Hello readers!
A slight delay in updating, but regardless, part 2 is up! Thank you for your patience :) Quick shoutouts and onto the story!
Shoutout to Zline for favoriting this story!
Shoutouts to WiseGirl5 and Zline for joining the following!
HUGE SHOUTOUT to KrazyKittyKat3 for being such an AWESOME and repeat reviewer!
Please enjoy the 6th Entry in Leo's Logbook!
-Ardoa88
Entry #6: Thankless Work 2
Leo was right, this is truly amazing! Piper thought with a smile, snuggling closer to Jason as her eyes watched the sky. She felt his arm come around her shoulder, holding her tight while another boom rattled the atmosphere; bright orange and green and purple and red hues coloring the night sky.
It wasn't just a fireworks display. It was a fireworks show.
The multi-colored explosions painted a picture among the starry expanse, of brave Greek heroes and fearsome mythical monsters. Showers of sparks rippled from above as a green and purple firework Hercules defeated the orange and red Anemian Lion. Piper didn't know how Leo's cabin had managed to concoct this moving-picture-slash-firework marvel, but it was breathtaking.
A high-pitched screech ripped through the cheers of the demigod spectators before another burst of light illuminated the darkness. This time it was a hydra, hued a poisonous blue-purple, the seven-headed serpentine beast snapping at Hercules. Each time the fabled hero cut down one of the hydra heads, there was another set of explosions as two more fireworks took its place.
Absolutely spectacular.
If only Leo were here to enjoy it with them. The hispanic had promised Piper he would join them for dinner and sit with them through the show. The Daughter of Aphrodite frowned; come to think of it, she hadn't seen Leo at dinner either…
I wonder where he is?
"Where who is?"
Piper started, not realizing she had spoken aloud. Jason looked down at her, an eyebrow raised in confusion as he waited for her answer.
"Leo." She replied, "He said he was going to meet us at the banquet dinner, remember?"
Jason didn't respond immediately, but from the pinch between his brows, she could tell he'd forgotten. "He's probably just with his cabinmates." Jason said, waving a hand towards the base of the hill where the pyrotechnics were set up. "It is a pretty big event. I'm sure he's helping them ensure everything runs smoothly."
"Yeah… probably." Piper hummed distractedly, her eyes no longer aimed at the sky as she squinted towards the bottom of the hill.
Jason shifted away a bit, arm sliding halfway down her back as he studied her expression. "I know that look."
"What look? I don't have a look."
"You totally have a look." Jason teased. "It's that 'I'm worried about something' look."
Piper huffed, feeling her cheeks grow a little warm. "Well… I am a little worried. Leo's been working himself to death over that ship of his. He barely has the time to hang out with us anymore, and then, when he says he will, he doesn't show up? Does that sound like Leo to you?"
It was Jason's turn to hum in thought. "No." He admitted after a moment. "Not really."
Piper nodded, decision made as she stood. "I'm gonna go look for him."
Jason stood as well, dusting his hands off on his jeans. "I'm coming too." He said, flashing her a quick smile.
The Daughter of Aphrodite felt her heart melt a little under the smile, her own features reciprocating the expression before turning and striding purposefully down the hill. The members of cabin nine were scurrying about the base of the firework setup, and in the low light it was difficult to make out one from the other. After a moment of scanning the faces, Piper spotted a tall, muscled girl in a tank top and bandana.
"Nyssa!" Piper's voice was drowned out by the sound of three fireworks going off in rapid succession as Hercules finally defeated the hydra. There was a brief break from the explosions as the colors faded from the sky; the trials of Hercules shifting to make way for another Greek tale.
She tried again, "Nyssa!"
This time the demigod Daughter of Hephaestus looked up, turning around to see Piper and Jason making their way towards her.
"Hey guys! Enjoying the show?" She asked with a grin.
"The show's amazing!" Piper breathed with a matching smile. "How'd you get the fireworks to move like that?"
The Daughter of Hephaestus tilted her head and shrugged. "Jake figured out a way with the help of the Hecate kids." Her grin faded slightly, "You're… not supposed to be down here, actually."
"We know," Piper hurried to assure. "We just wanted to see if Leo was with you."
Nyssa's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I though he said he was gonna watch the show with you two?"
"He did." Jason affirmed with a nod. "But he never showed."
