I won't be updating tomorrow! Sorry guys but I'm out for the day.
Replies:
Guest: Honestly I do feel sorry for Apollo, it wasn't his fault.
Guest: Yeah, he's just super mopey and ridiculous at this stage.
Undeath9087: Just imagine if Hazel thought to mention it to Percy and Jason though, Percy would be like 'Wait- wait wait wait- YES! YES WE DID IT!" even though Jason was the one who suggested Bianca go with Reyna.
Guest: I don't know, I'd guess maybe Zeus doesn't approve of granting that many people complete immortality?
In Leo's opinion his conversation with Apollo went pretty well, all things considered. Apollo had given him the information he needed, even if it terrified him. And Leo was confident that his plan could work.
If they could get Gaea off the ground... it wouldn't be easy but it was a start. And he had just the mechanical wonder that could help him with it.
And then- well. He would do what he had to do. Even if he knew the others would never agree to let him do it. Besides- if he played his cards right then maybe the final breath didn't have to be a permanent final breath. Jason, Hazel and Percy had all died and come back- admittedly Jason's death had only been a brief thing and they'd all come back while the Doors of Death were open. Which they no longer were. Because of them.
Which meant he really, really needed the Physicians cure- which at least he was taking steps towards getting that right? Apollo had told him where to go and given him the final ingredient for the physicians cure. A flower of all things- but hey, if that was what they needed then Leo would defend the damn flower with his life. After all his life was counting on it.
He'd had to give an instrument he'd invented over to Apollo in exchange for the information- and how Will was so sharp when his dad was so easy to play Leo would never understand.
And hey- at least he could report back to Rachel that she was definitely a descendant of Apollo on his Roman side- he was looking forward to teasing her about being related to Octavian.
And after Leo managed to get the flower and the information he headed to meet Hazel and Frank, who were waiting at the docks. Leo noticed that Artemis had disappeared along with Apollo.
And Leo held up the little yellow flower which was the Curse of Delos, their final ingredient. "We've got this and a location for the person we need to make the cure."
"We-" Frank blinked, "We have a daisy."
"A magic daisy." Leo waggled his eyebrows, "Can't you just see its magnificence? What about you guys anyway." he asked he tucked the flower away carefully, "Did you learn anything useful from Artemis?"
"'Unfortunately, yes." Hazel gazed across the water, where the Argo II bobbed at anchor. "Artemis knows a lot about missile weapons. She told us Octavian has ordered some … surprises for Camp Half-Blood. He's used most of the legion's treasure to purchase Cyclopes-built onagers."
"Oh, no, not onagers!" Leo said. "Also, what's an onager?"
Frank laughed. '"You build machines. How can you not know what an onager is? It's just the biggest, baddest catapult ever used by the Roman army."
"Fine," Leo said. "But onager is a stupid name. They should've called them Valdezapults."
Hazel rolled her eyes. "Leo, this is serious. If Artemis is right, six of these machines will be rolling into Long Island tomorrow night. That's what Octavian has been waiting for. At dawn on August first, he'll have enough firepower to completely destroy Camp Half-Blood without a single Roman casualty. He thinks that'll make him a hero."
Frank muttered a Latin curse. "Except he's also summoned so many monstrous "allies" that the legion is completely surrounded by wild centaurs, tribes of dog-headed cynocephali, and who knows what else. As soon as the legion destroys Camp Half-Blood, the monsters will turn on Octavian and destroy the legion."
"And then Gaia rises," Leo said. "And bad stuff happens."
In his head, gears turned as the new information clicked into place. "All right … this just makes my plan even more important. Once we get this physician's cure, I'm going to need your help. Both of you. But you can't tell anyone else."
Frank glanced nervously at the cursed yellow daisy. "What kind of help?"
"I'm not sure about keeping secrets-"
"The others won't accept it." Leo swallowed hard. "But I can't do it alone. I'm going to need your help."
"What do you need?"
And Leo took a deep breath before he started explaining his plan- telling them what Jason had told him about Ouranos. Their realisation that the only way to stand a chance would be to get Gaea up in the air, away from the source of her strength- and he told them what he was planning- that he planned to be the fire that would take Gaea out, that he knew none of the others would ever agree to him sacrificing himself like that.
He knew that Percy would never let it happen. So he'd need Frank to stop her when the time came, and he'd need Hazel for her magic- so that he could pull off his hopeful miraculous revival when the time came.
