Piper

The smart thing to do is run. Wait for Calypso to regain enough energy and stay in the sewer/corridor until then. This isn't an option anymore, thanks to the boys. So I may as well go along with whatever Medea is trying to do, if I can charmspeak Jason out of it on the way, even better.

I feel Calypso move away from me, thank the gods that it's her that's invisible. If it was anyone else, they wouldn't be as stealthy or as clever. I'm slightly impressed by how easily she is maintaining her invisibility.

This place is like a shopping mall, minus the zombie-like crowds. I guess it wouldn't make very good business to be running a store in a sewer. Perfect for people like Leo, of course, who seems to have spent time sleeping in sewers. But Leo being Leo, would find himself a way to be kicked out of this ghost shopping mall.

Leo and Jason seem to be completely awed by Medea. She has somehow brainwashed them. They look at her like she is the centre of the universe. I watch on jealously as Jason gazes at Medea with glazed over eyes.

Medea leads us to an elevator and I casually rest my hand on my dagger, more for comfort than defence. I highly doubt that Medea would attack before she is sure of her control over Jason and Leo. I sense Calypso squeeze in the elevator in front of me. I shift from one foot to the other continually, pretending to be absentmindedly backing up, while really I'm giving Calypso more room.

"We shall be visiting potions first, we have a very wide variety," Medea says pleasantly.

I grit my teeth and wait for the doors to open. I hate being in this confined space with Medea. It makes me feel claustrophobic. When the doors open I'm the first to step out- well aside from Calypso.

Medea steps out confidently from behind me and Jason and Leo follow her blindly. Medea picks up a clear vial. "This is our potions section. This potion here will restore any memories that have been taken or lost."

Medea picks up another small red vial. "And this one can heal anything."

"Wait, like, cancer?" Leo asks in slight awe.

"Yes, anything. And this potion will calm anyone down." Medea points to a violet glass bottle.

"So, it can like, stop abusive best friends?" Leo asks, giving me a small sign that he's really still in there.

"I'm going to kill him for that," a voice mutters in my ear. I don't even jump in surprise at Calypso's sudden 'appearance.'

Medea doesn't answer but instead gestures to a shelf of light blue potions. "These ones will cause you a very painful death."

"Awesome. Can I get some of that to go?" Leo says in true Valdez fashion.

I stifle a laugh while Calypso whispers in my ear. "It's like he isn't even under the potion. He's just as empty-headed as before!"

Medea is starting to get annoyed with Leo's constant interruptions, I can tell that much. Even while under a spell, Leo can get on anyone's nerves. It's a relief that he hasn't met any gods yet, because if he had, he would already be a pile of ashes.

"Your Highness," I say, probably saving Leo's live. "Can I talk to you alone?"

"Of course, dear. Go wander boys," she orders, fixing her eyes on me. Jason and Leo wander off blindly in different directions. Hopefully, now that they are away from Medea, her magic will stop working.

"Calypso, go. Get Jason and Leo," I murmur, knowing that she is probably conflicted on whether or not to stay with me.

I can feel her hovering next to me anxiously for a second more before she disappears. "I hope you know what you are doing," Calypso whispers in my ear.

Medea's eyes turn cold once the boys are out of sight. "What do you want?" Medea addresses me harshly.

"What in Hades did you do to them?" I say, trembling with anger.

Medea lets out a tinkling laugh and waves her hand as if dismissing me. "Oh relax, dear. They're fine. They are just more... happy this way."

"There's a big difference between brainwashed and happy," I say furiously.

"My dear, better to be brainwashed and happy than not and unhappy. You are pawns for the gods, you are given a death sentence at birth. You will never live for long, so why not be happy while you are alive?"

Calypso

Leaving Piper with Medea is definitely a bad idea. But letting Leo wander around in a shopping mall full of deadly objects is a worse idea. He doesn't need Medea to kill him, he'll do it himself.

I glance at Jason's back before rushing after Leo. I wait until he turns around a corner and out of site. I grab his arm and let go of my invisibility. Crack! I slap him across the face. "What the Hades is wrong with you, Valdez?" I hiss.

Leo merely blinks twice. "Oh, hi Calypso. When'd you get here? Lovely place right?"

Since when does Leo use the word 'lovely'?

I slap him again. "Wake up, Valdez! This isn't a normal shopping mall! That's Medea back there! Sorceress and ex-wife of Jason the first! Killer of Creon, Creusa and her own children! Do you want to add more names to that list?!"

Leo's eyes lose their glazed look and he looks around, startled. "Holy Hephaestus! We've got to get out of here!"

I smile. "Good, you're back to normal." Crack! I slap him once more.

Leo recoils. "What was that for?!"

"For calling me abusive. Now let's go get Jason and get back to Piper."

We find Jason examining a bloody Camp Jupiter shirt, with a hole straight through where the chest would be. Jason frowns deeply. "Why does this look familiar?"

"Because," I say, approaching him. "That's from Camp Jupiter. Your home. That's from one of Medea's past victims."

Jason was already on the verge of breaking the spell himself, I merely gave him the final push. His eyes clear and his hand immediately go to his pocket, where his coin is. "We've got to get back to Piper!"

We come back to a furious Medea and Piper with her dagger out. I turn myself invisible again before we come into sight. Medea wails in anger when she notices that Jason and Leo are out of her control.

I sneak up behind her and hold my knife to her throat. I make myself visible. "Hello, Medea. Long time, no see."

