"I'm really not liking this." Leo shook his head.

"WHO IS AUNT ROSA…gave me to foster care

"Was there a reason why she gave you to foster care? Like did she have marital issues or something like that?" Percy asked Leo carefully. Leo thought about the answer and then shook his head.

"Nope. She was unmarried. She just said that she didn't want to raise me because I was a freak and all." Leo shrugged. Beckendorf and Hephaestus clenched their fists.

"That's bloody awful." Jason shook his head. Leo gave a small smile and raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"You turning British, mate?" he asked. Jason looked at Leo with raised eyebrows, knowing exactly what Leo was trying to do.

"Did you, maybe, stay with her for a while?" Percy asked Leo, with a glint that nobody understood, in his eyes. Leo nodded. After a quick conversation with Nico, Percy found out that Aunt Rosa was still alive.

"I'm going to sue her." Percy stated. Everybody stared at him in confusion as they wondered how Percy would be able to sue somebody and then it hit them.

"You want to become a lawyer?" Triton asked his brother in surprise. Percy nodded.

"I've been thinking about it. I mean, yeah, I double-majored in marine biology and law but I was still unsure about what I was going to pursue. But like, when you guys offered to train us in our specific fields, I thought about taking up law because honestly, I want to help people and get justice for those who can't on their own." Percy explained.

The sea gang looked at Percy in mild surprise and yet complete pride. While they'd expected that Percy would've taken up marine biology, thinking that he'd majored in it but they had been unaware that he'd also taken law. And besides, they knew that Percy was somebody who'd always wanted to help people and if he felt law was the way to do it, then they couldn't be prouder of him.

"Well, in that case, you're going to be trained by me and dad." Apollo told Percy with a smile. Percy nodded and Nico had to disguise a snort as a cough at the thought of his cousin and uncle getting along well enough for Percy to be trained. Percy then smacked him upside the head.

"Looking forward to it." The son of Poseidon said.

"Then we'll get started soon enough." Zeus replied.

"Please do sue his aunt." Beckendorf said, gesturing to Leo. Percy nodded.

"Definitely." He said. Leo gaped at his friend and then his face broke into a wide smile.

"I'm sorry…any idea what she meant?"

Hades was fidgeting nervously. He knew that his son had been kidnapped but once he had, he was hidden from Hades' sight so he practically had no idea what had happened to Nico wherever he was kept. Persephone kept her hand on her husband's shoulder in order to put him at ease but the truth was that she, herself, was anxious about what was happening to her son in captivity.

"But here's what I don't get. You were all right a while back as you met Percy when he came to Camp Jupiter. How'd you get into such deep trouble that Nemesis is saying you barely had time to live?" Ares asked, holding his palms up in confusion.

"Um…lets just say that I went on a journey that I didn't really come back from because I got kidnapped on my way." Nico said, tilting his head.

"That's a nice way to tell that story. Makes it seem much more harmless than it was." Piper told Nico in amusement. Nico shrugged with a grin.

"Give enough info and yet not the whole story." He said.

"That's not helping." Hades grumbled.

"None," Hazel admitted…he was lucky if Hazel cared for him

"That's true." Frank nodded.

"Um, thanks…who thinks I'm a scary freak

"Leo, I literally came back from the dead after I made a giant come back to life. Trust me when I say, I think you're the furthest thing from a scary freak. The only thing was that I had Frank's lifeline with me. Otherwise, I'd actually find it really cool. I'm sorry if I made you feel like a freak." Hazel told Leo softly. Leo smiled at her.

"Yeah…I get that now. Its just that normally people back away from me for a different reason. They think that just because I control fire, I'm some sort of monster." Leo sighed.

"Leo, being able to control fire does not make you a monster. The only thing it makes you is a pyro. And that's your new nickname." Percy grinned at him and Leo laughed.

"That's better than fire boy." He admitted.

He gazed across the island…capture-the-flag for fun and prizes.

"Wait what?" Percy asked in shock as he looked at his friends. Beckendorf looked equally annoyed.

