Annabeth's fingers tightened around Percy's limp ones. Her face went pale, and her eyes shot bloodred. She looked around the room and Jason could hardly believe that she was the same person from a moment ago — strong, confident, commanding power. Jason was mostly knocked out when it happened, but it had become no short of a legend how the daughter of Athena had cleared a file of monsters with no more than a dagger as she had made way to the falling Percy in the battlefield. They say that she didn't even stop to pin the dagger out of a monster as she headed for another. The bodies had piled up, a battle cry had sounded, and every creature had cowered away. Yet a silent rubble looked back at him now as her helpless face almost begged Will, standing and tuggered almost as much as everyone. "We did everything we could — uh, I-I will, ahem, give you some time." He walked out of the cabin.
"And there's your flaw," Kym's voice was fresh as ever suddenly in Jason's thoughts, "being unable to step away."
Percy Jackson had stood up for his word. He hadn't run when his friends needed him the most. And when all seemed lost, when Gaia had nearly won, as Jason and Piper were falling headfirst onto the battlefield after unsuccessfully trying to keep Gaia in the air— a raging wave of water had engulfed all of them. Jason's memories of those last moments were hazy. Gaia had overpowered the struggling winds, which never had felt solid under the continually reforming Earth, and a solid boulder had come crashing onto Jason and Piper out of nowhere. Percy had held the situation, aware of his disadvantage as his powers drained in keeping Gaia away from the ground. But the wave remained, even as Percy fell to ground beneath a heap of creatures that wouldn't have dared to come near him otherwise. And yet he had desperately hung on till the last second, till his last breath as it seemed now. And they had started falling again. Jason remembered Tempest, the storm spirit, swooping in at the last moment. Jason remembered a feeling of not being poppycakes smeared on the ground, and a sense of control as he looked back and with astonishment found Gaia still afloat in a ball of water. Percy was fallen, but his last burst of spirit hadn't gone in vain. The winds glowered harder this time, a new sense of power surged through Jason — a new responsibility — and all around the ball of levitating water that held the most primevial of goddess desperately trying to reform, a storm heaved it higher. Piper was quicker than ever this time. She had convinced the soil to disperse about, and ended it all. There was a cannonball. And then a blast. Jason could close his eyes and still see the explosion, Leo lost in there somewhere, Gaia defeated for good.
Percy had done his job. He had turned the war around. To say, the storm and fire had brought her down, but in every which way the seas had played their part. And now he stood in front of the lifeless demigod who knew it all alon, yet never took his flaw as his weakness — Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon.
There was silence, and for a moment Jason wondered if the gods had ceased nature to crumble outside. And yet there was not a single movement from the lifeless body that laid powerless on the bed of the Apollo cabin. No breaths, and no heart beat.
And just like that, Percy Jackson sat up with a startling hard breath that meant to take up every last inch of the air it could. Annabeth jumped out of her skin. And each of the other seven demigods backed away waiting for an answer.
"Leo!" he screamed.
"Well that's exactly what you want to hear from your boyfriend when he comes out of the dead," Piper breathed in.
Jackson looked around, and blinked as his eyes adjusted to the dark. The moon glowed heavily around the room, and his face shone with sweat. "W-wait, that—" he said and paused considering what to say next. "You have got to be kidding me," he pushed himself out of the bed and out of the cabin, amongst the gaping faces of the others still too shocked to move.
Jason was the first to head out, and Percy could see others follow suit as he ran out in the woods, his bare foot twisting amongst the twigs. He knew where he was heading, and it seemed as if the forest moved about to make way. He jumped through a crack in the vegetation, which Percy could swear wasn't there a moment ago; and there he was standing, heaving in the cool trickle of the fresh creek. There had been so many years of memories here, but none compared to the urgency of it all, right now. He stood there and waited for the breeze to flow, for the creek to come to life. "Save Apollo, Poseidon son" he could hear the voice ringing in his head. But there was not a sound around. Then out of nowhere, a mud-ball came crashing down his back. Percy turned around his heels to face a red-faced Annabeth, glowering at him.
"Schist," he said under his breath.
"Perseus Seaweed-brain Jackson!" She pushed every word as she advanced towards him. "You try to die," she threw another mud-ball. "Then you come to life." Percy shielded his arms from the incoming. "And," she threw another, "You," another, "Run?!"
"Ow! Why do you have so many of these?"
"You Seaweed-brain," she suddenly stopped before him and landed a hard punch on his arm. And just like that they were kissing in the middle of the creek.
