Daughter of Olympus - [Leo Valdez xF!Oc]

They Had Us in The First Half, Not Gonna Lie

They walk into the courtyard where there are two massive figures inside an empty reflecting pool. Inside one of the spires, Ara sees Porphyrion, and in the other, they see Hera.

Leo's the first to jump. "Hola, Tía. Little bit of trouble?"

"Don't inspect me like I'm one of your machines, Leo Valdez. Get me out of here!"

Ara's the second to jump in. "Lady Hera, I'm honored. Where's my brother?"

The goddess studies her bandages. "What's the matter, child, you can't hold a third of our fronts without help?"

"We tried everything we could think of, guys," Thalia joins them. "But maybe my heart wasn't in it. If it was up to me, I'd just leave her in there."

"Ohh, Thalia Grace! When I get out of here, you'll be sorry you were ever born."

"Save it! You've been nothing but a curse to every child of Zeus for ages. You sent a bunch of intestinally challenged cows after my friend Annabeth—"

"She was disrespectful!"

"You dropped a statue on my legs."

"It was an accident!"

"And you took my brother! Here—on this spot. You ruined our lives. We should leave you to Gaea!"

"What if you set the cage on fire, Leo? That ought to work way one or another," Ara suggests since the poles that assemble the goddess's cage are made of branches.

"Hey," Jason moves closer. "Girls, this isn't the time to yell at Hera. Thalia, you should help your Hunters."

"Fine," she throws one last murderous glare at Hera before standing. "For you, Jason. But if you ask me, she isn't worth it."

When she goes away, Leo looks between Ara and Hera with a raised eyebrow. "Intestinally challenged cows?"

"Focus on the cage, Leo," Hera scowls. "And Jason—you are wiser than your sister. I chose my champion well."

"I'm not your champion, lady. I'm only helping you because you stole my memories and you're better than the alternative. Speaking of which, what's going on with that?"

"That, Jason," Hera says grimly, "is the king of the giants being reborn."

"Gross," Piper mutters.

"Indeed. Porphyrion, the strongest of his kind. Gaea needed a great deal of power to raise him again—my power. For weeks I've grown weaker as my essence was used to grow him a new form."

"So you're like a heat lamp," Leo muses. "Or fertilizer."

"Joke all you wish," Hera hisses. "But at sundown, it will be too late. The giant will awake. He will offer me a choice: marry him, or be consumed by the earth. And I cannot marry him. We will all be destroyed. And as we die, Gaea will awaken."

"Fun!" Ara leans closer. "So is there any way you can help me heal faster?"

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" Hera huffs.

"And can't we blow it up or something?" Leo points at the giant over his shoulder.

"Without me, you do not have the power," Hera responds. "You might as well try to destroy a mountain."

"Done that once today," Jason shrugs.

"Show off," Ara takes off her cloak and unwraps her bandages.

"Just hurry up and let me out!"

Jason sighs. "Leo, can you do it?"

"I don't know. Besides, if she's a goddess, why hasn't she busted herself out?"