"Daughter of Atlas!" Medea spits. "What are you doing on the gods' side?! They will turn on you like they did before! They have no time for demi-titans."

"This time I'm powerful enough to make sure they don't betray me. I have many gods on the council that can guarantee my safety," I say confidently.

Medea smiles sickeningly. "Over-confidence was Kronos' downfall, will it be yours too?" Medea disappears from my grip and reappears ten metres away. She lets out a piercing whistle. Two pure gold, glowing dragons appear, winged and aggressive. One of them has crimson red eyes and the other has dark purple eyes. "I will leave you for my pets to deal with."

Medea starts going up the escalator. "Have fun!"

"Don't let them touch you," Jason warns. "They can burn you on contact."

"Indeed," Medea says leisurely. "These two were gifts from my grandfather Helios. They are sun dragons. They pulled my chariot when I left Corinth. They can no longer fly, but now they will be your destruction!"

"Jason, Leo, Piper, get the dragons. I've got the witch," I say firmly, making the decision for us.

The three charge into battle fearlessly like they have worked as a team for their whole lives. Leo wields his new dagger with skill and precision I have never seen from a boy.

I don't wait to see them get killed, I go straight after Medea. She starts climbing quickly when she sees me coming. She's pretty quick for a two thousand year old, but then again, so am I.

Medea goes for the potions, just like I thought she would. She sprints to the potions shelf and snatches the light blue potion, the one that causes painful deaths.

I draw my bow and shoot quickly at the potion as she turns around. The bottle shatters and the potion spills onto her hand. Before my eyes, the potion seems to melt her hand. A skin-coloured liquid falls to the ground as Medea shrieks in agony.

"Maybe next time, witch," I say and I send an arrow towards her skull, putting her out of her misery. As Medea's body hits the ground, the skin coloured liquid appears to race up the rest of her body. Soon, Medea's body is no more.

I look around quickly to see if anyone is watching, then I approach the shelf. I pick up the red vial that Medea had pointed out earlier and slip it into my pocket. Lucky it's so small. I also grab a light blue potion, wincing, and stuff it into my backpack. Thank the gods I had had the sense to grab my bag when we left the sewer.

I rush to the escalators to find a dragon baring down on Leo, his dagger lying a few metres away. "PIPER!" I yell. Piper turns and sees the dragon baring down on Leo. Her eyes widen.

There's nothing I can do. My arrows wouldn't do any damage to something metal and I'd have to get in close to do anything with my knives. Piper's our only hope- I mean Leo's only hope.

Piper

Thanks for the pressure Calypso, I think, as I turn to Leo.

As a demigod, you learn to trust your instincts. Trust your instincts in battle and out of battle. That's the demigod motto. So that's what I do when I start talking to the dragon that's about to kill Leo.

"Stop! You don't really want to hurt him," I say in a soothing voice, inching closer. "That's what Medea wants. Not you. What you really want to do is escape her. My friends and I can help you. Just get off Leo."

The dragon gets off Leo slowly and I continue to speak to it softly, "You're not really evil, are you? Medea brainwashed you like she did to my friends. She's gone now. We killed her. You're free."

The dragon comes towards me in a timid manner, his head slightly lowered and his eyes gentle. I hesitantly reach out my hand towards him and he bows his head, allowing me to pet him. "Good dragon," I murmur lowly.

I hadn't directed my charmspeak to the dragon that Jason was facing so it is a surprise when another dragon nudges my side. Although I'm startled at first, I pet him as well.

"Piper," Calypso comes up beside me. The dragons seem to know she's my friend and they don't attack her. "These are the sun dragons of Helios. They have invincible wings and can burn you on contact if they wish. They are some of the most dangerous creatures in Greek mythology."

Calypso sighs when she sees my face. "You want to keep them don't you?"

I nod eagerly making Calypso smile, "Well, they'll be hard to teleport and the Mist will have trouble covering them." She laughs at my pleading face. "But you can keep them. What will you name them?"

"Vindex and Venator. Dex and Vena for short. Vindex is the one with the purple eyes and Venator is the one with the red eyes." I say, beaming.

"Avenger and Hunter. Seems fitting, but why Latin?" Calypso asks wonderingly.

I blush slightly. "It symbolises our quest. It's to make peace between the Greeks and Romans."

"We need to get somewhere into the woods. I can hunt there, I wish I hadn't left the deer behind," Calypos says sorrowfully.

I laugh. "Don't worry. While you were unconscious we managed to skin the deer and cook it. Leo summoned some containers and we packed it into your backpack."

Calypso peers into her bag. "Good thinking."

Jason comes up beside me. "The witch?"

"Dead. She didn't even put up a good fight," Calypso answers with slight annoyance.

"Alright, Calypso, can you get us going?" Jason asks.

"Yes, everybody join hands," Calypso answers.

I can't help but smile slyly as Leo and Calypso automatically join hands without speaking. Jason grabs Leo's arm and places a hand on my shoulder. I rest my hands on Vindex and Venator, rubbing their metal necks.

I make sure to close my eyes when we teleport. Jason removes his hand from my shoulder, telling me that we have arrived. I give Calypso's unconscious form in Leo's arms, bridal style a smirk.

That's when I start to panic. Where are Vindex and Venator?! They seem to have disappeared from under my hands. They were right next to me a second ago.

I quickly scan the room that we are in and calm down when I notice that my dragons are right beside me. They brush against my legs comfortingly. Then I realise why they blended in, and why I missed them when they were in plain sight.

The whole room is pure gold.

-SAW