PIPER THUMBLED THROUGH THE SKY... but he was already too far below

Hephaestus and Beckendorf took a sharp breath. Leo paled. Hephaestus felt the panic and fear due to the curse inside him. His worry and concern just added to it.

Somewhere above her…spread-eagle like a skydiver

"Skydiving is fun." Jason said "I mean flying is. Never exactly done skydiving." Jason said

"I'd get blasted not even half way through." Percy said

"Agreed." Nico said

Hades and Poseidon glared at Zeus.

"Fine. You can skydiving once. Just once." He said

"Great then." Jason said.

"You're taking us skydiving?" Percy asked. Thalia paled.

"The events that we had to plan for the gods and for us too. So yes." Jason said. Poseidon and Hades looked pained at the thought of skydiving and Zeus was grinning.

The wind underneath her…plummeting to my death.

"Well those are certainly life and death situations." Pollux chuckled.

We have to get Leo!"…"You gotta save Festus!"

"I can't keep everybody aloft." Jason said

"No." Leo murmured. Beckendorf and Hephaestus kept their hands on his shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Leo." Jason said

"I get it man. It'll drain you with three people. That's a lot to keep aloft. Thanks for saving me though." Leo smiled. Jason gave him a small smile as well.

Jason was already struggling…Leo sobbed, "Festus!"

Beckendorf gave Leo a side hug and Hephaestus felt the book Leo's pain through the curse.

Jason's face reddened…Piper's stomach any favors

Aphrodite held her head.

"I'll read." Ares said gently and took the book.

Zeus was red with the strain that Jason was feeling in the book.

As they wobbled and zigzagged…And they dropped like stones

"Oh no." The demigods said in unison

"It's very hard to keep three people aloft for such a long time." Jason said

"At least, you caught them before you all died. You should survive now." Lee said.

They hit the roof of the largest…ears rang and her vision went red.

Aphrodite gave a yell of pain and grabbed her foot. Clarisse took the book from Ares as he went to Aphrodite.

"You must have broken your foot or ankle." Will said.

"Shoot." Piper said

Then she heard Jason's voice…Piper, where'd you go?"

Hephaestus groaned in the pain that Leo felt.

"Here," she managed…Her vision began to clear.

Aphrodite rubbed her eyes. She still looked in a lot of pain.

She was on a metal catwalk…Anything else

Aphrodite looked nauseous. Ares looked around helplessly. Hestia conjured a bucket immediately and gave it to Aphrodite. Ares patted her back which Aphrodite used the bucket. Then she yelled.

"Her foot." Apollo and Will winced.

"Oh shit." Frank said

"Uh should we fix that or let the curse do it?" Will asked Apollo

"I think we should let the curse do it." Apollo said

The hole they'd made in the roof was a ragged starburst twenty feet above.

"Whoa. You survived a 20 foot drop." Percy said

How they'd even survived that drop…"Oh no, you're not."

"You don't say." Piper said

"Can we read?" Aphrodite choked out. Clarisse nodded and continued.

"Thanks for the reassurance,"…And it seemed to be empty.

"Wait what?" Beckendorf asked.

"How did you — "…"Breath mint?"

"That is so freaking epic!" Leo said

"It is. Lucky kid." Beckendorf grinned at Leo.

The demigods looked awed too.

Jason snatched away the mints

"Rude." Leo pouted at Jason who stuck his tongue out at Leo.

"That's great, Leo…Maybe if she was a car ..."

"Exactly!" Beckendorf said

"Repairs are way easier that way." Hephaestus agreed. Leo nodded.

He snapped his fingers…you at camp — Rambo food?"

The demigods burst out laughing.

"Ambrosia." Apollo said

"Yikes." Leo said, though he was grinning. Apollo chuckled.

"Rambo food." Travis sniggered.

"Ambrosia, dummy," Piper said…though it made her sad

Percy gave a small smile to Piper, knowing how that felt.

"It tastes like something you loved and somehow connects to somebody you loved." Grover said

The pain in her ankle subsided

Aphrodite gave a small sigh.

"More," she said.

"You shouldn't risk it." Will shook his head.

Jason frowned. "Piper, we…got the gauze and duct tape ready.

"This is going to hurt." Apollo said

"You might want to maintain a little distance so that she doesn't punch you." Piper said to Ares who shifted a little bit but he was still in range of getting punched. There was a chuckle or two.

"Hold her leg still,"…almost as much as she did.

Aphrodite gave another yell of pain. She held Ares' hand so tightly that his kids were worried that his fingers would break. Hephaestus groaned as he rubbed his arm.

"Sorry about that." Piper said to him. Hephaestus nodded. Then she and Silena turned their attention to Aphrodite.

When her vision cleared…plywood, gauze, and duct tape.