"None of you guys bothered the check up on the one person who was making sure that you could do something so you guys could even face the prophecy. You were busy playing fucking capture the flag. In a span of months, Leo built a ship and none of you even cared to check if he was doing all right or not. You could show some respect and consideration, you know?" Beckendorf growled. Nobody had heard the eldest son of Beckendorf get angry before and that's what made it all much worse.

"He's dam right, here. You all are having fun while he's alone and building a ship with every comfort you can dream of and working his ass off." Travis glared at the ones who had been there at CHB at that moment, knowing that he personally couldn't have done anything as he was at college during that time.

The campers who had been there took an interest in their shoes as they couldn't look at anybody as the guilt of their actions hit them. Quite honestly, it was only because of Leo that they'd been able to reach Greece in the first place.

Even his two best friends…"quality time" didn't include Leo

"I mean I get that you two were dating and stuff but like…its not like you all can't hang out with your other friends and especially your best friends." Connor frowned.

"Yeah, its not exactly ideal to forget your friends just because you're in a relationship. Its kind of like using your friend and then just ditching him as soon as you get romantically involved with somebody." Silena told Jason and Piper.

"And quite frankly, its not like you guys were even busy doing something too important seeing as you left Leo to build the ship alone." Beckendorf muttered but it was heard by everybody. Jason and Piper winced and looked at each other and then at Leo.

"Lee-" Jason started.

"Its all right. Let it be, Jason. It all happened long back. It doesn't matter anymore." Leo told him with a slightly forced smile but he sold it with all he had. Percy frowned at the son of Hephaestus and Hephaestus sighed as both of them understood what was going on.

Percy and Annabeth were looking at each other and were just hoping that they'd never made Grover or any of their friends feel like outsiders and thanks to the empathy link, their answer came right away. Grover was looking at his best friends with a smile on his face. One thing that he loved about them was that though they'd started dating, they'd never let that come in between their friendships with anybody else. They'd managed to maintain a perfect balance between all their relationships.

His only other friend…technical skill to repair it.

"I think it was less a matter of skill but more of materials, my son." Hephaestus told Leo. "What do you think about me giving you all the materials you're going to need and you try to build Festus again? Of course, if you need help, I'll be there." The god of fire offered. Leo's eyes lit up.

"R-really?" he asked, his voice disbelieving.

"Really." Hephaestus smiled. Leo grinned and hugged Hephaestus. The god of fire still looked taken aback but chuckled and hugged his son back.

The seventh wheel…a place among your brethren

All the seven flinched.

"Leo, I am so so sorry." Jason pleaded. Leo nodded.

"Its all right, superman." He said with a smile.

"No, its not. Leo…I know what its like to feel like you're alone and to…not have faith in yourself. To not believe in yourself. But, that should not be the case with you. It shouldn't have been. I should have been better. We all should have been better. The first thing that comes in a team is trust and that's what we all failed to show. We were unable to show you respect and I am extremely sorry for that. But I'm old enough to know that words don't mean anything unless actions accompany them. So I promise you that I'm going to make sure that you believe that you're part of the family rather than us just telling you." Percy told Leo, looking the demigod straight in the eye.

Leo's eyes had gotten watery as he hastily wiped them with the cuff of his sleeve. He'd known that Percy had always been one to make sure that everybody at camp had felt at home. Leo had come to see more and more of that as they had started this reading but he'd never really seen it directed towards him. The son of Poseidon looked like he was able to sense the thoughts churning through Leo Valdez's mind and Leo saw the guilt deepen on his face.

Leo knew that everybody treated Percy like their leader and believed in him even if something went wrong and so did Leo. But it was at that moment, seeing the pain on the son of Poseidon's face, that he realized that the reason people loved Percy was because of his loyalty and determination to include them that made them love him. Though Percy had always been a leader to Leo before, it was at that moment that Leo truly felt like Percy was a leader to him.

"Thank you…Aquaman." Leo choked out. Percy's face broke into a wide grin and Hephaestus looked at Percy with gratitude while Beckendorf gave Percy a proud smile. This was the kid that he'd always known and believed him. The one thing that had reassured him when he had blown up the boat was the knowledge that Percy would be there for the campers. It filled him with pride to know that he still was.

"Leo?" Hazel asked gently…tired of answering that question.