By the time he was done explaining Hazel was crying. "Leo-"
"No, no you're not talking me out of it. It has to be this way. Nike confirmed it. Apollo confirmed it. I know- I know the others would never accept it- I mean, if the plan works I'll make it back but-"
"But it's not a certainty." Frank looked like he'd been punched in the gut. "Leo you can't ask us-"
"Yes he can." Hazel's voice cracked, "Your father- remember Frank he warned you. You'd have to- he said about Percy-"
"This will kill her."
"I- I'll try and talk to her." Leo managed, "And Nico. Before- before I do it. I won't be telling them but-I'll try and help. And- if I leave them letters can you-"
"Of course." Hazel swallowed hard, "But you're going to come back. We're going to get the Physicians cure. You'll come back."
"I plan on it." Leo swallowed hard. "I swear you guys I don't actually want to stay dead okay? I know how much- I know the damage that does I just- it has to be me. I think- I think a part of me knew it as soon as I knew I was part of the prophecy. This Percy died for the first Great prophecy and then- it's my turn." and he hated it.
He wished he could tell Percy. He wished he could talk to her about it.
He loved his big sister so much. And she might be the only other person who really understood how it felt. Knowing that your whole life had been leading to something like this.
She'd been there, she'd done it before and gods but he knew she'd understand if he told her, she'd know what he was going through.
But she'd never be willing to let him do it. And he couldn't even blame her for that.
If he'd realised that day, that she'd known that she was going to die. He'd have never been able to let her leave.
Gods he hated knowing what he was going to do to her.
But at least he did have a plan to come back. She'd accepted her death. And so had Leo. He'd just also got plans to come back as well.
He was yanked out if those thoughts by Hazel and Frank suddenly yanking him into a tight group hug.
"This isn't fair." Hazel's voice cracked. "Leo you-"
"It's okay." Leo whispered the words, "It's going to be okay. I know what the oath will be too."
"You do?" Frank swallowed hard. "What- what oath then? You're talking about the one you'll keep with a final breath?" he looked like saying the words made him feel sick.
"Well-" Leo took a deep breath. "I mean- I've already promised Cal a bunch of times that I'd come back to her. I even swore on the Styx and I've never broken it. Not once." his smile was strained. "I didn't promise her before she left though. I regret that. But I think it would have just scared her, made her worry about me. This time I'm making a promise to you guys-and I'll make it to Percy and Nico too. And Leo and Jason- to everyone. One single oath even if I make it at different times." he blinked back his own tears.
"I promise that I'm coming home." his voice was quiet, "I swear on the River Styx that I will make it back to everyone no matter what. Even death won't stop me from making it back-"
"Leo-" Hazel was sobbing and she pressed her face into his shoulder, and Leo wrapped an arm around her tightly as he tilted his head slightly and met Frank's serious gaze.
"It's the only way."
"I know." Frank swallowed hard, nodding slowly, "I hate it but I know."
"It's not fair." Hazel let out a sob, "It shouldn't be like this."
"Maybe not but the world's never fair. I learned that the hard way a long ago."
"We'll help you." Hazel's voice was unsteady but determined when she and Frank pulled away from him. And Leo could see that gleam in her eyes. The sheer determination. "But if you don't come back just remember that you have three Underworld Demigods and Percy. And none of us are just going to leave you in the Underworld if it comes to it-"
"Hey, maybe I want a taste of Elysium. Percy made it sound pretty fun." Leo winked, earning him a light shove from Frank.
"Not funny dude."
"I think I'm funny." Leo took a deep breath "Now let's get back to the Argo II. I'll fix up Festus and then we can pay a visit to Apollo's son." he snorted, "What do you want to bet that our resident healer's going to push to get a chance to go with us."
"We'll figure out who goes on that mission later." Frank squeezed Leo's shoulder. Back to the ship first." he grinned, "You going to ride Arion again or do you want me to fly you back there."
And Leo hesitated before shrugging, "Awe hell, if I'm gonna die soon I might as well say screw it and ride on your back again just once- but if I fall I am killing you Zhang."
"I won't let you fall." Frank laughed, "You might be pretty weird but you're a damn good friend. I won't let you get hurt."
And with that they were heading back to the Argo II. And as they flew through the sky and Hazel rode Arion across the waves beneath them, Leo had to admit that his chest felt tight.
He just hoped that he was doing the right thing. Because if he was wrong they were screwed.
