AN: Hey guys, I will be updating my other stories, but I'm on a roll with this one at the minute. So, the winner of the last question was Silvanyx5, have cookies, and please review what character you would like. (::) (::) (::) (::)!

There will be a brief scene from Olympus showing Hephaestus's thoughts after he contacted Leo, and the thoughts of the goddess who suggested it.

Lynett277VadlezJackson – Valdez and Jackson? You greedy person!

Piper! Ok, since two people have told me to put her in, I will do a chapter in which she features in Leo's memories, and I will bring her into the story as a character before I said I would. I'm thinking that Leo goes to a school, and she just so happens to go there too. Then they both get expelled for the same thing... How's that? I can also put Paul in that chapter, so hold up guys, I promise that your people will be in the story, but it won't be for a few chapters.

I hate having to yell at people, and I've had a great time on so far, but reviews like I had on the last chapter of Change through flame are not on. You know who you are! Ok? I am fourteen; I do not appreciate comments like those that were given there. And if you are going to put comments like that, don't be a coward and do it anonymously- It just makes you look like an idiot. Do it logged in- then I can rant at you in PM and not upset my other, less dirty minded reviewers.

That being said, thanks to all those lovely people who give me positive reviews, and all my loyal followers! I love you guys so much! (In a totally friend way). I've got 65 reviews in four chapters. Thank- you! (::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)

I'm glad you like the idea of a good giant spider... Have fun waiting for the scene where Leo introduced Shelob to Annabeth...

Janazza- I don't know a Carl the satyr- maybe you read about him in a fanfic... I will be explaining the note a little more in this chapter.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, and will continue to own nothing. I don't even own the name of the giant spider!

Chapter 5: In which Leo introduces his new friend...

Leo gulped. He had been nervous about contact with his father, partly because he still didn't know where he stood in regards to him. He must have known about Leo's 'gift' and how he had caused his mom's death - did he hate him? The action of returning his blueprints seemed to indicate otherwise; but Leo wasn't sure anymore. In the future, Hephaestus had told him that he was proud of him, and that had meant the world to him. But how would he be proud when Leo hadn't done anything.

It was well known in the future that Beckendorf was Hephaestus's favourite, and Leo had never though himself up to par with Beckendorf. He didn't resent him at all- Beckendorf was his older brother, and though he had known him only a little more than a day, he still really liked him, though Leo was hesitant to admit he loved his brother. People he loved ended up dead.

So Leo could handle Beckendorf being better than him; what he couldn't handle was the uncertainty of knowing whether or not Hephaestus cared for him. He didn't hate him, or else he would never have returned the blueprints. He guessed that Hephaestus was giving him a chance to prove himself. Leo leant forward again, realising he had been stood stock still for minutes, and eyed the first blueprint. He was going to make his father proud!

Change in P.O.V.

"He's not moving. Why isn't he moving?" The aforementioned father leant further over the sheet of celestial bronze that showed his son. Yes he was breaking a couple of laws doing this, but as he rarely broke them, Zeus would probably let him off.

"Hephaestus, calm down, he is simply in shock."

"Why Hestia? It's just a note." Hephaestus's gruff voice replied, "Not like it's an automaton that I sent. Then he would have reason to be shocked."

"It's his first contact he's ever had with you, nephew, he's going to be a little shocked."

"Humph!"

Hestia giggled, it's not like the poor boy knew that his father had been watching over him since birth, that he had know immediately that something was different about this son. Though he hadn't realised till 'Tia' had dumped him in the fireplace what that special thing was. In fact the poor boy was probably worried about what his father thought about the fire incident during which his mother passed away.

That had been one of the few days that neither Hephaestus nor herself had been watching, and so neither of them had seen how it actually happened, a fact that Hephaestus had been kicking himself over since. He didn't do well with organic life forms, but he cared and watched over every single one of his children. That was why Hestia got on so well with him; that and she too was interested in Leo Valdez. He was a child of fire, and he had a habit of spreading humour and hope, a habit she admired. She was just what she would want in a son- if it were possible for her to have one.