"Ouch." Aphrodite muttered. She let go of Ares' hand which was red. He rubbed his hand.

"Ow," she said…"Glad my face wasn't there."

"Yeah, can't ruin this beauty." Leo said, touching his face. The demigods chuckled.

"Sorry," she said… I'll punch you again."

"Beauty queen. Beauty queen." Leo chanted in a sing song voice. Piper grabbed an apple from a picnic basket and threw it at him. Leo caught it with his reflexes and bit into it.

"Ah tasty." He grinned. Piper rolled her eyes at him and Leo smirked.

"You both did great."… snowstorm thousands of miles away?

"Snowstorm?" Thalia asked

Clarisse nodded.

"Khione." Jason said.

"She messed with my dragon's gears?" Leo asked dangerously

"She's the only snow lady you pissed off. Festus has fire so it doesn't really make it too easy to crash and he seems well built." Thalia said

Leo pointed to the logo…pretty depressing place to land

"True." The demigods said

"How far is that from Chicago?"… not have repaired him right?"

"I didn't say that." Jason said. Leo sighed.

"It's just — maybe you could fix it."…thing could get her father killed.

"And the right thing could get Leo and Jason killed. It's a dilemma but you should still till them because of the reasons I told you. I highly doubt that Enceladus will your father. He needs somebody to bait you to him." Castor said.

Piper nodded.

Leo stood. "Look, urn, Jason…shaken up than he was letting on

Leo sighed. Hephaestus patted him on the shoulder.

"You guys just don't run off…kiss had never really happened

"Your memories are really better than most." Silena said.

"I don't know if that's a good thing or bad." Piper said

"You look better,"…find Aphrodite and smack her.

Aphrodite raised her eyebrows at Piper. There were a few snickers, mainly from the demigods and Hermes and Apollo.

"Still tempted?" Aphrodite asked

"Well I'm currently not in a deep dress with makeup and don't have magazine urges so no, not tempted." Piper grinned. Everybody laughed and Aphrodite shook her head.

She decided to focus… only with my whole life."

"That sounds really sucky." Percy said. Jason nodded. He looked a little miserable but simply sighed.

Piper sort of knew what…"Is that someone from your past?"

"ADHD makes you blurt out some things at moments which can turn awkward." Percy said

"Guess the question was bothering book Piper a lot." Thalia shrugged.

Jason pulled back…She felt ridiculously happy.

Everybody chuckled or laughed good naturedly at that.

"Well that sounds like a relief." Dakota chuckled.

"Um, it's just — that's great you…"Not at all."

"She's right. It's not crazy. You think it's dangerous, why would you want to walk right into it?" Thalia smiled.

"Probably because I want to find that missing piece." Jason said to her. Thalia gave him a small smile.

She stared at the logo…about that logo bothered her.

"Single red eye?" Triton asked. He was pale.

"Cyclops." Tyson muttered. Many people froze.

"You need to get out there." Beckendorf said

"We just landed in a cyclops lair. Brilliant." Leo said

"That's why you need to get out there." Beckendorf said worriedly.

"We need Festus." Leo reminded him, though he, Piper and Jason were pale.

Maybe it was the idea Enceladus… "Leo?" he called. No answer.

"Shit." The demigods said at the same time. Beckendorf, Thalia and Silena swore.

He crouched next to Piper…more intimidating than the dagger."

A few worried and nervous chuckles.

"Get going, Sparky, before I skewer you."

"Sparky?" Jason asked. Piper grinned at him.

"Hence, presenting, Sparky!" Percy announced. Piper high fived him. Jason shook his head but he was chuckling.

"Aquaman." Leo said to Percy who stuck his tongue out at Leo and then grinned.

"Sparky?" Even offended…Something from Greek mythology…

"Yeah, something really important." Piper muttered.

Her hand went to her backpack…Her skin felt feverish.

"You cannot risk taking any more of that for now. Not about should not anymore. You cannot or you'll die." Will said

Piper nodded. "But I needed to take it so that I could move." She said

"Yes but you can't take more ambrosia now." Will said.

Hesitantly, she flexed her ankle…all her instincts say Run?

"Cyclops can mimic very well." Tyson said

"If the cyclops is mimicking Jason and is alive, then where is Jason?" Thalia asked worriedly.

Jason paled. Even Zeus and Hera looked a little worried.

With effort, she got…You're just in time for dinner."

Everybody shuddered.

"Oh no. Oh no." Thalia said, worry clouding her features even more.

"Where is Jason?" Leo asked

"I don't think I'm dead so…" Jason said

"Hurt." Thalia paled.

"Maybe we should continue reading to know what happened." Hermes said gently

"I'll read." Connor said. Clarisse gave him the book.