Chapter 5: Needed

Disclaimer: I own none of the PJO and HoO franchise sadly.

Again, a Leo-centric chapter, showing Jason's sometimes over protectiveness. Yes I put in half Nico. *Laughs maniacally.*

Leo

Leo was glad he'd stayed. He was also glad he had three days off. Jason and he walked down into the son of Jupiter's cabin and Leo plopped down on the spinning chair, twirling around like an idiot.

"WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeEEEEEEEE!" He acted with no embarrassment. Jason closed the door and sat on the bed, lightly grinning.

"Leooo..." He laughed as he watched him spin around faster and faster, until he finally stopped.

"Oh gods." Leo's world spun around and his head hurt. Jason smiled and helped Leo stand and walked him over to the bed, sitting beside him.

"Even you can get dizzy huh?"

Leo grinned, his eyes still spinning. "Yes even the all powerful McShizzle has weaknesses." His eyes came into focus. "Never doing that again."

"So how've you been? You work some pretty late nights."

"Er well... you see... I haven't slept in about a week due to insomnia, but it should be just fine by the time we're ready to fly." Jason nodded, his worry slightly leaving. Leo smiled thinking about how he felt needed again. By his best friend.

"You gotta go easier on yourself..." Leo scowled at that. "After all, you can't take on all the ship's responsibilities on your own."

Leo sighed in defeat. "Yeah I guess not. Since we've landed, there's a few things I need to get. The ship could use some enhancements and repairs. And no I will not overwork myself."

Jason stood up and bowed. "Jason Grace at your service."

"I'm gonna come with you. We need to get some transistors, a few long pipes—really long, I'm not even kidding—and a few complicated things that Annabeth would have trouble comprehending. I think we should leave in a few minutes and get back before midnight huh?"

Jason nodded and mockingly bowed again. "Yes master." Leo lightly punched him in the gut.

The son of Hephaestus stood up, reaching up to Jason's eyes in height. "Be prepared for combat, but don't take armor. I'll meet you up on deck in five?" Jason nodded, and as if on cue, Leo left the cabin, going up to his own.

Jason

Jason quickly put on his combat boots (gifts from Reyna) and put on a protectively thick, brown leather jacket. He met Leo on the deck. He was similarly wearing smaller combat boots and unzipped jacket. He managed to shrink his huge tool belt into a normal belt. Which was probably why his jacket was unzipped.

"You ready Leo?" He nodded in assurance, and they jumped over the rail, since the ground wasn't that far. Jason eased their fall with the winds.

"Ok I've located a depot nearby with all the stuff I need... suspiciously everything is there."

Jason shrugged. "Well it's our best bet. And we got bad boy supreme here."

Leo grinned "Yeah you got that right! Let's go!" Leo lead the way and they managed to avoid any nasty monsters.

They arrived at the store, panting for breath since they had been running for their lives from a minotaur. It was too crowded to fight without drawing attention and exposing the secrets of Camp Half-Blood and Jupiter to the mortals.

Leo leaned against the wall beside Jason. "Whew! That minotaur almost caught you Sparky!"

Jason chuckled, still panting. "Well yeah, I can't run like you! Can anything catch you?"

"Nope!" Leo walked over to the aisle with electrical equipment. Jason cluelessly looked around.

"Um. Leo you actually understand this stuff?" The son of Hephaestus nodded in confirmation. Jason shuddered. Leo might seem aloof and stupid, but he knew his stuff. He probably knew a lot more than Jason.

Thankfully, the blonde wasn't absorbed in the merchandise like his comrade was. He almost missed it.

One of the customer-helpy people (what are they called again?) which had been standing at the opposite end of the aisle stuck her tongue out. It definitely wasn't a human tongue—probably dragon or empousa. Jason shifted his feet nervously and pulled lightly on Leo's arm.

"Yeah?"

"Hey Leo? I think we should go." Leo looked at him as if he was crazy.

"Wha—Why? It's all here! I doubt I've ever seen a place with all the exact stuff I need in one shelf!"

Jason shifted his weight again nervously. "L-Leo I don't think we're safe here."

"What are you talking abo—" Jason just had time to register what had happened. How had he not seen her before?! The empousa he had been looking at had snuck behind his friend and quickly knocked him unconscious.

Unfortunately, Jason didn't have the time to reach into his pocket and pull out Ivlius as another monster knocked him out from behind. Both bodies crumpled to the ground beside each other, unconscious.

Nico

Percy and he walked up on deck to find Jason, so they could make sure it was Ivlius that completed the trio. Instead, when they reached the top of the stairs, they found the deck empty.

"Oh right. Jason went looking for Leo." Nico nodded, remembering the uncharacteristic way in which the son of Hephaestus had disappeared.

"Check his cabin? Leo's?"

"Both." And so they went down to check the cabins for Jason, finding him in neither of them. Where is Sparky? Leo?

