The demigods had taken numbers.
Nico commandeered a dispenser from the snack bar and carried it around, yelling, "The line starts to the left! Orderly queue, guys!"
"Is this really necessary?" Leo asked.
"Yes," said Miranda Gardiner, who had drawn the first number. She punched Leo in the arm.
"Ow," said Leo.
"You're a jerk, and we all hate you," said Miranda. Then she hugged him and kissed his cheek. "If you ever disappear like that again, we'll line up to kill you."
"Okay, okay!"
That had been nothing compared to the people who actually greeted him first when Festus had landed.
Percy had pulled him into a bro-hug as he said how happy he was that he was back and that he had really done it and that everyone was ok.
And then he'd wisely moved out of the way as a crying Cressida had faced her friend.
"Hola, Hermana," Leo had greeted with a grin and Cressida's eyes had just narrowed at him before she slugged him in the face. "OW!" he cried out as he spat blood out of his mouth from where he'd bitten his cheek and staggered backward. "Ok, that was uncalled for and did you get stronger or something, Hollywood? Because that hurt more than I remember."
"What is the deal with all the men in my life only saying hi after I thought they were dead for an extended period of time?!" she exclaimed with an angry look at Percy who gave her a guilty smile before she crashed into Leo in a hug. "It's good to have you home, Houston," she said in Spanish as she trembled in his arms and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
"It's good to be home," he replied.
"I promise you though, if you ever pull shit like this again, I will kill you. And you know I keep my promises."
Leo chuckled at the threat that no one else could understand but that they were pretty sure was a threat because that was what Cressida did to the people she cared about. "I don't doubt that."
Their reunion was cut a little short as the rest of the camp tried to mob the hero that defeated Gaia.
Percy placed a hand on Cressida's back as he escorted her over to the picnic tables, handing her a tissue to wipe her face with before Apollo joined them and they watched the camp embrace one of their own.
Percy and Calypso had hugged awkwardly when they first saw each other and the sorceress didn't seem particularly interested in meeting Cressida, the girl who had taken the heart of one of her supposed saviours. And Cressida doubted that Calypso was a fan of the way she'd kissed Leo's cheek.
Cressida understood though. She didn't resent Calypso for that. She also didn't blame her for the curse Cressida suffered in Tartarus because if there was one thing that she understood, it was being abandoned.
And she didn't feel insecure about the gorgeous girl's arrival. She was secure in her relationship and she was happy for Leo to have found his happiness as well.
It did take a long time for her to get here though. Calypso had been the topic of one of their many discussions when they had started dating and went to work through everything they needed to before Castor died. And for this moment it had been worth it.
And when Leo was still getting loved and abused by the camp, Percy hugged Leo again and still, he didn't punch him, but he still looked a little disgruntled.
"I can't believe it," he said. "Six months—"
"I told you," Leo said. "We tried sending more holographic scrolls. We tried Iris messages, dream visions, phone calls. Nothing worked.—Ow! Hey, Alice, how you doing?—Anyway, we ran into one crisis after another."
Calypso nodded. "Albania was particularly difficult."
From down the line, Nico di Angelo yelled, "Please do not mention Albania! Okay, who's next, folks? One line."
Damien White punched Leo's arm and walked away grinning. They weren't sure Damien even knew Leo. He simply couldn't turn down a chance to punch someone.
Leo rubbed his bicep. "Hey, no fair. That guy's getting back in the line -"
"Hey, Damien!" Cressida yelled. "Get the hell out of the line! You've had your turn even when you don't need one! Or would you like Chiara to believe that you've broken another guitar she liked?"
How Cressida even knew about Damien and Chiara was beyond Apollo, but the Leader of Camp Half-Blood was never disobeyed as Damien scowled at her and stepped out of the line, grumbling at how unfair it was and that using Chiara against him was just mean.
"So, like I was saying," Leo continued, "if Festus hadn't picked up on that homing beacon yesterday, we'd still be flying around, looking for a way out of the Sea of Monsters."
"Gods above, that place is a nightmare," Cressida remarked, Percy's hand still linked with hers.
"Yeah, I hate that place," Percy said. "There's this big Cyclops, Polyphemus—"
"I know, right?" Leo agreed. "What is up with that guy's breath? By the way, Hollywood, thank you for blinding him 'cause there is no way we would've survived that guy if he could see."
She beamed. "Anytime, Houston."
"Boys," Calypso said, "perhaps we should focus on the present?"
"Yeah," Percy said. "So the communication issues...Rachel Dare thinks it's got something to do with this company, Triumvirate."
Rachel herself had gone to the Big House to fetch Chiron, but Percy did a reasonable job summarizing what she had found out about the emperors and their evil corporation, along with Cressida's help obviously. Though, there wasn't really much to tell.