She was so close, when she found out that Esperanza Valdez had died, to claiming Leo as her own. To raising him herself- but she knew that Zeus would never allow it. She had no wish to start a quarrel on Olympus. Instead she just guided him every time he ran, turning him away from those who would wish him serious harm. Hephaestus was forbidden by the ancient laws to help his son. She wasn't.

She giggled again at the relived look on Hephaestus's face when Leo came to himself and bent forward over his workbench, a determined gleam in his eye. Not unlike the one she sometimes sees in his fathers. The image dissipated and Hestia transported to the fire at camp. Maybe this time someone would talk to her.

Nyssa's P.O.V.

Nyssa was standing behind her workbench in the forge. Her finished cross-bow lay on the surface in front of her, and she grinned proudly. It had taken a while for her to make it; she had to restart several times. She just couldn't get the grip right. Now she had and she was considering helping someone else with what they were doing. Leo has said that he would need help with what he was working on. It seemed like he was making a sentient table. Nyssa didn't understand why, but Leo was a bit weird, so if he thought he needed a table that could walk away on its own, she had no problem helping him.

"Leo, do you need help with..." Nyssa looked up, Beckendorf was working in the corner, Jake was hammering his axe, and Chris and Shane were conspiring on something that had them smiling wickedly, and she really didn't want to know...

"Leo?" Leo was nowhere to be seen, she vaguely remembered him telling her he would be a bit late to the forge, and she assumed he was talking to Percy, but he should have been there by now. She shouted a little louder, "Hey guys, has anyone seen Leo?"

Jake's hammering stopped. He looked round "Leo? Isn't he here yet?"

"Evidently not!" Nyssa sighed "sorry Jake, I'm still kind of worried for him."

Beckendorf stopped as well and the other two looked up, "We're all worried for Leo Nyssa, but if we push him, he'll shut us out." Beckendorf blinked, seemingly confused at his own profoundness.

"I get that, but, he hasn't turned up and..." Nyssa paled as a thought struck her. "When we were explaining the tunnels... Did any of you think Leo took a little too much interest?"

Jake frowned. "If he went exploring and got lost- who knows what could be in the unexplored tunnels. Leo could get attacked!"

Chris and Shane exchanged looks and stood up, "Come on then, if he's lost down there, then it's our duty as siblings to go find him!"

Nyssa smiled, how was it that Leo had only been in the cabin a day and a half, yet he could make them act more like a family than they had for years?

"Ok guys," Beckendorf stood up, "time for a little rescue mission."

It didn't take long for the five to reach the cabin, but they gained a few looks along the way, it was unusual to see one of the Hephaestus kids outside the forge when they didn't have to be, to see all five hurrying towards the cabin caused quite a stir. Nyssa saw Annabeth, the Athena kid, narrow her eyes then gasp- seemed that she had realised that Leo wasn't with them.

Before Nyssa had time to worry about whether Annabeth would cause a fuss, she was inside the cabin, following her four brothers. "Leo. Leo? You in here?"

The cabin was deserted, and so the five made their way to the stairs cleverly hid at the back of the cabin, the ones that lead to the tunnels. The clever thing about the stairs was that they only appeared when you pressed a hidden button, and the movement sensors installed in them meant that they would stay there as long as someone had gone down the tunnels, and mould back into the wall when the person came back up. Only problem was, they weren't down.

"I don't get it," Shane turned to Beckendorf, "I thought that they stayed out when someone was down the tunnels."

"They do, unless Leo found another way down." Everyone turned to look at Jake who was sitting on Leo's bed, his eyes on the wool that was tied to the bedpost, and that lead through the floor. He looked up, his eyes devoid of the laughter that had been there just ten minutes ago. "If each of the rooms below is connected to the tunnels, as we thought before, then Leo could have found a way from his room into the tunnels, without using the stairs."