Thick eyebrows crashed down like waves upon a rocky shore. The older demigod practically growling, "What do you mean he never showed? Don't tell me he- ooh, I'm gonna kill him."
Piper felt a bit of her worry fade. "You know where he is?" It sure sounded like the older girl did.
"If he's not with you and he's not with us-"
Leo's half-sibling was cut off as the next round of fireworks was jettisoned into the air. After a brief pause she continued.
"Then he's still in the Bunker." Nyssa scowled, looking off into the woods. "And I'm gonna kill him."
"Uh," Jason raised a finger, "Chiron probably wouldn't approve of bloodshed on New Years Eve…"
"I'm sure Leo just lost track of the time." Piper added. "We'll go see if we can find him."
Nyssa shook her head, waiting for the next set of fireworks to go off before replying, "No, it's alright, you guys go enjoy the show, I can go drag Leo's butt out of that f-"
Boom!
"-ing hanger."
"It's no trouble." Piper said dismissively. "He's our friend. And besides, you've got a show to run."
There was a silent moment in which Nyssa gave the two demigods a critical once-over: then she sighed. "Fine. Just, when you find him, tell him I'll kick his a-" Boom! "-into next week if he doesn't come out."
"We will." Jason assured with a wave, as he and Piper turned towards the forest.
They found him in the Bunker, just as Nyssa said. Piper had only been to the secluded workshop a few times since arriving back at Camp Half-Blood. It was just as cluttered as the previous times, but the Daughter of Aphrodite was impressed by the amount of progress that had been made on the ship. The rear hull had been attached to the framework, and the deck was coming together. The main mast was standing tall, and even the masthead base appeared to be well under-way into its construction.
Leo was aloft. The hispanic having shimmied up the rigging until he was straddling the lower cross support of the main mast; banging away at the celestial bronze with a comically large wooden mallet. A continual, rhythmic pounding echoed around the bunker, drowning out the sound of Piper and Jason's approaching footsteps.
"Hey, Leo. Leo?" Piper raised her voice a bit more. "LEO!" The Son of Hephaestus' paused in his motions, looking up from the mast with a frown, arm drawn back for another swing. "Down here!" Piper directed, waving her hand up at him.
Leo's head swiveled in their direction, the mechanic leaning back on his precarious perch to peer down at the ground. Brown eyes lighted upon the two demigods and a smile spread across his face. Leo waved his tool-free arm at them. "Oh, hey guys- whoa!" The mechanic's greeting turned into a shout as he overextended his wave: arms pinwheeling frantically to try to regain his balance.
Piper gasped audibly as gravity won out, watching as Leo crashed to the deck with an undignified yelp. Jason was moving a split second before her, rushing up the gangplank. Piper followed at his heels, arriving on deck to see Leo propping himself up on his elbows, rubbing one hand behind his neck.
"Ow…" The mechanic muttered.
"Ow?" Piper's voice cracked slightly, her heart still racing as Jason offered the hispanic a hand up. "You just took a seven foot tumble and all you say is 'ow'?"
"Um…" Leo blinked in confusion, glancing at Jason then back at Piper. "Yeah?"
"Why weren't you wearing a safety harness?" Piper scolded, "You made me wear one when I came by a few weeks ago- so don't say you don't have any."
Leo, who's had opened his mouth, closed it with a snap, mocha cheeks coloring slightly. "Geez, Beauty Queen, chill. I know what I'm doing."
"Falling, apparently." The Daughter of Aphrodite retorted. But her tone was kind, the panic from seeing her friend fall already starting to fade away.
The mechanic huffed, reaching up to accept Jason's offered hand, the taller demigod easily hauling Leo to his feet with casual muscle.
"You okay?" Jason asked simply, a modicum of concern still tinting his words.
"Yeah, I'm good." Leo answered seriously, before his trademark grin split his face. "You know me, Superman, they don't call me hard headed for nothing."
Jason chuckled while Piper groaned.
"Anyway," Leo bent down to pick up the fallen hammer. "What brings you guys to Bunker Nine?"
"You missed dinner." Piper answered, folding her arms across her chest.
Leo nearly dropped the mallet, head swiveling to stare at them in shock. "What? I did?" Chocolate eyes snapped over to the clock on the wall. "No, that can't be right it's only 6:15."
