𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐒 leo valdez

xii. PLAYING TAG WITH WIND SPIRITS

LEO.

——-    "Cyclops!" Jason's eyes snapped open.

Piper held onto him to keep his place on the back of the bronze dragon as Leo piloted it himself. "Woah, sleepyhead." Piper coaxes. As if nothing had happened, as if the Cyclopes where never a threat, the four demigods peacefully flew through the snowy air.

As he recollected, Jason stammered, "D-Detroit... didn't we crash land? I thought — "

"It's okay, we got away. You got a nasty concussion though, how do you feel?" Leo called from out in front of Jason. Leo could tell his friend was still feeling the pain from his previous ailment.

"How did you — the Cyclops — "

"Leo annihilated them! It was amazing, he summoned fire and — " Y/n began. Leo felt his face grow hot.

"It was nothing." Leo said quickly. His shoulders scrunched up and his face tensed. Leo didn't know what was wrong with him; he pouted and pushed the thoughts out of his head.

"Shut up Valdez," Piper laughed, "He'll know eventually. Get over it." She joked.

Her and Y/n proceeded to explain everything that happened back at the warehouse — starting with how he defeated all the Cyclopes by himself, freed Piper and Jason, and replaced Festus's wiring and get them all back into the air just as they heard the Cyclopes roaring for vengeance inside the factory.

Leo's face felt hotter and tenser at the way a certain someone had described his previous actions, and it was extremely embarrassing; even though no one could see him.

Piper told Jason about the kid in the purple shirt speaking Latin that the Cyclopes ate previously and from his time Leo could tell he was shocked. "I'm not alone, then." Jason began, "There are others like me."

"You were never alone, Jason. You've got us." Piper reassured.

"I — I know, but something Hera said... I was having a dream..." At that Jason then explained his dream. The exchange, his sister, and the threat in Chicago.

"An exchange? What does that mean?" Piper inquired. Leo noticed that Y/n was being oddly quiet, which wasn't unlike her. But it the recent hours, Leo had thought she was opening up to the three, and the only time she had acted like this was when she was keeping a big secret. He was concerned.

"I'm not sure, but Hera's gamble was me. Just by sending me to Camp Half-Blood, I have a feeling that she broke some kind of rule, something that could blow up in a big way — "

"Or save us." Piper hoped, "That bit about a sleeping enemy sounds like that lady Leo told us about."

Leo cleared his throat, "About that... she kind of appeared to me back in Detroit, in a pool of Porta-Potty sludge."

Jason did a double take, "Porta-Potty sludge?"

Leo then elaborated and explained what had happened after Y/n had walked off after the two left the factory, and what the giant face in the ground had said. "I don't know if she's completely unkillable, but she cannot be defeated by toilet seats. I can vouch for that. She wanted me to betray you guys and I was like 'Pfft, right, I'm gonna listen to a face in the potty sludge.' "

Most of his friends were silent at his attempt to lighten the diminishing mood, but he at least got a small chuckle out of Y/n.

Piper sighed, "She's trying to divide us."

"What's wrong?" Jason asked.

"I just... Why are they toying with us? Who is this lady and how is she connected to Enceladus?"