Update!
Got some stuff in here I think you might like...
But you'll have to read on to find out!
Enjoy and tell me what you think ;)
IDNOPJOOHOO (this is the disclaimer)

Chapter twenty-six: Trapped

When Leo regained consciousness, he was in what felt like the back of a truck, judging by the rumbling underneath him. He couldn't see anything because of a blindfold covering his eyes, but at least he wasn't inside a bag. He wanted to shout, to find out where Penelope was, but the was a gag inside his mouth and his hands and legs were tied.
Gods, how could he have gotten himself into this situation? If only he'd been paying attention as to how far from the ship they'd been walking, if only he hadn't gone off in a mood, abandoning Penelope, leaving her limping and defenceless behind him.
He could only hope she was all right. Now he deeply regretted being angry at her for such a stupid reason.
Guilt and shame took their turns in torturing him as the truck drove on, stopping what felt like hours later.
Then Leo could hear the demons that had kidnapped them, laughing evily as they pulled him out of the truck. When one of them heaved Leo out, his blindfold slipped for a second and he could see the run-down street they were in and a neon sign telling him that Atlanta washing was now open twenty-four hours seven.
Then the blindfold was firmly pulled back over his eyes once more.
The demon behind him set Leo on his feet after removing their bonds, and held him in a vice grip so he couldn't have moved his arms an inch if he'd tried.
A cold blade pressed against Leo's neck and the demon's voice, which was raspy and cruel, hissed
"Walk!"
Leo didn't need telling twice. As long as he saw no way of getting out here, he wouldn't risk being killed. He wouldn't make it easy for Gaia, whom he assumed to be behind this.
They entered a damp house, probably huge judging by the sounds of their echoing footsteps.
Another while later, Leo was dumped on a hard stone floor and the blindfold and gag were finally ripped from his face.
He blinked a few times, as his eyes adjusted to the gloom.
Around him were stone walls, and only one tiny little window complete with iron bars, through which a dull light shone that was lost in the dusk of the room.
He was sitting almost perfectly in the middle, and across from him he could see the only way out, a huge wooden door.
In front of it, one of the demons was standing sharpening a wicked looking knife. His skin was scaly blue, and he growled at Leo, who tried hard to keep his face calm and impassive.
Next to the demon, Leo saw a bucket, filled with some clear liquid.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the famous Leo Valdez." the demon sneered, his face full of malicious humour.
Then, with a sudden movement that was too fast for Leo to follow, the creature pocketed the knife, lifted up the bucket and emptied the contents over Leo's head.
The stuff was as clear and tasteless as water, but as thick as sunscreen. It settled on him like a second skin, making it harder for him to breathe.
"There." the demon's eyes glinted "This will prevent you from using your special little talent. We wouldn't want you bursting into flames now, would we?"
Leo felt suddenly cold. Did this liquid really stop him from using fire? He tried to ignite his hands, but instead of the familiar tickling sensation, he felt a sharp pain and he immediately stopped, unable to keep a gasp from escaping his lips.
The monster cackled, its voice ringing horrible off the stone walls.
"Do you believe me now, son of Hephaestus?"
Leo didn't answer, he was too angry. So this git thought he could mess with him, did he?
Well, Leo might not know how to yet, but he would make him pay.
"So, Leo Valdez, I must thank you." A sneer spread again over the creature's face.
"And why's that?" Leo asked, impressed at how even his voice sounded. He wouldn't let this thing get to him.
"Well, if you hadn't been so kind as to separate from your friends and take the daughter of Pluto with you, it would have been much harder for us to take you. Gaia will be most pleased."
These words took a while to register with Leo. Okay, so he had been right about Gaia, but why was the demon calling Pen a daughter of Pluto? Unless he was mistaking her with Hazel, for some reason. Leo didn't know why, but he decided to play along with it.
"Yeah, Hazel and I just wanted to help you guys." he winked at the demon, who looked taken aback for a second, but then anger returned to his face.
"You won't be laughing soon, son of Hephaestus. When our reinforcements join us in three hours, you will be taken straight to Greece, where we will sacrifice you to finally awaken the great earth goddess. And your little friend as well."
Fear shot through Leo, but he knew he had to hide it.
"Sure you will" he made his voice sound condescending, as if he was only humouring the monster.
His attempt was to get it to tell him more, about where they had taken him and Penelope, and hopefully where the girl was.
It seemed to be working. The demon's face turned an ugly purple, and its voice became nothing but a low hiss.
"You may not fear for your life now, Leo Valdez. But when you and your friends meet Gaia and her forces, you will be trembling with horror. I have not brought you here to this place in this gods-forsaken city for you to make fun of us. I, Edcychtous, bearer of the black flag, will not have a petty demigod laughing at me!"
