I know people will love this chapter- Leo gets the chance to truly go off on Hera- and he is completely justified and we love him for it. Hera doesn't love him for it though- she does not like him at all. Please please keep reviewing guys.
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Undeath9087: More poor Leo in this chapter too. But hey, we get pissed off Leo which is always fun- he is fully ready to murder Hera and I love that for him.

Honestly. Leo didn't know what he expected. Every time he thought that things couldn't get worse they did. He genuinely didn't know how he hadn't just lost his marbles yet- or maybe he had. It wasn't like he was a good judge. "Great," he muttered. "We needed more enemies."

"Hurry," Hera said.

"I know!" Leo yelled, his already frayed temper was very close to snapping again.

"Go to sleep, cage," Piper said. "Nice, sleepy cage. Yes, I'm talking to a bunch of earthen tendrils. This isn't weird at all. "

"You're a demigod, you'll do weirder." Leo swallowed hard, pressing the still whirring saw harder- he was making progress but it was slow- too slow. He'd never been so frantic before in his entire life as he glanced back towards Jason and the giant.

Porphyrion raked his spear across the top of the ruins, destroying a chimney and spraying wood and stone across the courtyard. "So, child of Zeus! I have finished my boasting. Now it's your turn. What were you saying about destroying me?"

Jason looked at the ring of monsters, waiting impatiently for their master's order to tear them to shreds. Then he looked towards Leo and Piper, his expression filled with fear as Leo desperately kept sawing at the cage- it felt like it was taking a lifetimes. And Hera's cage was almost completely filled with the earth now, even with Piper talking to it, desperately trying to slow it.

Then Jason was talking again. "I'm the son of Jupiter!" he shouted, and just for effect, he summoned the winds, rising a few feet off the ground. And Leo had to admit it did look impressive. "I'm a child of Rome, consul to demigods, praetor of the First Legion." and Leo wondered how much of what he was saying Jason even understood- but then again he was under pressure- that was when the truth always seemed to shine through. He held out his arms, showing the tattoo of the eagle and SPQR, and to his surprise the giant seemed to recognize it.

For a moment, Porphyrion actually looked uneasy.

"I slew the Trojan sea monster," Jason continued. "I toppled the black throne of Kronos, and destroyed the Titan Krios with my own hands. And now I'm going to destroy you, Porphyrion, and feed you to your own wolves."

"Wow dude." Leo muttered the words, impressed despite himself, "Thanks for dealing with Mount Orthys, glad we didn't have to clear up that mess for the gods."

And Leo watched as Jason launched himself at the giant, clearly intent on tearing him apart.

And oh yeah. Leo wished Percy was here. She'd have fucking loved Jason, he was as reckless and crazy as she was because that was exactly what she'd have
done.

The idea of fighting a forty-foot-tall immortal bare handed was so ridiculous, even the giant seemed surprised. Half flying, half leaping, Jason landed on the giant's scaly reptilian knee and climbed up the giant's arm before Porphyrion even realized what had happened.

"You dare?" the giant bellowed.

Jason reached his shoulders and ripped a sword out of the giant's weapon-filled braids. He yelled, "For Rome!" and drove the sword into the nearest convenient target—the giant's massive ear.

Lightning streaked out of the sky and blasted the sword, throwing Jason free. He rolled when he hit the ground. And Leo was stunned to see that the giant was staggering as Jason got to his feet. His hair was on fire, and the side of his face was blackened from lightning. The sword had splintered in his ear. Golden ichor ran down his jaw. The other weapons were sparking and smoldering in his braids.

Porphyrion almost fell. The circle of monsters let out a collective growl and moved forward—wolves and ogres fixing their eyes on Jason.

"No!" Porphyrion yelled. He regained his balance and glared at the demigod. "I will kill him myself."

Jason glanced at Piper, his eyes wide, "Is he- am I hallucinating?" and Piper shook her head, though she didn't stop talking, still trying to sooth the cage into sleep, still trying to lull Gaea herself into taking a long nap.