"Echo." Hera scowled.

Hazel and Leo exchanged looks…Nine times out of ten, it wasn't good.

"11 out of 10 times, it isn't good." Chris laughed.

"Indeed. I would like to amend my statement." Leo nodded and then gave Percy a look.

"Noted." Percy snickered.

A ninja girl camouflaged in earth…Hazel was staring at her feet

"I didn't mean it that way." Leo told Hazel quickly. Hazel chuckled.

"I know that, fireboy." She said.

"Uh…sorry," he muttered…"That could be fun."

"Don't bully her, Leo." Rachel chided. Leo grinned sheepishly.

"Fun" she said unhappily…"Kiss me, you fool" "You fool"

Everybody burst out laughing at that. Leo turned bright red but even he joined in.

"That backfired." Travis wheezed.

"She's brilliant." Katie laughed.

"She just had to crop that." Leo joked with a pout.

"I like her." Athena said with a smile.

"Leo," Hazel pleaded…and down and giggling so excitedly

"Well, it looks like you just walked into a mob of fangirls." Annabeth chuckled.

"I got no problem with that but maybe they could fangirl over somebody better." Leo said. Hazel nodded in agreement.

"What are they looking at…gazing intently at the water.

Aphrodite groaned as she realized who it was.

"Wasn't there…like, a story of a guy who stared only at his reflection?" Percy said. Athena nodded.

"Narcissus." She said.

Leo usually didn't pay much…it definitely hadn't worked yet

"If it means anything, I'd date somebody like you. Both look-wise and personality-wise." Rachel told Leo with a smile. Leo grinned at her.

"Its sad you can't." he said.

"Brother, you have a girlfriend." Will laughed. Leo grinned sheepishly.

"That too." He said

At any rate, Leo couldn't miss…woven a web in the top of the bow.

The entire Apollo gang winced.

"Its painful to hear." Lee groaned.

As Leo edged closer…the guy staring at himself in the pond.

Half the people in the room face palmed.

"The stuff some people watch." Annabeth shook her head in disappointment.

"They're just wasting their time watching an arrogant man stare at his own reflection just because he looks good. I mean I get it if you're watching your favorite actor do something…like I don't know… maybe speak?! But just staring at his own reflection. Like nah bro, I'd rather watch Netflix." Hermes shrugged.

"He is sooooo hot…"For him," Echo said bitterly.

"Echo deserved better." Hazel said sadly. Leo nodded in agreement.

"Wait." Hazel clearly had trouble…blah, all the time."

"The hypocrisy in this statement will never cease to amuse and annoy me at the same time." Thalia rolled her eyes.

"I know!" another nymph…which was fine with us.

"No, but if you hated her talking then why didn't you just stop listening? I mean you could have had a hundred billion other things to look at." Annabeth raised an eyebrow at Hera.

"Some people talk too much." Hera told her.

"When its somebody like Phineas, it makes sense seeing as he could have revealed things before their time but when it comes to somebody simply talking without it being a danger then there's literally no point in cursing them because all you had to do was not listen." Annabeth said logically.

"I agree with Annie Bell. Some people get cursed for nothing and for some reason a lot of them get cursed by you." Dionysus drawled. Hera glared at him.

"Your mother slept with my husband." She said.

"Actually, your husband slept with my mother seeing as he made the first move." Dionysus corrected. Zeus grimaced.

"Nevertheless, it was consensual." Hera said. Dionysus glared at her and his eyes glowed violet.

"And what did my aunt and uncle ever do to you?" he growled, his voice filled with rage. "Was it their crime that they protected me? A child? A child who didn't know that his only crime was to be born? I did not ask to be born and even so instead of me, they're the ones who paid." Dionysus said, clenching his fist and then banging it on the arm of the sofa causing armrest to break.

The campers looked at Dionysus in shock, never having heard the god of wine talk about his past or about himself for that matter. The only time he had ever talked about himself was when he talked about his curse at the camp and how miserable he was among a group of insufferable demigods as he affectionately called them. They never thought that they'd ever resonate with him but at that moment they knew that he too like them had never asked to be born but he had to pay.