Hazel fanned herself in the cute way she always did. Hazel, Frank, Reyna, and almost every Roman demigod had stayed back for two months, now, as they waited Percy to get better, and for Leo to come back. When Percy would be told about it, he would go, "Aww, guys!" He would put his hand on his heart, and then crack a joke about Frank's transforming power because why not. When the camp would know, they would all cheer and there would be a feast. But at that moment, Percy thought of nothing else. He stood with the person he cared more than his life. He stood with the person who, as he would come to know, overpowered the battle with the monsters on the ground because of him. And he was content with standing there for as long as he could.
"Hey guys, miss me?" He said at last. The group of demigods, all at the same time, ran towards him. Percy staggered back as every one of those knocked him out of the balance into the creek. In a moment, laughter could be heard all around what had been a desolate and grieving battlefield for no less than two months. They stood up, dripping wet, except Percy (who could avoid that on his will).
"So let me get this straight," Jason said after they had all settled down. "You just come out of dead —"
"I keep hearing that. I was dead?"
"Super dead."
"Dam dead?"
"You do know that no one gets that joke here, don't you? I mean, it's not even a good one," Frank budged in shaking his head with a sigh. "Nevermind that, why in the world are we here?"
As if on cue, there was a wailing sound some way around them, and Percy was suddenly grinning at each of them. "Ah that is a wonderful question, me lad. You see, someone told me that I'm not alone in the dam dead."
"Wait, is that—?" Frank said as the sound became clearer this time.
"Awoo hoooooooo!" The sound echoed around the woods and this time even the dryads peeked about. A huge flying dragon was encircling the forest, and there on it, they could see a small, scrawny boy emptying his lungs in the cold, moonlit night.
Piper was the first to snap out of it. "Leo!"
"Heeyah," he said as they landed on the clearing just below the creek. "You started the party without me, didn't you?" He stepped off Festus, and grinned at each of them — his hands on his waist. "Leo, indeed, my girl, in flesh and blood. Ooh, and not just my awesome self — shall I introduce to you all — Percy drumrolls please," Percy drummed his knees, "Calypso Everdeen!"
The demigods watched as the daughter of Atlas dropped from Festus and hit Leo. "For the last time, my name is not Everdeen!"
"Well, you might as well have, you know, I keep telling you, you have to read the book — but hey wait a minute! Why am I standing here?" He turned to face everyone. "Where are all the hugs and kisses? C'mon guys, your man's back in town." Leo stepped forward as a scurry of eyes followed him. "Jason, ma'boy, come on here—" he stopped in his tracks, as Jason flipped a coin in the air and caught his sword. "Whoa, whoa, dude. You have that ... Again?"
"Curtsey of Zeus," Jason snickered. "Haven't used it since the giants. This seems like a great opportunity."
"Alright, see, we can talk this out,"/" he backed away. "Frank! Hazel! You understand that, don't you? I mean I told you guys. The whole sacrifice ... thingie?" Frank transformed into a grizzly, just then, and there was the loudest grawl that shook the forest and sprayed Leo with spit stains.
"What he said," added Hazel, crossing her arms, her brows raised. Leo gulped as he looked around. "Pipes ...?" He squeaked.
"Yeah?" But her voice held a tone of sarcasm, as she fiddled her dagger in her fingers. "Alright, so you are definitely not in a talking mood, I see" Leo backed away, "We'll check back in later, perhaps?"
"I hear people are coming back from the dead tonight?" There was a hard voice just behind Leo and he jumped out of his skin. As he turned, he could see the silhouette of a boy, leaning on the bark of a tree.
"Nico!" Leo was ecstatic.
And it was Nico, indeed, which was a surpise to them all. Jason had last seen him a whole month ago, after he had healed and accepted an internship in the underworld. It was true that he dropped in every now and then — strangely more often when Will Solace was around — but they hadn't talked for so long. And yet, Jason could see him, suddenly ut of nowhere.
"Wanna hug it out?" Leo was saying, but just as he started towards him, the grasses beneath his feet turned brown and withered away. "So I'm gonna take that as a no? Alright, here's what we are gonna do. We are all going to calm down. And ... And, we'll welcome Calypso, hell yeah! Have you met — Calypso?" Calypso was already standing among the group of demigods, hugging everyone, as if she was the one who they had known for years. "Come On, are you kidding me?"
