Leo

Aphros looked like his brother, except he was blue instead of green and much, much bigger. He had Arnold-as-Terminator abs and arms, and a square, brutish head. A huge, Conan approved sword was strapped across his back. Even his hair was bigger, a massive globe of blue-black frizz so thick that his lobster claw horns papered to be drowning as they tried to swim their way to the surface.

"Is that why they call you Aphros?" Leo asked as they glided down the path from the cave. "Because of the Afro?"

Aphros scowled. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing," Leo said quickly. At least he wouldn't have trouble remembering which fish-horse was which. "So what are you guys exactly?"

"Ichthyocentaurs," Aphros answered, sounding like it was a question he was tired of answering.

"Uh, icky what?"

"Fish centaurs. We are the half brothers of Chiron."

"Oh, he's a friend of mine!"

Aphros eyes narrowed. "The one called Hazel told us this, but we will determine the truth. Come."

Leo didn't like the sound of determine the truth. It made him think of torture racks and red-hot pokers.

He followed the fish centaur through a massive forest of kelp. Leo could've darted to one side and gotten lost in the plants easily, but he didn't try. For one thing, Aphros could probably travel a lot faster then him in water,and the guy might be able to shut off the magic that was letting Leo breath and move. Inside or outside the cave, Leo was just as much a captive. And that didn't even take in account that Leo had no clue where he was.

They drifted between rows of green-and-yellow kelp that were as tall as apartment buildings, but they swayed weightlessly, like columns of helium balloons. High above, Leo saw a smudge of white that might've been the sun. He guessed they'd been here overnight. Was the Argo II all right? Had it sailed on, or were their friends still searching for them?

Leo remembered that Tobias had guessed they were about a mile underwater. A mile had sounded like a lot, but if plants could grow down here and sunlight could be seen, then it didn't seem that deep. Still, they couldn't just swim to the surface. He'd heard about people who ascended too quickly and developed nitrogen bubbles in their blood. Leo would like to avoid carbonated blood very much.

They drifted along for maybe half a mile. Leo wanted to ask Aphros where he was taking him, but the big sword strapped to the centaurs back sort of discouraged conversation. When the kelp forest finally opened up, Leo gasped. They were standing (swimming, whatever) at the summit of a high underwater hill. Below them stretched an entire town of Greek-style buildings on the seafloor.

The roofs were tiles with mother-of-pearl. The gardens were filled with coral and sea anemones. Hippocampi, half horse and half fish, grazed in a field of seaweed. A team of Cyclopes were placing a domed roof on a new temple, using a blue whale as a crane. And swimming through the streets, hanging out in the courtyards, practicing combat with tridents and swords in the arena, were dozen of mermen and mermaids. Honest-to-goodness fish-people. Now, Leo had seen some crazy stuff, but he always thought merpeople were silly fictional creatures like the Smurfs or Muppets.

There was absolutely nothing cute or silly about these merpeople, though. Even from a distance, they looked fierce and not at all human. Their eyes glowed yellow. They had shark like teeth and leathery skin in colors ranging from coral red to ink black.

"It's a training camp," Leo realized. He looked at Aphros in awe. "You train heros, the same way Chiron does?"

Aphros nodded, a glint of pride in his eyes. "We have trained all the greatest mer-heros! Name a mer-hero, and we have trained him or her!"

"Oh, sure," Leo said, trying to not look like a idiot. "Like...um, The Little Mermaid?" Ok, maybe that was harder than he thought.

Aphros frowned. "Who? No! Like Triton, Glaucus, Weissmuller, and Bill!"

"Oh." Leo had no idea who any of those people were. "You trained Bill? Impressive."

"Indeed!" Aphros pounded his chest. "I trained Bill myself. A great merman."

"You teach combat, I guess."

Aphros threw up his hands in exasperation. "Why does everyone assume that?"

Leo glanced at the massive sword on the fish-mans back. "Uh, I don't know."

"I teach music and poetry!" Aphros said. "Life skills, home making! These are important for heros."

"Oh, absolutely." Leo tried to keep a straight face. "Sewing? Cookie baking?"

"Yes. I'm glad you understand. Perhaps later, if I don't have to kill you, I will share my brownie recipe." Aphros gestured behind him contemptuously. "My brother Bythos, he teaches combat."

Leo didn't know if he should be relieved or insulted that the combat trainer was interrogating Frank and Tobias while he was stuck with the home economics teacher. "So, great. This is Camp...what do you call it? Camp Fish-Blood?"

