A/N: Wassup dudes! RebelOfFate here, after surviving two weeks of exams! Here's my new chapter, a baffling 1820 words long (I didn't even know I could write that much in one chapter!). This time, we take our attention off on the journey in the Underworld, but we look at what happened at Camp Half-Blood while the questing trio were gone. And yes, I will try to make the chapters longer. A few guests have complained to me that sometimes my chapters had over 1500 words and sometime less than 500 words. That is duly noted. NOw enjoy!

Jason blocked Piper's dagger strike, then retorted as Travis and Connor and Coach Hedge looked on. Coach Hedge was hollering encouragement, the Stoll brothers imitating Jason's maneuvers with their swords. It was a peaceful day in the camp, yet that would soon come to change.

"Well Pipes, looks like you've gotten better," Jason said as he disarmed his girlfriend.

Piper pouted. "Not good enough to beat you," she muttered, punching him lightly.

Connor grinned at Travis. "You know, looking at them two reminds me of you and Katie."

"Oh, shut up!"

"Yeah, what was it you said….ah yes, you said…"

"Don't say it!" Travis swung his sword at Connor clumsily to get his point across.

"Okay bro, ha!" Connor put his hands up, and Travis laughed when he saw that Connor had raised the middle fingers on his hands while doing so.

"Any sign of Annabeth or Leo?" Piper asked Jason, leaning against him. "I'm afraid we'll lose Leo again and this time, he won't be coming back."

"Don't worry, Leo has a way of surprising us. And Annabeth can keep him in check, and Calypso too."

"And I'm worried about Annabeth," Piper continued. "She may try to join Percy in this quest."

For once, Jason had nothing to say. Gently he stroked Piper's back, rubbing small circles. Piper sighed and snuggled her head to his chest, but their moment was interrupted by Connor.

"So lovebirds, can we get on with dueling? You promised us three tricks, not the sight of you two enjoying each other's warmth."

"Ah, ok, ok," Jason stood up, but as he did, something flew past his ear, and he heard a scream.

Jason took a good look at his opponent, sizing up its strength and estimating it's agility in combat. His opponent was brown in colour, face twisted in a sneering grin . Its eyes were yellow and his weapon had way more reach than Jason's gladius, it was like a spear, but instead of a spear top a sword was attached to it. Its armour was blood red and polished

His opponent struck first. Jason met the first few blows easily, then immediately went in for a feint. The monster barely dodged the strike and leapt to the Apollo cabin in a desperate attempt to leave.

His opponent was weak, Jason decided. He looked back at where the Stoll brothers fought off the Earthborn, they were defending Piper's unconscious body well enough. Relieved, Jason looked back to continue his duel but a crossbow bolt nearly struck him in the heart. The monster was sneering again at him.

"Come, Jason Grace!" it cried tauntingly. "Or is the mighty praetor too scared for his girlfriend? Oh, I mean, former praetor!"

Jason growled, he knew his opponent was egging him to make a wrong move by enraging him. It was obvious this monster was no fighter and it preferred to use trickery.

Undaunted, Jason flew to confront the monster. A few clashes, and once again his opponent took off fleeing, this time going on top of the Artemis cabin.

This went on and on, until Jason became frustrated by the monster's ability to constantly evade and retreat. This time, when the monster jumped on top of the Aphrodite cabin, Jason summoned a lightning bolt to end things quickly.

Boom.

The lightning blasted a hole in the roof, but the monster had dodged it once again, and leapt away. Jason yelled orders to the shocked (no pun intended) Aphrodite campers who immediately picked up their weapons, and gave pursuit until they finally met on the roof of the Zeus cabin.

Jason parried the first strike, then thrust at the monster. If it was to escape, it would be to Hera's cabin. And even the monster seemed to avoid going there.

The monster was definitely using all of its strength and agility. The monster spun to avoid Jason's thrust, pivoted to stab Jason but had to raise its weapon to block Jason's blow. The monster's only strength was its agility. It never met Jason head on, never locked blades, never directly countered Jason's powerhouse strikes.

At this moment Jason heard Will yell, "Cease your assault, monster!"

A slew of Apollo campers stood aiming their bows at the monster.

"You expect me to surrender." The monster's voice was gravelly, as if accepting defeat.

"No," Jason replied. "I expect you to die." Jason was about to give the order to fire when more Earthborn suddenly burst out of the earth and ambushed the campers. An Ares camper was forcibly ripped apart and Clarisse took her revenge in rage.

A Hermes camper was wounded by a rock, an Aphrodite girl was smashed to a bloody pulp. Jake Mason himself was nearly slain when an Earthborn slammed its clubs into where he had previously stood. A lightning blast from Jason saved Jake.