"Maybe Leo went to get some stuff for repairs on the ship?" Nico said this hopefully yet not fully confident.

Percy however accepted the conclusion without hesitance. "Well it is just like Leo to go crazy over the ship. Jason probably followed him. Let's just check belowdecks one last time. They walked down the stairs again.

Nico/Percy

This time something caught Nico's glance that he hadn't noticed before. The door to the drop zone was slightly open. He pushed it open and motioned for Percy to follow. Inside, in one corner there was a backpack. Nico checked the small computer in the wall for the last few uses of the hatch.

"According to Festus... the hatch was opened just 10 minutes ago! They've left the ship!" Percy looked up as the son of Hades said this.

"They could be in danger... gods why would they do this?!" Percy was evidently in disbelief. He paced the room. "Couldn't they just get off the hull? The hull is for big group quests! Ugh!"

Nico grinned, seeing his friend in obvious distress and frustration. He put a hand on the taller boy's shoulder. "Hey don't worry. Those two can take care of themselves. Jason's a great fighter and Leo can handle flames and a huge hammer even if he's not a fighter." Percy's expression softened as he looked at Nico's smile.

"Y... Yeah I guess. I trust them."

Nico nodded. "We'll just wait for Jay to return to examine Ivlius. Till then, let's catch up with Frank. I have a feeling Piper's roped him in as well."

Percy shuddered at the thought of Piper applying makeup on the brawny boy. Thank the gods it's just braiding.

Nico pushed Piper's door open lightly, knocking on it. Piper waved and returned to furiously braiding a mannequin head. Hazel made a face to Nico and Percy that looked somewhat like she was pleading for help.

Frank was in the back corner, legs crossed and leaning on the wall. He was obviously bored, and Hazel probably threatened to burn the stick if he left.

Frank put two fingers to his forehead. "Hey Percy, Nico." Percy walked over beside him.

"So how long have they been... doing this?" Percy had the nerve to grin.

"Hours and hours. So glad you came." He shot Nico a look that said: Get me outta here!

Percy laughed. "Well see ya!" He made for the door, but Frank moved fast as lightning, blocking the exit. He grabbed Percy by the wrist and pulled him back into the room.

"Oh heck no. You're not leaving me in here alone."

Percy smirked. "Alright alright." Nico also grinned a little.

"So Frank... I still have to threaten you huh? About Hazel?" Frank froze when the son of death said this. Percy was quite astonished but then he smirked more.

Nico went up to the taller boy and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him forward. He narrowed his eyes so they looked quite terrifying as he looked at Frank's wide eyes. Good. He's scared. "Frank Zhang. If you ever so much as hurt a hair on my sister's head, I swear I will kill you and send you to the Fields of Punishment—trust me, I practically run the place—and have you locked up for all of eternity.

It pleased Nico to see the terror in the other boy's eyes. Meanwhile Percy was practically losing it. He was banging on the walls in a fit of laughter.

Frank gulped. "I—I swear on th-the River Hazel that I will not hurt Styx—I-I mean I swear on the Hazel Styx that I will not hurt River! I..."

Percy couldn't control it anymore. He was quite literally rolling on the floor.

Nico raised an eyebrow, struggling to keep a serious face. "What was that?"

"I Styx on the River swear that I will not hurt Hazel. Er..." Nico grinned. He's scared. I've done my job.

"Hey don't worry." Nico lightly patted Frank on the shoulder. "I trust you. It's just kinda normal for a brother to scare his sister's boyfriend. Don't take it personally."

Frank sighed in relief. "Thanks."

"Hazel's lucky to have you."

Piper meanwhile was fuming. "IF YOU GUYS ARE DONE WITH YOUR LOVELY LITTLE DRAMA, CAN YOU PLEASE SHUT UP SO I CAN TEACH THESE UNCULTURED PEASANTS HOW TO BRAID?!" Annabeth shot Percy a painful look.

Heh. For once, no one can save them from Piper.

"Well ok then." Nico awkwardly left, pulling Percy and Frank after him, since Hazel had silently told them to save themselves and promised not to burn the firewood.

Outside, Percy laughed even louder, causing Nico to roll his eyes.

"Perce... are you alright? Don't forget to breathe."

And the six demigods continued with their lives, unaware of their two friends in great need of their help.

And now you see why I put in Nico... so I could have the nice cliffhanger! *More maniacal laughter.* Sorry not sorry guys.

Just to make it clear (in case it wasn't already) when Nico and Percy saw the hatch history, they thought Jason and Leo had gone through that 10 minutes ago, but in reality Leo tried to escape 10 minutes ago and then Jason flew him back and then they jumped off the hull just seconds before Nico and Percy came on deck. So if they just looked down from the ship, they could have seen them on the streets.

Anyway please review for free cyber donuts (cookies are done to death) and for me to continue. :D