Jason frowned at the clock, watching it for a moment. "Leo… that clock's not moving."
The Son of Hephaestus blinked, long and slow. His voice was quiet and hesitant when he spoke (two words Piper never thought she'd never use when describing the hispanic). "Then… what time is it now?"
"10:35."
Plop.
Leo stared down at the dropped tool, making no move to pick it up. There was a strange expression on his face, something that looked like… shame. But, no, that couldn't be right, Piper shook her head slightly, this is Leo we're talking about; Energetic, goofy, little-brother-like Leo.
And yet, the hispanics next words were strained. "So that means- the show- I… Maldito!" With a swift kick the mallet was sent skittering across the workshop, smashing into a pile of scrap metal.
Piper and Jason exchanged a concerned look. The latter stepped forwards, "Hey, it's okay-"
"No, it's not okay!" Leo snapped, running a hand through his disheveled hair as he began to pace in a small circle. "I promised the others I would be there to watch it and yet- argh! I should've been paying closer attention to the time. I can't believe I missed it- Soy un gran idiota!"
"You are many things, Leo Valdez- a jokester, a workaholic, a pyromaniac- but an idiot is not one of those things." Piper said firmly, reaching out and grabbing Leo's elbow to stop his movements, turning the hispanic to face her. The Son of Hephaestus fidgeted slightly, but didn't try to pull away, his eyes finding the floor suddenly incredibly interesting. His demeanor reminded Piper of a child waiting to be scolded from stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. "It's not your fault that the clock's broken." The Daughter of Aphrodite continued in a gentler tone.
"Besides, you didn't miss the whole show." Jason added. "It only started fifteen minutes ago."
"Yeah, but-" Leo made a weak gesture towards the door. "By the time we get back-"
"Whoever said we had to go back?" Jason interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "The workshop does have roof access, doesn't it?"
After a moment, understanding dawned on the mechanics face and a small smile pulled at his lips. "Yes, actually… yeah, it does. Follow me."
He turned, leading them through to the back of Bunker Nine and up a small set of spiral stairs. With each step the tension in the hispanics shoulders seemed to lessen, and Piper made a silent promise to check in on her friend more often. The outside air was crisp and cool, a soft wind rippling across the top of the trees. A loud pop split the sky, the blue and green firework exploding into existence above the canopy. Leo, Jason, and Piper sat back on the shallow roof, three sets of eyes fixed upon the aerial light show.
A few moments passed in companionable silence. Then Leo said, "Thanks, guys. And I'm sorry about not meeting you for dinner."
"There's nothing to apologize for, Leo." Piper flashed him a smile, having to turn her head slightly. "But- just so you know- you are allowed to take a break from working once in a blue moon."
A grimace flashed across Leo's face, but it was gone in an instant, leaving Piper to wonder if it had even been there at all of if it was some trick of the light. The mechanic proceeded to feign shock, gasping dramatically and slapping a pam to his forehead. "You mean the mythical concept of 'breaks' is real? By the gods- I must tell the others of this monumental discovery at once!" He declared sarcastically.
Jason laughed. "You're not funny, Valdez."
"Oh?" Leo's smirk grew. "Just like how you're totally not laughing right now, Grace?"
"I'm only laughing because the joke was so terrible."
"That's ridiculous!"
"You're both ridiculous." Piper chuckled, hooking one arm around each boy's shoulder: Leo on her left, Jason on the right. As their laughter died down and the demigods returned their attention to the stars, Piper realized she wouldn't want to have it any other way. "Happy New Years, you guys."
Fin! Thanks for reading!
Thanks again to everyone who continues to read and enjoy these little one-shots. I know they're sparatically updated, so here's a SUPER HUGE shoutout to all of my guest readers! :D
Final things:
First, to KrazyKittyKat: I know right?! It's almost like someone was writing her to be so mean... ;P But in all seriousness, yes, I'd imagine she would be plenty stressed about Percy's 'missing' status. Though, she really shouldn't be yelling at poor Leo. He's doing his best. Thanks again for your review! It really made my day :)
That's all for today! I hope everyone had a wonderful New Years Eve :D
As always, feel free to drop me a review, comment, critique, suggestion, or what have you. It is incredibly motivating to get feedback from wonderful readers like you.
-Ardoa88