Jason turned his attention back to the monster. The monster was making desperate attempts at wounding Jason by now, but Jason had to help the campers. Using his control over wind, be blasted the monster onto the top of the Hera cabin. He tried to finish the duel again, this time stabbing down with great ferocity . Instead of dying as expected, the monster recovered quicker than expected for its skill level. Wielding its weapon with great ferocity, the tide was suddenly turned: Jason was now trying desperately to get away from the whirlwind of destruction the monster had become.

A slash nearly took off Jason's hand. A stab nearly took his life. Jason knew he had to take the offensive again, which would have been easy if he was fighting the monster just now, but it was like the monster had suddenly been possessed by a much stronger entitly .

"Scared?" the monster twirled its weapon menacingly. "They said that Jason Grace is a great and clever commander. Yet he is outsmarted by a single monster!"

Jason understood now. The monster's previous inoffensiveness was a ruse. The monster was only letting out its full power now; while Jason was tired after the pursuit across the cabin roofs.

As they locked blades, the monster grinned evilly. Jason was still holding up, but the monster knew how to push him off the edge, both literally and figuratively.

"I shot your dear girlfriend," the monster said. "I watched the bolt hit her neck, I saw her twisting and crumbling to the ground, I watched the life fade out of her eyes!"

"No! She is not dead!" Jason cried out.

"Ah, yes..." The monster was beginning to overwhelm Jason by pure strength. "Travis Stoll! You must wonder why I know his name...how would you know what he said was true, when he told you McLean was still alive?"

Jason growled, and the monster suddenly lunged. But Jason saw what was happening. That lunge was so classical, Lupa had taught every single Roman now to defend against that one move.

Jason brought his sword vertically down, crying out in victory. There was no way the monster could dodge that. Its weapon was stretched far out to kill, and it could not possibly dodge aside when in mid air...but Jason's gladius completely missed.

It was another ruse again. The monster had lunged, but had landed on its feet, already out of Jason's reach, and as Jason's gladius slammed down on the cabin roof, the monster planted a boot on it. Jason struggled to bring his sword up.

Now Imperial Gold was a strong material. It could cut through leather, and probably most metals, quite easily. But the monster's boot was made out of steel so tough Jason could not break through it.

The monster stabbed and Jason was forced to let go of his gladius. Immediately the monster slammed Jason with the non-business end of his weapon and then kicked Jason off the roof.

Jason slammed onto the floor, hard. He felt the breath knocked out of him and a few bones probably broke.

The monster spent only a second to savour its victory. "The story of Jason Grace ends here!" it declared, and then jumped down an accurate killing blow.

But a brown blur the monster mid-air. The monster let out a cry of pain and Jason saw it's left hand fall to the ground next to him in splatters of golden dust.

"I got you, cupcake!" Coach Hedge yelled, as the monster struggled to block the onslaught of Hedge's club and hooves. The monster would probably had overpowered Hedge, but Jason used the wind to pick up his gladius and hurled it at the monster.

It hit the monster in its right leg.

The monster stumbled and Hedge seized the opportunity to bash the monster's remaining hand into golden dust. Jason got up to his feet and pointed the gladius to the monster's throat.

"Tell me who organized this attack. Surrender and you will be spared." Jason said coldly.

"There are things more frightening than death, son of Jupiter. I wish you good luck in the wars to come." With that, the monster slammed it's own neck into Jason's gladius, grinning. As the monster golden dust, Jason struggled to remove the image of its horrifying grin from his mind.

"Cupcake, you okay?" Hedge put his lean, furry arms on Jason's shoulders, steadying him. "I heard the commotion."

Jason listened carefully. The sounds of battle had stopped already, for better or for worse.

"Coach, call for medical attention in the training area! Piper's hurt, and all the children of Apollo are around here helping the wounded."

"Got it cupcake! You go check on her first, you're faster than these old satyr hooves!" Hedge joked, then ran off.

Jason flew towards the training area. He looked down at where the Earthborn had attacked the campers and saw Chiron along with the campers. There were three inert bodies that the Apollo covering up in sheets. There were.9 wounded, Jason counted.

10, counting Piper, he guessed.

He saw Hedge notify Will. Will nodded, barked orders to his siblings and then took off with Hedge.

Jason flew quicker than he ever had, landing before he reached the training area as his down. He ran towards where Piper lay. Travis knelt over her.

"Travis! Is Piper okkay?" He asked. When he got no reply, he walked over.

He was met with a horrifying sight.

Travis knelt over Piper, but he was not taking care of her. There was a sword shoved through his stomach. There was no blood, only shadows flowing out of the wound onto Piper's unconscious body. Travis' stomach wound was glowing black. So 's neck wound.

"What the fucking shit is this?" Jason heard Will swear. "Gods of Olympus," was all Hedge could manage.

Not only were Piper wounded. Connor Stoll had disappeared.

Jason's head swam. The monster knew Travis' name…, he thought weakly.

Jason crumpled to the ground and fainted.

A/N: Dun dun dun! What will happen next? What will be the effect of this battle on the quest? FInd out next chapter! RebelOfFate peace out!