Aphros frowned. "I hope that was a joke. This is Camp _." He made a sound that was a series of sonar pings and hisses.

"Silly me," Leo said. "And you know, I could really go for some of those brownies! So what do we have to do to get to the not killing me stage?"

"Tell me your story," Aphros said.

Leo hesitated, but not for long. Something in him told him to tell the truth, so he started at the beginning. He told Aphros how Hera had been his babysitter and place him in the flames, how his mother had died because of Gaea, who had identified Leo as a future enemy. He talked about how he had spent his childhood bouncing around in several foster homes, until he and Jason and Piper had been taken to Camp Half-Blood. He explained the Prophecy of Seven, the building of the Argo II, and their quest to reach Greece and defeat the giants before Gaea awoke.

As he talked, Aphros drew some wicked-looking metal spikes from his belt. Leo was afraid that he had said something wrong, but Aphros pulled some seaweed yarn from his pouch and started knitting. "Go on," he urged. "Don't stop."

Leo then explained the eidolons, the problems with the Romans, and all the troubles the Argo II had encountered crossing the United States and embarking from Charleston. And he had decided to tell them how Tobias, Yahan, and Kazehana had arrived and helped them during their travels. He didn't mention what little he know about Tobias's past, sensing that was private and not to be shared with just anyone. By the time he had finished his story, Aphros had knitted a full baby bonnet.

Leo waited until the fish-centaur had put away his supplies. Aphros's lobster-claw horns kept swimming around in his hair, and Leo had to resist the urge to try to rescue them.

"Very well," Aphros said. "I believe you."

"As simple as that?"

"I am quite good at discerning lies. I hear none from you, and you story also fits with what Hazel Levesque told us."

"Is she-?"

"Of course," Aphros said. "She's fine." He put his fingers to his mouth and whistled, which sounded strange underwater, like a dolphin screaming. "My people will bring her here shortly. You just understand, our location is a closely guarded secret. You and your friends show up in a warship pursued by one of Keto's sea monsters. We did not know whose side you were on."

"Is the ship all right?"

"Damaged," Aphros said. "but not terribly. The skolopendra withdrew after a mouth full of fire. Nice touch."

"Thank you. Skolopendra? Never heard of it."

"Consider yourself lucky, they're nasty creatures. Keto must really hate you. At any rate, we rescued you and the other three from the creature's tentacles as it retreated into the deep. Your friends are still above, searching for you, but we've obscured their vision and thought probes. We had to make sure you weren't a threat or we would've needed to...take measures."

Leo gulped. He was pretty sure taking measures did not mean making extra brownies. And if these guys were so powerful that they could keep this place hidden from Percy, who had all those Poseidon water powers, then these fish guys were not something to mess. Then all the sentence registered. "Wait, thought probes?"

"Yes, two of them that were apparently seeking out Tobias Song to connect with his mind. They're unique too, we've never run across any quite like them. It took some experimentation to block them, but we managed."

Those must've been Yahan and Kazehana trying to find him. Leo remembered that tattoo Yahan had on the back of her neck, a bird over some symbol. He didn't know why, but his instincts told him that symbol was important somehow, and that Kazehana most likely had the same one in the same place.

But those were thoughts for another time.

"So...we can go?"

"Soon," Aphros promised. "I must check with Bythos. When he is done talking with your friends Grank-"

"Frank."

"Frank. And Tobias. When they are done, we will send you to your ship. And we have some warnings for you."

"Warnings?"

"An." Aphros pointed. Hazel emerged from the kelp forest, escorted by two vicious-looking mermaids, who were baring their fangs and hissing. Leo thought Hazel might be in danger, until he saw she was completely at ease, grinning and talking with her escorts. And the escorts were laughing.

"Leo!" Hazel paddled towards him. "Isn't this place amazing?"

They were left on the ridge, which must've meant Aphros really did trust them. While the centaur and the mermaids went to fetch the others, Leo and Hazel floated above the hill and gazed down at the underwater camp. Hazel told him how the mermaids had warmed up to her right away. Aphros and Brythos had been fascinated by her story, as they had never met a child of Pluto before. On top of that, there were many legends about the horse Arion and they were amazed that Hazel had befriended him.

She'd promised to visit them again with Arion. The mermaids had written their numbers on her arm in waterproof ink so she could keep in touch. Leo didn't even want to ask how mermaids got cellphone coverage in the middle of the Atlantic. As Hazel talked, her hair floated around her face in a cloud, like brown earth and gold dust in a miners pan. She looked very sure of herself and very beautiful, not at all like the shy, nervous girl in the New Orleans schoolyard with her smashed canvas lunch bag at her feet.

