed with my head. I don't know if I can summon the power needed right after jumping. But I think I can manage it if I already have it sparked up."

Nico sighed in frustration. "To late. We need to try. Your father is buying us time with the random lightning strikes. We need to finish this."

I squeezed Nico's hand tight. "Just in case things go south. Can you tell-"

Nico cut me off and dragged me into the shadows. I focused on the bolt of lightning and prepared to finish the fight.

******************

Fos.

Lux.

Licht.

Luz.

The lightning sparking from my javelin granted me sight in this strange realm. Spirits of all kinds gravitated towards us. They had sickly white skin and pitch black eyes.  Nico and I were pushing through this realm in a forward momentum, while spirits tried to cling to us in vain. We were like a boat pushing through waves and waves of lost souls.

Nico had told me these were the spirits of the fields of mourning. Lost souls still clinging to their past lives. They cried out for the light. Begging me for it in all kinds of languages. I cried with them, wishing I could give it to them. Their forms may have been nothing by white outlines in this realm, but I could feel their pain. Their anguish. 

A spirit right ahead of me forced itself in my view, managing to hold on to us by staying directly in front of us. 

The spirits peeled the skin on its face, revealing a sickly moist face that shook me too my core. 

"Mom?" I said before we exited the shadows.