ᴾʰᵒᵇᵒᵖʰᵒᵇⁱᵃ [ᴶᵃˢᵒⁿ ᴳʳᵃᶜᵉ]

αθ.

αθ. aerophobia - fear of planes/helicopters

Aza avoided looking at Piper and her father on the helicopter ride to the Oakland Airport. She did her best to block out their soft whispers as the daughter of Aphrodite explained what happened to her father. 

Aza hoped that Piper's father would be able to handle the truth - that the Greek gods were real, and that he had fathered a demigod with Aphrodite, the goddess of love. But she had learned the hard way that some people weren't able to live with the knowledge - she wished her mother had been stronger, or that her father had picked some other mortal woman out of the millions that could handle the truth - that could handle having a child like her.

"You were... amazing, Az," Jason said. Aza didn't know how, but their ring fingers were still interlocked, resting between them on the cool seat of the helicopter. She turned to look at him, but before the blonde could continue, Leo quipped, "Great, another conversation I have to tune out. Thanks, guys."

Aza swatted Leo beside her, releasing Jason's hand, and she gave the curly-haired boy a threatening look. Leo shrugged and turned away from the two, pulling red and black paperclips from his pocket and beginning to fiddle with them. Aza scowled at his back, and turned back to Jason, who gave her a small smile as he angled his body to face her more. 

"Tell me more about how amazing I was," Aza gave him a playful smile, her tongue poking slightly through her teeth. "I can never hear it enough."

"Your ego rivals the gods," Jason rolled his electric blue eyes, but when he focused back on her once more, his face melted back to a soft look, and he gave her a gentle smile. Aza felt her face grow warmer, and she suddenly felt nervous talking to him alone - she almost wanted Leo to turn around and quip about something. "But you looked... unstoppable. You looked like you could take on an army. It was... like nothing I've ever seen before. And then you snapped his weapon like it was nothing. You turned the tides of the battle completely. It was outstanding - you were outstanding."

Aza blushed and she looked away, trying to hide her cheeks. Almost immediately, a spark buzzed through Aza, one stronger than the others. She looked up towards Jason, who moved his hand back away from hers and stared determinately at the floor.

"I'm sorry." Jason shot her a quick glance and bit his lip anxiously, running a hand through his close-cropped hair. "I don't know why it happens."

"Don't worry about it," Aza smiled at him, and her heart beat a little faster in her chest when she reached for Jason's hand, lacing her pinky around his. He reciprocated immediately, straightening slightly - another shock ran through Aza's body. She jolted again, and before Jason could apologize, Aza said, "I don't mind. I think it's hilarious actually."

Jason's brows furrowed and Aza added, "It's a good thing."

The two sat in silence until the helicopter neared the Oakland Airport. With one sentence from Piper, they were cleared to land. Aza was the first to jump off the helicopter, stretching out her limbs while the others followed.

"What now?" Jason asked Piper, and everyone looked towards her. Piper swallowed heavily, and she looked between her friends and her father. They still had to get to Hera before sunset.

"First thing," Piper cleared her throat. "I-I have to get my dad home. I'm sorry, guys."

Aza's stomach churned, and her face drooped - they needed Piper. She was the dove in their prophecy; they needed her to save Hera. But, if Aza were in her place, she knew that she would choose the same for Sally Jackson, the woman who had taken the mother-less Aza under her wing. Or Clarisse, who had raised Aza for as long as she had remembered, even though she was two years older.