The giant raised his spear and it began to glow. "You want to play with lightning, boy? You forget. I am the bane of Zeus. I was created to destroy your father, which means I know exactly what will kill you."

And okay, okay that sounded bad, Leo tried to force down his panic. Jason was good but whatever Prophyrion was planning it was big, bigger than Jason would be able to survive.

"No no no." Leo muttered the words, forcing all of his weight onto the saw- and Piper looked terrified too and she closed her eyes.

"Sleep!" Her voice almost made Leo fall asleep instantly.

It certainly made the wolves nearest them drop to the ground and start snoring.

And that did it- Piper's order made Gaea weaken enough that the saw managed to go through the base of the thickest tendril, and he let out a relieved gasp as that seemed to cut off the cages connection to Gaea. The tendrils turned to dust. The mud around Hera disintegrated. The goddess grew in size, glowing with power.

"Yes!" the goddess said. She threw off her black robes to reveal a white gown, her arms bedecked with golden jewellery. Her face was both terrible and beautiful, and a golden crown glowed in her long black hair. "Now I shall have my revenge!"

The giant Porphyrion backed away. He said nothing, but he gave Jason one last look of hatred. His message was clear: Another time. Then he slammed his spear against the earth, and the giant disappeared into the ground like he'd dropped down a chute.

Around the courtyard, monsters began to panic and retreat, but there was no escape for them.

Hera glowed brighter. She shouted, "Cover your eyes, my heroes!"

And Leo threw up one arm to cover his eyes, lashing out with his other hand, curling it around the back of Piper's neck and yanking her towards him, forcing her face into chest as he rose and curled over her protectively as the white light seared so brightly that Leo could feel it burning even through closed eyes and an arm shielding them.

He was annoyed at her for how little warning she gave them, but- well, at least they were alive. That was honestly better than Leo had expected. And she'd be able to help kill off the monsters.

When the light faded Leo opened his eyes- and the after affects were instantly visible. Every vestige of winter was gone from the valley. No signs of battle, either. The monsters had been vaporized. The ruins had been restored to what they were before—still ruins, but with no evidence that they'd been overrun by a horde of wolves, storm spirits, and six-armed ogres. Even the giant was gone.

Leo let out a relieved breath, or he would have, if he hadn't spotted Hera, still clad in her simple black robes and her shawl, stood looking down at- Leo let out a horrified scream. "JASON!" and he released Piper, almost knocking her over as he scrambled to his feet and sprinted towards his friend, dropping to his knees next to him- though Piper was just a step behind him.

"JASON!" Pipers scream echoed his own as she skidded and dropped to her knees, pulling their friends head into her lap, tears pouring down her cheeks as she cradled his body, which was limp his skin was fucking steaming, his eyes rolled back into his head.

Leo could hear movement- hunters, though when they saw what was going on they backed out quickly, respectfully- and Zoe was rising from where she'd been sprawled on the ground, her eyes wide as she stood back, watching as Leo laid a hand on his friends forehead as Piper sobbed violently and begged him to wake.

And Leo felt almost numb, in shock- every time he closed his eyes Jason and Piper were replaced with Percy and Luke and he felt sick, he felt like he was going to puke.

It couldn't be happening. It couldn't be it wasn't fair.

It was Hera's voice that drew his mind back to the present.

"It's no use, child." she stood over them, an unreadable expression on her face and Leo let out a snarl, suddenly angry.

"Fix it. Fix it right now. You did this so you need to fix it."

"Do not address me that way, boy. I am the queen—"

"Fix him!"

Hera's eyes flickered with power. "I did warn him. I would never intentionally hurt the boy. He was to be my champion. I told them to close their eyes before I revealed my true form."

"You knew what it would do." Leo snarled the words, rising to his feet, glaring at the queen of the gods, completely uncaring about the fact that she could kill him on the spot. "You know that mortals can't survive seeing a gods true form-"

"I unleashed my true form to help you you fools." Hera snapped, "I became pure energy so that I could disintegrate the monsters, restore this place, and even save these miserable Hunters from the ice."

