Chapter 1: Leo's return

Jason

It had been a month since the final battle against Gaea and things were finally starting to go back to normal. Jason had just returned to camp half-blood and was spending some quality time with Piper and Chiron, but for some reason Rachel Dare had also returned the camp, saying that she finally got her gift of prophesy back. Chiron was talking to Jason and Piper about the prophesy that Rachel had delivered.

"Wait you're suggesting that the two in the prophesy are us?" Jason asked.

"Well the prophesy said, 4 demigods shall come forth, storm and fire will burn the forth, the words and shadows are the key, while eternal rest does prophesy, the one immortal, immortal no more, while demigods land on the eastern shore. That was the full prophesy." Chiron replied.

"Alright, but what does it mean?" Jason asked.

"Well the storm part is obviously you, and shadows can only be Nico, words is most likely someone with charm speak, Piper, and the fire is most likely…" Chiron said.

"Leo." Piper said, interrupting.

"But Leo's dead, we saw him die. There's no coming back from that." Jason said.

Before any of them could say another word, a son of Apollo came running up the path.

"I have an urgent message from cabin 9!" He said, reaching the porch.

"What is it?" Chiron asked.

"Cabin 9 reported that they have been seeing a dragon in the woods, a dragon that is stealing food from their old dragon traps."

"Festus!" Jason and Piper said at the same time.

"But Festus was destroyed in the explosion, how is he here now?" Jason questioned.

"Cabin 9 never did find any trace of Festus in the explosion, it is possible he survived." Piper speculated.

"Hmm I suppose your right, but still it's very likely that Leo would have died in that explosion, how could Leo be alive." Jason said.

"Living or not I am going to go look for Festus, it may at least give us closure on what happened." Piper said, standing.

Jason knew he had to go with, if there was a chance that Leo was alive, Jason had to find him. Piper ran off into the woods, and Jason followed close behind. Jason looked back, and saw that Nico, who had fully recovered, was following them. He appeared to be attempting to catch up to them. Finally they all reached the first of the traps that were never taken down. And sure enough the motor oil had been taken, but the trap had not been activated. It was almost as if someone who knew the mechanics of the trap took the motor oil, without the trap activating. Then he saw it, Jason saw foot prints that were leading away from the trap, and deeper into the woods. There were 3 sets, one that was a giant claw print, and two smaller sets roughly normal sized human tracks. Jason adjusted the glasses that he wore, he knew something was going on, something that involved Leo, and Jason intended to find out exactly what it was.

"Tracks, 3 sets." Jason said, pointing at the tracks.

"Hmm two are Leo and Festus, but who is the third?" Piper questioned.

"One way to find out." Jason said, and with that the trio followed the tracks, they tracked them for a long time until they reached it, the bunker that only one person could open. Bunker 9, which only seemed to open for Leo. The bunker hadn't been touched since the battle against Gaea, but the dust covering the floor appeared to have been tampered with, and disturbed. Someone had been inside bunker 9, and the tracks went in but not out. Whoever was in there was still there. Jason knew that they had to figure out who it was, but how would they get in? The lock was designed so only a child of Hephaestus could open it. Jason knew there was one other way, but he did not want to ask Nico to shadow travel after what happened last time… This time Jason simply decided to knock on the door, and hope whoever was in there would open the door. Jason stepped up to the door, and knocked on it. There was silence for what felt like a millennia, but was more like a minute. Then, some gear's started to turn and the door began to open. The door opened, revealing the abandoned bunker 9, where there was nothing but a bronze suit case, a few scattered blueprints, and some foot prints leading inside. Jason and the others followed the foot print trail, it went all over the bunker and finally ended at a door, a door which appeared to be locked. Jason put his ear to the door, and he could hear someone breathing inside, two people was more accurate. There was definitely someone in there but the only way into the mysterious room was locked from the inside. Jason looked around the room, it appeared that someone had begun building something, and the design looked strangely similar to the Argo II. But that must have been a coincidence, the chances of that being the same design was impossible, the only person who knew that design was Leo.

"Someone's here, behind that door." Jason whispered to the others. Jason reached for the handle of the door, and sure enough the door was locked. But he could hear two people behind the door, they were talking to each other, and he could almost make out one of the voices. Finally he recognized it, but then he stepped back, unable to believe what he had just heard.

"Jason? Are you ok?" Piper asked.

But Jason could only stare at the door, the voice he had heard it could have been who he thought it was, he was dead.

"Jason what did you hear?" Nico asked

"I heard Leo, he's behind the door." Jason said.

And just at that moment the door clicked, and unlocked. And from inside a small, scrawny head poked out. Leo opened the door.

"Hey guys…" Leo said.