Nyssa frowned and jumped on the bed, pressing the down button, and the bed, with her and Jake on it began to sink through the floor. They reached the room below and, after sending the bed back up, noticed the door in the wall, with a pink line of wool entering it, and blackness behind it.

"Whoa," Nyssa jumped at Chris's exclamation, she hadn't noticed the other three arrive. Beckendorf was holding a torch, and Nyssa grinned at his preparation, he was always ready for anything. She didn't blame him; after the way his mom died... He didn't want to be caught off guard again. Shane walked over to the door, but Beckendorf pulled him back, and took the lead himself. Nyssa rolled her eyes at the stereotypical big brother action, and then followed Beckendorf into the darkness of the tunnel- the torch following the wool along the floor.

Nyssa was relieved that Leo had enough sense to put wool along the floor. This way, if he, or they, got lost, they could just follow the wool back to Leo's room. It did remind her of the story of Theseus in the labyrinth though, and he didn't exactly have a monster-free experience. Nyssa shivered, and Jake put his hand on her shoulder as they hurried along. She sent him a grateful glance, and they continued to run, pausing every so often for a rest, and so Shane could catch up.

They passed a slightly open door, and Nyssa could see weapons behind it, Jake stopped and peered in. "Holy..."

Beckendorf stopped, and came back, "Jake?"

"It's a whole freaking armoury!"

That made Beckendorf pause, and he too entered the room, Nyssa gave a glance up the tunnel- Leo was far more important than an underground armoury; But, Beckendorf had the only torch. She too entered the room, and then gave a gasp. The whole room, equal in size to the Zeus cabin, was full with weapons, covered in dust. Beckendorf grabbed a sword, signalling the others to take weapons as well, then he ushered them out of the room, and back to the wool trail.

Nyssa fingered her knife, if they found Leo hurt, or... If a monster had done something to him, then she would take great delight in gutting it. Maybe children of Hephaestus weren't often fighters, but for Zeus's sake, if someone had even dared to lay a hand on her little brother... So what if he was only a year younger- she still wasn't going to let anyone near him.

The path was getting a little more cobweb-y and Shane was slowing down; he couldn't run as fast as the others, and he was lagging. Beckendorf stopped for a rest, and the others stopped as well, they hadn't talked much, just a few exclamations about the rooms they had passed, but as the wool went on past them, it was obvious that Leo wasn't in any of them. They had already passed about four fall ins- some were incredibly thick, and Nyssa couldn't work out how Leo had managed to clear them.

Shane was puffing hard now, and Nyssa regarded him with pity, it was probably hard on him doing all this running. Beckendorf seemed to think the same thing, and picked him up, much to his protest. They began running again, at a slightly reduced pace, with Shane holding the torch. By now the wool had changed colour at least ten times, and Nyssa was wondering how much wool Leo had!

It had been about four hours since they had entered, Nyssa reckoned. She wondered if Chiron was worried yet- an entire cabin had disappeared- that would be hard to explain to Olympus. "What do you mean you lost the Hephaestus cabin?" Nyssa snorted, Leo's humour must be catching. But as long as she didn't get a mad urge to go pranking with the Stolls, she didn't particularly mind.

Eventually they reached the end of the tunnel, and paused in front of the door, hearing noises from inside, Beckendorf handed Shane over to Jake: then raised his sword, and entered the room, closely followed by the others, who subconsciously make a semicircle around Jake and Shane, protecting the youngest.

Nyssa glanced around the room; more warehouses sized really- a big warehouse. She saw workbenches and tools scattered around- most covered in dust. It looked like a massive forge- better than the camp one. Apart from the cobwebs everywhere. There was a sound coming from the other end of the massive room. Leo's voice- humming Star Wars. She let out a sigh of relief as she saw him stand up from behind a workbench and frown at the contraption in his hands. He seemed to be fine, which relieved her worry, but made her annoyed instead. Yeah he wanted to explore, but really- they must be miles away from the cabin by now- he should at least have told them what he was doing, or ask one of them to come with him! He had only half a day of training for Olympus's sake!