Hera looked at the god of wine, unable to form a response. Dionysus had not shown such anger towards her since ages and when she said ages she meant ages. Zeus looked at his son with sadness in his eyes that surprised everybody sitting in the hall.

"I was…angry." Hera sighed finally.

"Then take your rage out like normal people in ways like screaming, drinking tea or coffee, going to the beach or reading a book or heck, watching something on TV. There are a million ways I could name but driving somebody insane so they kill their own kids in the most brutal ways and then returning them to sanity so they kill themselves is not one of them." Dionysus hissed.

"I..." Hera started. "Perhaps, you are right. I was angry but yes, it was misdirected." She said. Dionysus glared at her but said nothing while the others looked at the queen of heavens in shock. Nobody had expected her to apologize for anything that Dionysus had said. Though the god of wine was glaring at Hera, everybody could very easily see the satisfaction in his eyes. It was clear that he had waited to hear those words since forever. Everybody couldn't help but feel happy that he had finally heard the words he had deserved.

The campers smiled at Dionysus while even Chiron looked proud of his friend. Castor, Pollux and Dakota had the widest grins on their faces as they hugged Dionysus which the god of wine accepted happily. Nobody said anything about the small tear that ran down his face.

Once it was clear that everybody was ready to go on reading, Chiron continued.

But then Echo fell in love…"Those are mine!"

Thalia and Artemis shook their heads in disappointment.

"Are the nymphs also cursed or something?" Piper asked

"No. They just want to sleep with Narcissus." Aphrodite deadpanned.

The whole mob began arguing…smelled worse than he looked.

"He did." Hazel nodded.

"Bro needs perfume." Michael said.

"I think he already used mosquito repellent as one." Hazel wrinkled her nose. Everybody burst out laughing while Percy high fived his cousin and Hazel and Persephone looked at her with pride shining with pride.

"Man," Leo said to Narcissus…hand in front of his face.

"I feel horrible for her." Silena sighed.

"Indeed. To fall in love with somebody who's never going to love her back and she still tries to help him. It's almost tragically beautiful." Aphrodite nodded.

"Its not beautiful. Its just tragic." Piper stated.

The others sighed along with her…"Stay here!" all the nymphs screamed

"Yeah, that's just what he needs. An ego booster." Triton rolled his eyes.

"Maybe his head will get too big and then ultimately burst?" Percy said hopefully. Poseidon snorted in amusement while the others burst out laughing.

"It'd be a great service." Poseidon agreed.

"Yeah, he might even get into Elysium for that." Hades joked. Poseidon chuckled at his brother.

"Marry me before you die…still know how to shoot his bow."

Apollo and Artemis snorted.

"Even if he does, he's going to have to take the cobwebs off first and then the dust." Artemis informed.

Leo pondered that…bronze from a safe distance.

"That's complicated and tiring and time consuming." Hazel shook her head.

"All right," he said…hating his own plan already.

"Ahh, crazy idea time." Percy grinned maniacally.

"I'm so done with you two." Nico groaned.

"Hey at least Leo doesn't like his plan. That's a difference." Grover said sarcastically and winked at Percy who pouted at his best friend but he didn't deny it.

"I do hate some of my plans-" he said.

"Name any three." Annabeth said mildly. Percy opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, looking like a fish but nothing came out.

"Right." He said and buried his face in his hands. The sea gang shook their heads. The amount of times Percy's crazy plans had driven them to the edge of impossible heart attacks.

"Echo and I will cause a distraction…"Now, let's hope we don't die."

"Yes, well, that's the aim of every plan." Percy nodded.

"I'm guessing that was also the aim of the whole Phineas incident?" Triton asked dryly.

"Hey, the aim was that but the odds were 50-50." Percy defended himself.

"Luckily, my plan was a little less harmless." Leo said.

"Oh, it was brilliant." Hazel laughed and Leo pouted at her.

"You know you loved it." He said finally.

"I definitely don't deny that." Hazel agreed.

"This sounds fun." Hermes grinned.

"Chapter's done." Chiron smiled.

"Oh, pass it here. I want to know what crack shit happened." Ares laughed. Chiron chuckled and passed the book and Ares flipped to the next chapter.