A/N: Thanks, Awolf24, for the support! ~pimsaimh

II

Leo ran after Jason as fast as he could, leaving a sparse trail of nuts and bolts behind him as he did. When they got to the Big House, still being remodeled under the supervision of Annabeth, he bent over, panting for breath.

"Are they hurt? Where are they? Gods, I should have gone after her!" Leo exclaimed, all in one breath. The Big House was empty besides Jason and Leo. As he was beating himself up, he didn't see the man in a wheelchair coming up from behind him.

"Now, had you followed Annabeth, my child, you would have been injured as well. There was nothing you could have done to help." Chiron, appearing much like Mr. Brunner, said as he began filling him in. "In case you were wondering, Piper and Annabeth are fine. They're getting fixed up; no permanent injuries. Now, there was a satyr that arrived briefly to report the findings of a demigod. He was severely injured while protecting the girl from an unidentified monster." At Leo's confused look, Chiron said, "The reason it's unidentified? Amir, beyond his physical injuries, has experienced amnesia from the blast. He should recover in due time, but this leaves an unprotected demigod out there with what is clearly a dangerous and powerful monster. I need someone willing to bring her back, as the other satyrs are scattered looking for other new recruits. This young lady, being a year younger than you, has definitely passed her claiming age. As you know, the older the age, the stronger the scent. We cannot postpone this. I've already asked a few capable heroes, but they have strict deadlines for the jobs needing to be tended to here at Camp. Jake is willing to watch over the weapon-forging should you accept this quest, Leo. I am confident in your abilities, but the choice is ultimately yours."

"How can I help, sir?" Leo asked immediately, remembering the day he found out he was a demigod. And who knows, he thought, maybe she's hot…

"Please follow Jason to the Infirmary, as I'm sure you wish to see your friends. He'll inform you of the incident more thoroughly and Percy will help you prepare for your quest."

"Aye, aye, captain!" Leo saluted, barely holding in his excitement and looking rather silly in his greasy overalls and goofy grin.

Bowing his head before retreating to his office, Chiron turned, his eyes full of knowledge and twinkling with amusement. "Oh, and do tell Jason he seems to have developed a bit of a… tail."

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"So, then Annabeth sent an Iris message to Percy, who was taking a shower." Piper added with a small giggle. "He sent Mrs. O'Leary to pick her up. Then, they shadow traveled to us and-"

"-Jason decided to save his precious girlfriend, took the scarf, and air-blasted it a good mile or two away." Annabeth interrupted, blushing suddenly. "Oh, and I did not Iris message my boyfriend while he was showering! He was already dressed and exiting the bathroom... In any case, I was tossed off of Mrs. O'Leary as we tumbled through the shadow. That's why my leg's in a cast… Did you know that crutches-"

"--Before we allow Annie the liberty of boring us half to death with the history of the structure of crutches, again, could we have, say… Jason, finish the story?" Leo said. He smiled sweetly as Annabeth scowled, crossing her arms.

"Well, that's basically it. Who knew the blast radius was so strong? I just wish I knew Amir was nearby, or I wouldn't have sent it in that direction..." Jason said, beating himself up, monkey tail tucked between his legs. The group continued bantering here and there, filling each other in before Percy walked by, kissed Annabeth on the forehead, and waved for Leo to come so he could explain his quest. The two began walking under the late afternoon sun and, when he finished, the sun was almost set.

"That should be it. You need to rest up for tomorrow morning. Chiron's already made arrangements so you won't stand out at the high school. Just remember you're supposed to be a transfer student, okay?"

"Yeah, find the girl, destroy the monster, bring her back in one piece. Leo's got this!"

"Good luck, man. You ever need me, I'm only an Iris message away." With that, they split ways, both heading to their respective cabins for the night.

Shaking his head from the recent memory, Leo made his way to his first class. In order to keep an eye on the demigod, he had the same schedule as she did. He took out the portfolio they'd given him. He didn't have the chance to take a look during the trip here, but, now that he had, he was ensnared. She had dark, chestnut hair, subtle highlights making the voluminous mass look even bigger. They fell in loose curls, like they'd been in a bun for too long, extending beyond the small yearbook photo so he didn't know how long they were. Her hair looked uniquely reckless and wild, yet soft and bouncy. She had soft, pale features contrasting with her dark tresses, as though she didn't see the sunlight a whole lot. Her smile was made of pure innocence, with piercing amber-brown eyes that were anything but. In fact, they screamed of a sad kind of darkness, an odd comparison to the considerably bright orbs. Leo thought she was gorgeous. Once he finished drooling over the picture, he read through the written information. Name: Vanessa Ambrose. Birthday: August 25. Gender: Fe-

Oomph! Leo crouched down, taking a moment to try to collect the upset papers fluttering around as they settled to the ground. He gave up after getting a few paper cuts, making a mental note to take a bit of ambrosia for the wounds later.

"Sorry! I should have been looking… Hey, there…" Leo said, eyes widening as they recognized the amber-brown orbs. Her silky dark hair was in a messy bun, held in place by a dull pencil, but it had come loose after being jostled in their collision. She was wearing what was probably once a plain black t-shirt that now had colorful splatters all over it. In their close proximity, Leo could distinctly smell fresh paint along with an undertone of pine. Distractedly, Leo finally said, "Uh, you're Vanessa Ambrose, right?"

"Depends; who's asking?" Her sassy response was softened by a faint accent Leo wouldn't quite place, but decided he definitely liked. What was his name, again?

"Uh… Tr-transfer… Val… Valdez... Pretty?" Leo stuttered out some unrecognizable sounds, earning a delightful twinkling laugh he decided he definitely liked as well.

"I get that a lot," Vanessa said, the undertone of arrogance not deterring Leo in the slightest. "What's your name again? Didn't quite catch it."

"The name's Valdez. Leo Valdez. But you can call me whatever you like." Leo winked unabashedly. "Lucky for you, I'm a transfer student who just so happens to be in desperate need of a gorgeous lady- such as yourself- to tell me where room 584 is..." He was so proud of regaining his composure in front of the beauty he didn't notice the curious look she gave him at the coincidence.

"Well, that just so happens to be where I'm go-"

RRRING! They looked around to see they were the only ones left in the hallway when they heard two pairs of footsteps around the corner. Somehow, Leo sensed, whoever they were, they were the monsters going after Vanessa. Now was not the time for flirting; he had to get her out of here.