Her attention was drawn away from Leo, when Chris jumped, peering into the darkness, and his sword clattered to the floor. Nyssa jumped, and hurled her knife at the lumpy shape she could see in the darkness, it looked kind of like a massive spider.

Unfortunately, said massive spider managed to dodge, though it retreated further. Nyssa frowned- shouldn't it be attacking by now?

Back to good old Leo's P.O.V.

Leo didn't know how long he'd been in the bunker, and he didn't particularly care. He realised that he should get back before his siblings began to worry, but they probably already had by now, and it felt so good to be in the bunker again.

He had started on one of the blueprints for Buddfetta. He had promised future Buford that He'd make a friend for him- a girlfriend. He might get little tables running around... Yeah, that was a mental image he didn't need. He shuddered, and proceeded to drop Buddfetta's right leg. He dropped to the ground and crawled under his workbench, absentmindedly humming the theme song for Star wars, yeah it was made years ago- but it was such a good story line! So much better than Star Trek.

He got up, not bothered by the dust all down his legs, and placed the part back on the table- freezing as he heard the clatter of a dropped weapon come from the end of the bunker. What the Hades?

Then he started, had he left the door in his room open? Darn it, what if his siblings had followed him and spotted Shelob!

Leo raced up the bunker and stopped just in time to see Nyssa lob her knife at Shelob, who managed to twist away just in time. Leo grabbed the knife and managed to jump in front of Shelob just in time to block Beckendorf's blow that would have cut her head right off. Shelob cowered behind Leo, shivering and tapping frantically. Leo mentally translated her Morse code.

"Stop, please, don't hurt me, please!"

Leo sighed, and ignoring Beckendorf's baffled look, reached a hand behind him to rest on Shelob's shaking head. "It's ok Shelob; I promise I won't let you get hurt."

Leo waited until her tremors had stopped before he dropped his hand from her head, and turned to face his siblings. All five of them were looking at him as if he was mad. He was, slightly, but that was a different matter.

"Ok guys, I know this might be hard to believe, but Shelob isn't going to hurt you. She was hidden in the tunnels by Hephaestus kids in the 1800's and she's been down here guarding the armoury since. When I found the armoury, I asked her if there was an underground forge anywhere, and she brought me here. I swear, she won't hurt you."

Beckendorf stepped forward raising his sword, "It's a monster Leo, and it's tricking you."

"She, Is my friend, and she has already sworn on the Styx she mean's no harm to anyone. Except those who attack Hephaestus's children. She was a gift from dad, to the Hephaestus kids in the past, and she's still only going to protect us. Please, don't hurt her."

"Leo" He turned to Nyssa, who had spoken, "How could the spider possibly have sworn on the Styx- It's a spider!"

"Who speaks in Morse code?" Leo turned shocked eyes on Shane, who had spoken, and his gaze was matched by Beckendorf and Nyssa. Jake and Chris just looked baffled. "How did you know that?" Leo asked.

"My step-dad teaches me Morse code, he's in the army. I could hear her, asking us not to kill her. Is she really a good monster?"

Leo was delighted; He had no idea that Shane knew Morse code. "You bet, in fact, I swear on the Styx she's good." Leo raised challenging eyes to Beckendorf as it became obvious he wasn't going to self-combust, and Beckendorf had the good grace to look ashamed, though he still looked horrified when Shane rushed passed him, and awkwardly hugged Shelob' s front legs.

Leo couldn't stop laughing at Beckendorf's face as Shelob pranced around the bunker, Shane giggling hysterically on her back.

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Can you name a Pegasus other than Blackjack and Scipio?