| “ | I hope you like it here, Leo. It used to be... really nice. | ” |
–Jake talking to Leo Valdez in The Lost Hero | ||
Jake Mason is a Greek demigod and a son of Hephaestus. He was the temporary Head Counselor for his cabin after Charles Beckendorf's death. He voluntarily gave up the position to Leo Valdez after Leo completed his first quest to free Hera.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
The Last Olympian
Jake was hastily made head counselor of Hephaestus' Cabin after his brother, Charles Beckendorf, died in the explosion of the Princess Andromeda. He attended a council meeting after that and managed to smile when Michael Yew fought with Clarisse La Rue. At the meeting, Jake proposed that they could stop the Great Prophecy from happening if they destroyed Kronos' Scythe, saying that it was the cursed blade.
Later, Jake and the other campers gathered in New York for the Battle of Manhattan and gathered on Olympus. Jake was bewildered when the entire city was put asleep and wouldn't know what was happening in the city. At Percy's request, Jake took his siblings from his cabin to guard the Holland Tunnel, and Jake gladly accepted, and told Percy he had a settle to score for Beckendorf, making his cabin roar in approval. Jake also reminded Percy that there was still Lincoln Tunnel to guard, which he forgot, but it ended up being guarded by the Hunters of Artemis.
Jake later saw Percy at the Plaza Hotel, when the campers gathered there to see Annabeth. Jake was glad to see Percy and clapped him on the shoulder, saying they were getting reports, but Percy immediately cut him off asked where Annabeth was. Jake said she was on the terrace and was alive before Percy cut him off yet again. Jake stood very quietly in the back of the room while Annabeth was healed and while he talked to Thalia Grace, that Percy forgot Jake was even there. Jake told Percy that when he arrived at the Williamsburg bridge, Kronos likely knew what he was doing there and shifted his tactics to their weakest points, and attacking the weakest held places. Jake also reminded Percy and Grover Underwood that anyone could be the spy.
The next day, Jake and some members his cabin were leading an army of statues to attack the enemy to the east on Park Avenue. Jake and his cabin also designed the Camp's bead that year when summer was over.
The Heroes of Olympus
The Lost Hero
Hephaestus, his father
Before the events of the book, Jake had tried his best to be a leader of his cabin, but he never wanted to be a leader. Jake tried to capture Festus to stop the Curse of Cabin nine, but he failed, and was severely injured, being put into a full body cast. After Jake became incapacitated, his sister, Nyssa Barrera, became head counselor.
Jake was visited by Leo Valdez and Will Solace after Leo was claimed by Hephaestus. Jake was sitting on a bunk bed, with his whole body in a cast but his face, which was very puffy and bruised. Jake introduced himself and said he would shake his hand, but he couldn't get up. Jake smiled when Leo told him to not get up, but he winced as if it was painful to move. Jake welcomed Leo to Cabin 9 and said that they haven't had any new kids in almost a year, and when Will asked, he said the others were down at the forges. He then asked Leo if he believed in curses or ghosts, and when he said he didn't, he gave him Beckendorf's bed, shocking Will, who asked him if he was sure about that. When Will found out that his cabin had underground rooms, Jake said that Apollo kids cannot have all the fun and that their cabin has been excavating the tunnels for almost a century. Will and Jake then explained to Leo the Second Titan War, and Jake said he was lucky to miss it, since Beckendorf was one of the first casualties. After Leo realized the cabin was cursed, Jake decided to get some sleep and said he hoped he liked the cabin, since it used to be really nice. He fell asleep.
Jake isn't seen until Leo returned from the Quest for Hera. Jake was out of his body cast, but he was still on crutches. Leo showed Jake and his cabin mates that he had fire powers, and Jake was in awe, saying that it was very rare. He became even more stunned when he was show Bunker 9. Jake wondered who built the place, and why, which Chiron explained. Jake also read the design of the Argo II he found in the bunker, and found out they have to build it. Jake was very impressed with Leo and said that this was the biggest honor they've ever had, and said he was the new senior counselor. He asked for objections, and when there were none, he officially made Leo counselor. Over the next six months, Leo helped build the Argo II with his siblings.
The House of Hades
Leo missed Jake and his siblings greatly, after he heard they celebrated the Fourth of July, and he hoped they had a good celebration. Jake and his siblings also set up fireworks for the Camp.
The Blood of Olympus
Jake attended a council meeting (he and Nyssa were head counselors after Leo's absence) to discuss the Siege of Camp Half-Blood. Jake was angry at Octavian for leading the attack and called him a "Roman dirt-wipe". He said the reason Apollo was likely hiding was because he was embarrassed of his descendant, and said that if he was his descendant, he would hide too, which Will agreed to. Jake also expressed anger and frowned at Connor Stoll for stealing his traps and snares from his cabin, after he suggested trying to defeat the Romans that way.
The Nico di Angelo Adventures
The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure
Will mentions the son of Hephaestus to Nico when saying his coming out gave Jake and others the courage to come out as well.
Appearance
When he is first seen in The Lost Hero, he is covered in a full body cast and in a wheelchair, due to his run-in with Festus and, as he believes, the Curse of Cabin Nine.
Abilities
Leo Valdez, his half-brother and successor
- He is an expert builder.
- Technokinesis: As the son of Hephaestus, he can manipulate machines.
- He is an expert mechanic.
- He can sense machines, mechanics, or metal.
- He can identify machinery type and use by touch.
- He can sense faults in metal ore.
- He can find and sense traps in the ground.
Trivia
- Jake is the only known Head Counselor to have willingly resigned.
- His last name, Mason, is an allusion to his father, since a mason is someone who builds.
- As revealed in The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure, he is LGBT.