Calypso turned, and blushed at the sudden comment. She came forward, and held Leo's hands. "What I was just telling these guys was that you sacrificed yourself for the greater good, and I kind of like your stupid face, so —"
"Excuse me — Like? Well that's an understatement, isn't it? One doesn't just like my stupid face, they love it!"
Calypso paused for a moment, and then pecked his cheek. And as she turned away, she said with a mischevious smile, "Oh do give him hell, guys."
"With pleasure," Jason said as his sword sparked.
"I have waited for this, just too long," Nico was standing in the moonlight now, his face turned in a smirk.
"GRAWL!" Frank added into the unison.
"I wanted to do this since the day I met you," Percy's riptide shone as it turned.
"W-w-wait, why are you getting excited? You were the one who sent the fish-ponies, weren't you? You knew exactly where I was. And while we are at it, why do you get off the lease for being dead?"
"You sent the fish-ponies?" said Jason lowering his sword as every demigod's eyes turned.
"Well, I have been a little ... busy. They seemed to ready to talk when I was dead, I guess."
"Good for you," Jason added and turned back, "And as for being dead, Leo, at least, he didn't deceive us—" but Leo was gone running for his life with the flow of the stream, gaining a fairly huge start. "Oh, no you don't," and Jason was off flying in a moment.
Leo had never run harder in his life. He chanced a glance, and he could see a huge tide following him, Percy sailing against the water. A raven swooped beside them, as Jason flew into the skyline, and for one moment Leo could see a silhouette pass into the shadow and disappear. Chuckles, and laughter filled the forest as the girls walked behind them.
"Are we really doing this? Think about it for a moment," Leo screamed over the wind.
"It seems alright to us," came a distant reply.
Leo looked forward again, and he had to smile. Because he was running, and this time not away from monsters or foster homes — which now, that he thought about it, weren't really different from the monsters — no, Leo ran because he could. And for once again, after a really long time, he could feel at home, free and running. The stars twinkled in the creek, and the breeze blew, his friends gaining on him, but he couldn't care less, the wind was cool — "Bloody hell," he cursed under his breath as he stopped in his tracks. Nico appeared from in front of him, cracking his knuckles in the most obvious manner.
"Well that's very unfair," he said under his heaving breath, and for the first time in his life, Leo saw Nico smile — not a smirk, or a crappy attempt to fake it — an actual smile etched on his face. It was not for very long, though, for only the next moment his eyes widened and he turned and ran in the opposite direction. "Huh?" Leo said, and as he turned a wave of tide washed him as it passed, with Percy screaming, "Big Schiiiiiiissstt!" as he held onto Annabeth. Jason flew with Piper. A raven dove and bit on his neck as it flew away, before Leo could do anything. It was dark and confusing but Leo could make out a black streak streaming down the stream — which was no doubt Arion, Hazel's gold eating horse — but he could soon see what the sudden change was about. For just around the bend, Leo could see the patrol harpies swarming down towards them.
So scratch that, Leo was still running away from monsters: Demigod 101. Leo sighed as he started running like a madman. "Guys? A little help here." Arion stopped right in front of him, and Calypso offered a hand. "So I'm not going to be beaten up?" Leo looked up at Hazel as he climbed.
"Don't push your luck, Valdez," was all he heard before the wind was zapped away from them as Arion moved. "Where are we going?" He tried to ask.
"I don't know about you, but Calypso holds onto Arion."
"What?" It was too late before he realised. Arion stopped so hard that the soil bundled before his hooves. And Leo was thrown away into the air. So this is how I'm gonna die, he thought. But before he could get down on his knees and confess his darkest secrets — which according to a general consensus was a missed opportunity — the ocean came up to meet him. A second later he was thrown up again, and tumbled through the air as strong winds rounded him up. An eagle of the size of a griffin came out of thin air, just then, and Leo was flying really hard until it left him and he was falling even harder.
But as Leo fell, he could see Camp Half-Blood. Lights in many cabins had gone up. He could see the strawberry fields, the canoe lake, the forests and everything he loved. He looked down and there his friends were swimming in the ocean in the middle of the night, a swarm of monsters trying to protect them standing on the bay — and yet it all made sense.
"Cannonball!" Leo screamed as his body turned to flames, and that still made sense. Soon, the camp would be up again, and the ocean would be filled with underage kids swimming for their delight. But for now, Leo could see it — a hope, though of course impractical, because a demigod's life is never that — but he could see that it made all the more sense. To be part of the adventure that led to this precise moment.
He was a part of the story. A demigod.