"You murdered him." Leo hissed the words, fire erupting around his fists, "That was what the prophecy meant. Death unleash through Hera's rage. Well I'm done. I'm done Hera. You are going to fix this. Right now. I have lost enough because you pathetic bastards-"

"Leonidas-" Zoe's voice was tight, "You cann-"

"I can say whatever I fucking like!" Leo screamed the words, "My sister died because of you bastards I'm not going to lose one of my best friends too! You're gods, what use is there for you if you can't even do this?! You're going to save him or you can fucking rot. All of you. I'm done! I'm done losing people I love because of you guys. So if you don't bring him back right now Gaea can fucking have you. I'm one of the seven, you need me. So I'll just do nothing."

"Do not speak to me that way Leonidas- I have tolerated much from you but-" Hera's furious voice was cut off by Piper's cry.

"He's breathing!"

"Impossible," Hera said. "I wish it were true, child, but no mortal has ever—"

"Jason," Piper called, putting every bit of her willpower into his name. She could not lose him. "Listen to me. You can do this. Come back. You're going to be fine."

Nothing seemed to have happened

"Healing is not a power of Aphrodite," Hera said regretfully. "Even I cannot fix this, girl. His mortal spirit—"

"Jason," Piper said again and Leo felt something, deep and powerful in Piper's voice, more than he'd ever heard before, "Wake up. "

And then Jason gasped, and his eyes flew open. For a moment they were full of light—glowing pure gold. Then the light faded and his eyes were normal again. "What—what happened?"

"Impossible!" Hera gasped the word.

And Piper was hugging Jason so tightly Leo was sure he heard his friends ribs creaking as Jason managed to choke out, "Piper, can't breath." which made her loosen her grip, and she wiped a tear from her eye.

"Sorry."

"How do you feel." Leo's voice was shaky, his eyes wide as he stared at his friend.

"Hot," he muttered. "Mouth is dry. And I saw something… really terrible. "

"That was Hera," Leo shot the goddes a dirty look. "Queen bitchfa-"

"Leonidas I will not put up with your-"

"Stop it, you two," Piper said, and Leo felt his mouth snapping shut automatically at his friends order, and so, shockingly enough, did Hera's.

Piper helped Jason to his feet and gave him the last nectar from their supplies, by which point Leo was able to speak again. "You're amazing Pipes. Serious. Amazing."

"As loath as I am to admit it." Hera gave Leo a dark look, "The boy is right." She assessed Piper, as if seeing her clearly for the time. "You wondered, Piper, why I chose you for this quest, why I didn't reveal your secret in the beginning, even when I knew Enceladus was using you. I must admit, until this moment I was not sure. Something told me you would be vital to the quest. Now I see I was right. You're even stronger than I realized. And you are correct about the dangers to come. We must work together." and Leo let out a breath.

"Right. I don't suppose that Porphyrion guy just melted and died, huh?"

"No," Hera agreed. "By saving me, and saving this place, you prevented Gaea from waking. You have bought us some time. But Porphyrion has risen. He simply knew better than to stay here, especially since he has not yet regained his full power. Giants can only be killed by a combination of god and demigod, working together. Once you freed me—"

"He ran away," Jason said. "But to where?"

"Greece." Leo spoke up, "Annabeth will be thrilled-" he was smugly amused to see the look of annoyance on Hera's face. "Zoe," he turned his gaze to the hunter, "Thanks by the way. For holding the fort and giving us time to get here."

"Of course Leonidas." Zoe bowed her head, "And thank you for caring for my sister."

"Can you find her, let her know we're okay."

"Of course." and with that Zoe gave a bow to Hera before she turned and rushed out- Leo couldn't blame her. He'd nearly tried to kill the Queen of the gods.

He wouldn't want to get in the middle either.