"We didn't get to talk," Leo said. He was reluctant to bring up the subject, but he knew this might be their only chance to be alone. "I mean about Sammy."

Her smile faded. "I know...I just need some time to let it sink it. It's strange to think that you and he..." She didn't need to finish the thought. Leo knew exactly how strange it was. "I'm not sure I can explain this to Frank, about you and me holding hands." She added.

She wouldn't look at Leo's eyes. Down in the valley, the Cyclopes work crew cheered as the temple roof was set in place.

"I talk to him." Leo said. "I told him I wasn't trying to...you know, make trouble between you two."

"Oh. Good."

Did she sound disappointed? Leo wasn't sure and he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Um, I got a question about him actually," Leo said. "If it's not too much."

"Sure."

"Well, Tobias had this thought about telling everyone about each other to pass the time, and we somehow got into our powers and weakness. Frank, he mentioned a piece of firewood being his?"

Hazel stiffened slightly as he hand went to her denim jacket, like she was checking for something on her inside pocket. She always wore that jacket or an over shirt, even when it was hot outside. Leo had assumed that she did it out of modesty, or because it was better for horseback riding, like a motorcycle jacket. Now he began to wonder as his brain shifted into high gear.

Frank had said his weakness was related to a piece of firewood. He thought about why Frank had a fear of fire, and why Hazel was so attuned to those feelings. Leo thought about some stories he had heard and read back at Camp Half-Blood. For obvious reasons, he tended to pay attention to legends about fire. Now he remembered one he hadn't thought about in months.

"There was an old legend about a hero," he recalled. "His life was tied to a stick in a fireplace, and when that piece of wood burned up..." From the way Hazel's expression darkened, he knew he'd hit the truth on the head. "Frank has that problem. And he gave that piece of firewood to you for safekeeping?"

"Leo, please don't...I can't talk about it."

His instincts as a mechanic kicked in, thinking about the properties of wood and the corrosiveness of salt water. "Is the firewood ok in the ocean like this? Does the layer of air around you protect it?"

"It's fine," Hazel said. "The wood didn't even get wet. Besides, it's wrapped in several layers of cloth and plastic and-" she bit her lip in frustration. "And I'm not supposed to talk about it! Leo, the point is Frank seems afraid of you or at least uneasy, you've got to understand..."

It was a good thing Leo was floating, because he probably would've been too dizzy to stand. He couldn't imagine being in Frank's position, his life so fragile, it could literally burn up at any time. Then how much trust it would take to give his life line, his entire fate, to another person. Frank had obviously chosen Hazel, so when he'd seen Leo, a guy who could summon fire at will, moving in on his girl...

Leo shuddered. No wonder Frank didn't like him. And suddenly the ability to change into a bunch of different animals didn't seem that awesome, not if it came with such a big catch like that. And his least favorite line of the Prophecy of Seven: to storm or fire the world must fall. For a long time, he'd figured that Jason or Percy, or maybe even both of them together stood for storm. He was the fire guy. Nobody said it, but it was clear Leo was a wildcard, and if he screwed up something, the world could fall. No...it had to fall. He wondered if Frank and his firewood had something to do with that line. Leo had already made some epic mistakes, and it would be so easy to accidently send Frank Zhang up in flames.

"There you are!" Bythos's voice made Leo flinch.

Bythos and Aphros floated over with Frank and Tobias between them, Frank looking pale, but ok. Tobias looked impatient, drumming his fingers against his leg and glancing up at the surface every now and then.

"You are free to go," Bythos soda. He opened his saddle bags and returned their confiscated supplies. Leo had never been so glad to fit his toolbelt around his waist.

"Tell Percy Jackson not to worry," Aphros said. "We have understood your story about the imprisoned sea creatures in Atlanta. Keto and Phorcys must be stopped. We will send a quest of mer-heroes to defeat them and free their captives. Perhaps Cyrus?"

"Or Bill," Bythos offered.

"Yes! Bill would be perfect," Aphros agreed. "At any rate, we are grateful that Percy has brought this to our attention."

"You should talk to him in person," Leo suggested. "I mean, son of Poseidon and all."

