Pearl: Ugh I forgot about the 90 day halflife

Leo: *throws popcorn at her* Screw you I've been waiting over a year for the thing with my mom!

Oceana: OKAY OKAY I REMEMBER LIKE 70% OF YOUR FLASHBACK I'M SORRY THIS WILL BE THE THIRD TIME I WRITE IT

Nico: Just... get on with it.

Pearl: I'm still crying over Artemis Fowl, and a fanfiction would never do it justice.

Leo Valdez, Son of Hephaestus

As Leo watched Morgan's nonchalant figure twirl her baseball bat, he was reminded of a hot summer almost a decade ago.

It was sweltering. On one of the few self-determined holidays Esperanza granted herself, she decided to take Leo to a baseball game. A small local thing, an average day out for any other family perhaps, but after half an hour of sitting under the Texan sun, having no idea what was going on and awkwardly standing when everyone did, Leo and his mom decided to sneak out. They agreed that the best thing about that day was the peanut guy, who was hilarious and said he didn't care much for baseball either.

Staying in the cool shade of the workshop was much preferable. Leo tried hard to listen to Percy's explanations but...

Leo tried not to dwell too much on Percy, and thankfully the thunderous cacophony some metres from his ship proved sufficient distraction.

'HA!' Morgan yelled triumphantly as a missile double her size was deflected back toward the mountain, and an outraged bellow echoed her yelling. 'Aaaaaand Owens hit it and.. and... it's outta the park! Hooooooome ruuuuuun!' Break-dancing - in mid-air - in celebration, Morgan sheathed her bat and cartwheeled toward the mast when Leo heard Nico's hoarse cry.

'Hard to port!' Leo steered accordingly, thankful he reinforced the wires of his Nintendo Wii stick and miscellaneous games console controls he'd liberated, or else most of them would've been ripped out in fury and thrown uselessly at the ship's assailants. He tried to catch Hazel's eye, when he saw absolute terror strike her face. All Leo could see was a grey blur clip Morgan's side and hit the foremast.

Hazel scrambled madly toward the wreckage of the sails and spars to them. Leo's heart was in his throat, and he found it difficult to swallow or breathe. He decided they'd better skedaddle, if a ship of that size can skedaddle. A black clad arm waved Hazel over and the siblings helped Morgan stumble to the bow. A breath he wasn't aware he was holding was let out and Leo made a jittery call down below.

'Stupid rock gods! That's the third time I've had to replace that mast! You think they grow on trees?'

Morgan grinned weakly. 'Masts are from trees.'

'That's not the point!' Leo returned, heart hammering. The last of the mountains disappeared behind them, and Leo felt his shoulders slack somewhat. He set the autopilot for north-west and hopped down to the three slumped together on the quarterdeck. Morgan picked some grit out of her arm and plucked a piece of ham from Nico's hair. He was frowning at the splinters that had gone through his shirt.

Leo was still feeling a bit weak at the knees and tried to play it off. 'Well that was sucktastic. Should I wake the others?' Suddenly he felt he'd rather endure the task of disturbing a grizzled Frank than stay on deck. Hazel shot that idea down, with a tinge of regret in her voice.

'No, they need their sleep. I wouldn't be surprised if this didn't disturb them at all.' She was glancing at Nico, worry etching a little frown between her eyebrows.

Morgan clutched her side. 'I bet you ten bucks I've broken a rib. Don't mind me, just don't make me laugh for thirty seconds.' Leo helped her sit down and gently checked Morgan's side. She winced and her clothes were a little grazed, but there was no blood. Huh. Morgan tried to twist her good arm to reach a pouch on her belt. Leo grabbed it for her, grinning lopsidedly. He probably looked kinda crazy. Oh well, no taking it back really. He bit his lip and started to discuss a plan of action with the others. Morgan tossed a square of ambrosia into the air and it landed neatly on her tongue. Nico was watching her with a strange expression. As she chewed: 'Why do you guys have to cross the mountains? Can't you sai- oh.' She exchanged a glance with Nico. He coughed, looking away and Leo could've sliced the pregnant silence with a cheese knife.

'As long as we don't have to go back to Rome. I'm done with Rome.' Leo grimaced.

Nico nodded. 'We have to hurry nonetheless... Every day we wait while Percy and Annabeth are in Tartarus...' Another heavy pause. They started bouncing ideas off each other, with Morgan trying very hard not to breathe. Leo was very aware of the heat of her back through her thin chiton. 'I could make some sort of smoke screen, like, camouflage.' Even to himself he sounded unenthusiastic.

'I'm up!' Morgan struggled to her feet with Leo's help. 'Oh hey, look at that.' She pointed to a glint of beige streaking across the Italian countryside. Leo let go of her arm quickly and ran up to the railings.

'No...' Hazel's incredulous gasp was replaced by a laugh Leo hadn't heard in days. 'Arion.'

Nico peered over her shoulder. 'What?' Leo laughed with Hazel, shaking off the tense atmosphere with relative ease.

'It's her horse, man! We haven't seen him since Kansas!'

Hazel bobbed up and down on her feet, excited. 'He's here to help! I know it!'

Nico brushed the hair from his eyes. 'If you say so. But we agreed not to land the ship...'

'I'll go down.' Hazel said immediately. Ah. That would leave Leo alone with Nico and Morgan.

He hurried off. 'I'll get the rope ladder.'

Leo: Don't even talk to me

Pearl: I'm so sorry

Nico: What? I just let her go off like that?

Oceana: Shhhhh next chapter up soon.