He made a lunge at Leo, who barely managed to dodge it, though the demon's long fingernail left a cut in his left cheek.
Just then, the door opened and another, deeper but almost twice as scary, voice said "What is this brother? We are commanded not to kill the demigods yet."
Leo could see another demon, who had black scales instead of blue ones, standing in the doorway, and it wasn't its height or muscled that made shivers chase each other down Leo's back, no, it was the eyes. They were so dark, so downright evil, that for a second Leo lost all hope.
Edcychtous seemed to be struggling with himself, unwilling to contradict his brother but also furious at Leo. In what was a wise choice in his opinion, the demon simply nodded, his eyes full of hatred as he looked down at Leo.
"Bring him to the cages." Edcychtous' brother told him, and he bowed his head.
"Yes, Rocychtous."
Rocychtous or whatever his name was left, and his brother turned back to Leo, pulling him up.
"Come, boy" he barked, as they started to march through a huge empty storage hall, where just about everything was covered in dust and cob-webs.
"Nice place you've got here" Leo commented casually, nodding his head at some old boxes, and a crate of rotten fruit.
"Do not taunt us, boy. We are the Eurynomos, demons of the underworld. We do not enjoy being taunted."
Leo chuckled. "Demons of the underworld, are you? Well, you must feel right at home then."
For a moment he feared that he'd gone too far as the demon's grip on him tighten to an almost unbearable point.
But then they turned from the main hall into a smaller corridor, and seemed to have reached their destination, as they halted in front of another wooden door.
The monster let go of Leo to unlock it, but Leo didn't even consider running for it, not as long as he didn't know where Penelope was.
"Inside." Edcychtous ordered, and Leo stumbled in, taking in his new surroundings.
It was a smaller room, made also of stone, with another tiny window letting in the evening light. Was it really getting dark already?
But then Leo saw something that made his spirits lift. Two cages were standing in front of him, sharing a row of bars. And in the right hand one was a very familiar daughter of Hecate.
"P- Hazel!" Leo said, almost slipping up.
But Penelope had her eyes closed, and didn't stir.
"Your friend has not moved since we found you." the demon sneered, opening the other side of the double-cage.
What? Leo thought panicky, but before he could do anything, Edcychtous had shoved him inside the cage, retying the ropes around his feet.
"Enjoy your stay" it sneered, before shutting and locking the cage and then doing the same with the wooden door, leaving the two of them quite alone.
"Pen!" Leo hissed, turning as best as he could towards the girl.
Her eyes were open and alert, and Leo realised she'd been faking unconsciousness all along.
"Leo!" she whispered back, her face resting against the single row of bars that separated them.
"Thank the gods you're okay. " Leo sighed, unable to meet her eyes for the guilt that was now filling him again.
"Leo, I'm so sorry" Penelope's voice was cracked. "If I hadn't made you go for that walk with me"
But Leo shook his head, finally meeting her eyes. They shone even in the darkness, like little turquoise flames.
"No, Pen, it isn't your fault. It's mine. I left you there, I got all moody and walked off, I shouldn't have. I'm sorry." he told her, finding it hard not to look away again.
"But I probably said something horrible to you!" Penelope said, her eyes pained.
Leo almost smiled. "It wasn't horrible" he told her.
"It wasn't? Then why-"
"It doesn't matter. You said yourself, you didn't mean it." Now Leo could no longer hold her gaze and stared at the wall opposite them instead.
"But if I don't even know what I said!" Pen insisted.
"I told you, it doesn't matter." Leo said again, his voice more forceful.
But Penelope wouldn't give in. "Tell me" she said, and now her voice,too, was more forceful.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes!"
"For Hephaestus sake, Penelope! It doesn't matter, because you fancy Percy! Now, let's talk about how we're going to get out of here." Leo snapped, feeling a stab of pain in his hands as the liquid prevented them from bursting into flames, like they usually did when he was agitated.
"Why would you think I fancy Percy?" Penelope whispered, her voice soft now.
"Because I heard you and Piper talking." He told her grudgingly, continuing to stare at the stone wall, unable to meet her eyes right now.
And then there was a sound Leo hadn't expected at all.
A little laugh, like wind chimes in a breeze.
"But I don't fancy him." Penelope said. "You just heard the wrong part of the conversation."
Hope peeped its head into Leo's mind. Could this be true?
"Oh yeah?" he said defensively "And what was all that about feeling whole around him? You're telling me it isn't true?"
Penelope hesitated. "It is true" Bye hope, Leo thought.
"But it's more like I've been reunited with my family. It's not romantic, Leo."
He couldn't believe her, he just couldn't, even if he so wanted to.
Penelope seemed to know what his silence meant, because she added, speaking so quietly
that he had to listen hard to hear her, "It would be impossible for me to like Percy."
"And why's that?" Leo wanted to know.
Silence.
"Because I like you"