Both fish-centaurs shook their heads solemnly. "Sometimes it is best not to interact with Poseidon's brood," Aphros said. "We are friendly with the sea god of course, but the politics of undersea deities is...complicated. And we value our independence. Nevertheless, tell Percy thank you. We will do what we can to safely speed you across the Atlantic without further interference from Keto's monsters, but be warned: in the ancient sea, the Mare Nostrum, more dangers await."

"Naturally." Frank sighed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Danger, monsters, possible painfully death, got it. Now I'm sorry to be rude, but can we please hurry the goodbyes along, I want to get back to the surface." Tobias asked quickly, clearly in a rush. Since he had gotten his sword back and on his hip, he'd been looking up at the surface of the sea and drumming his fingers on both crossed arms with a very impatient look on his face. Leo guessed the guy was so anxious to get back he would've swam if it meant he would get there faster.

"Yes, you're right. You're all short on time, but we have a few more warnings for you I'm afraid," Aphros said briskly. "Hazel, I know you are worried about the time you have lost, spending the night in our real . You are worried about your brother, Nico..."

Hazel gripped her cavalry sword. "Is he-do you know where he is?"

Aphros shook his head. "Not exactly. But when you get closer, you should be able to sense his presence. Never fear! You must reach Rome the day after tomorrow if you are to save him, but there is still time. And you must save him."

"Yes," Brythos agreed. "He will be essential for your journey. I am not sure how, but I sense it is true."

Aphros planted his hand on leo's shoulder. "As for you, Leo Valdez, stay close to Frank and Hazel when you reach Rome. I sense they will face...ah, mechanical difficulties that only you can overcome."

"Mechanical difficulties?" Leo asked.

Aphros smiled like that was great news. "And I have gifts for you, the brave navigator of the Argo II !"

"I like to..."

"Leo, just take the title and let's get going." Tobias interrupted him.

"Um, right."

"Brownies!" Aphros said proudly, shoving an old-fashioned picnic basket into Leo's was surrounded by a bubble of air, which Leo hoped would keep the brownies from turning into saltwater fudge sludge. "In this basket, you will also find the recipe. Not too much butter, that's the trick! And I've given you a letter of introductions to Tiberius, the god of the Tiber River. Once you reach Rome, your friend the daughter of Athena will need this."

"Annabeth..." Leo said. "Ok, but why?"

Brythos laughed. "She follows the Mark of Athena, does she not? Tiberius can guide her in the quest. He's an ancient, proud god who can be...difficult, but letters of introduction are everything to Roman spirits. This will convince Tiberius to help her. Hopefully."

"Hopefully," Leo repeated.

Brythos produced four small pink pearls from his saddle bags.

"You'll only need three of those." Tobias said with a quick glance at the hand before he looked back up at the surface. "But we're free to go?"

"Yes." Bythos said in a confused tone.

"Finally!" Tobias's eyes turned from silver to white and Leo had the suddenly feeling he was going to see something impressive. Tobias lifted his hands and clapped them over head before spreading them apart. Nothing happened for a second, then Leo felt a curious sensation against his arm. He looked down to see a small bubble of air float past him to stop above Tobias. More and more bubbles formed out of seemingly nothing before being pulled in, making what looked like a large bubble above him. The bubble then elongated, heading for the surface faster and faster as more and more air was added to it until it reached all the way to the surface, the diameter a bit larger then Tobias.

"Thanks for everything, gotta go, bye!" Tobias said in a rush before bending down and vanishing into the tube, which collapsed behind him and transmitted a subtle but powerful vibration through the water as he broke the sound barrier inside. A few seconds later, the tube was nothing but a flurry of air bubbles rushing towards the surface.

"Um...ok, that was impressive." Hazel said in a slightly dazed tone. Leo could only agree numbly, since the guy had basically just parted the sea seemingly on a whim.

"Uh, we should get you three on your way as well." Bythos seemed similarly surprised, but he threw a pearl at each of them in turn, and three shimmering pink bubbles of energy formed around them.

They began to rise through the water. Leo just had enough time to think: A hamster ball elevator? Then he gained speed and rocketed towards the distant glow of the sun above.

A/N: Done with another one. I have no idea how I'm finding the time to crank these out, but I am. I tried to get a bit creative in places to drop more hints about Kazehana and Yahan's origins. For those of you who know, great, fantastic, I salute you. If you don't, it's ok. The manga I got them from is kinda obscure anyways, so don't get discouraged. I only know about it thanks to lostsoldierS636, so thanks to him for helping to make this story possible. Favorite, follow, and review, and I'll post the next chapter as soon as possible!