By the time six more people had punched Leo in the arm, Percy and Cressida had brought Leo and Calypso up to speed.
Leo rubbed his new bruises. "Man, why does it not surprise me that modern corporations are run by zombie Roman emperors?"
"They are not zombies," Apollo said. "And I'm not sure they run all corporations—"
Leo waved away his explanation. "But they're trying to take over the Oracles."
"Yes," Apollo agreed. "And that's bad."
"Very."
"So you need our help.—Ow! Hey, Sherman. Where'd you get the new scar, dude?"
And Sherman told Leo the story of Crotchkicker McCaffrey and the Demon Peach Baby.
"Since leaving Ogygia, I have no powers," Calypso admitted when the story was done and she tried to magic over a glass of lemonade for herself. "I am fully mortal. I keep hoping, but—"
"You want a drink?" Percy asked, probably feeling guilty about not following up on his promise to free Calypso from Ogygia which Cressida would talk with him about later. She knew that Percy didn't regret the choice to leave Ogygia but still, it did make her a little nervous the way he was acting. She wanted to know if he was ok and not blaming the hell out of himself.
"I got it." Leo beat him to the pitcher and Cressida rolled her indigo eyes at the boys.
"Here you go." Leo handed her a glass of lemonade. His expression seemed darker and more anxious and it took Cressida a second to realise that it wasn't because of Percy but rather because he'd saved her from the island and thus felt responsible for her losing her powers.
Calypso smiled, though her eyes were still touched by melancholy. "Thank you, babe."
"Babe?" Percy asked with a slightly amused expression on his face.
Leo's expression brightened. "Yeah. She won't call me Hunk Muffin, though. I dunno why.—Ow!"
"Hey, brother." Leo ruffled Harley's hair and had the good sense to look ashamed. "You brought me home with that beacon of yours, H-Meister. You're a hero! You know I never would've left you hanging like that on purpose, don't you?"
Harley wailed and sniffled and nodded. Then he punched Leo again and ran away. Leo looked like he was about to get sick. Harley was quite strong.
"Why don't you call me babe?" Percy asked his girlfriend and she gave him a confused look.
"I call you honey."
"Yeah, but that's only when you're mad at me or at the world in general."
"That's not true," she said as she reminded him of when she said it when he got sick on the western border of camp. "But I'm open to negotiation if it means that much to you, however, it would take a lot to convince me because I'm rather attached to my insulting nicknames of affection I have for you."
"Why do have to make things so difficult?" he asked as he slung his arm around her shoulders and she reached up to lace their fingers together.
"Because I told you," she grinned. "Easy is boring. And I love it almost as I love embarrassing you."
"I hate you."
"Liar."
And her other hand cupped his cheek as he leaned down to kiss her.
"At any rate," Calypso said, interrupting the moment. "These problems with the Roman emperors - how can we help?"
Apollo raised his eyebrows. "You will help me, then? Despite...ah, well, I always knew you were kind-hearted and forgiving, Calypso. I meant to visit you at Ogygia more often—"
"Spare me." Calypso sipped her lemonade. "I'll help you if Leo decides to help you, and he seems to have some affection for you. Why, I can't imagine."
"He has the same weakness Percy does," Cressida spoke up. "The inability to say no when a god asks for help."
"Hey, we got a date night in Paris because of Hermes."
"And what did we get out of helping Apollo?" Cressida asked and Percy stuttered for a response.
"Me!" Leo piped up, throwing him a lifeline and Percy's eyes widened as he shot Leo an appreciative glance.
"Exactly we got our friend back!"
"And I am grateful for you saving my life, which is a very worthy cause," Apollo added, preventing Cressida from replying. "And to you Leo Valdez, you have always been a gentleman and a genius. After all, you created the Valdezinator."
Leo grinned. "I did, didn't I? I suppose that was pretty awesome. So where is this next Oracle you—Ow!"
Nyssa had made it to the front of the line. She slapped Leo, then berated him in rapid Spanish that made Cressida laugh as Percy marvelled at her ability to understand it before she whispered the translation in his ear and he covered up a few laughs as well.
"Yeah, okay, okay." Leo rubbed his face. "Dang, Hermana, I love you, too!" He turned his attention back to Apollo. "So this next Oracle, you said it was where?"
Percy tapped the picnic table. "Chiron, Cress and I were talking about this. He figures this triumvirate thingie... they probably divided America into three parts, with one emperor in charge of each. We know Nero is holed up in New York, so we're guessing this next Oracle is in the second dude's territory, maybe in the middle third of the U.S."
"Oh, the middle third of the U.S.!" Leo spread his arms. "Piece of torta, then. We'll just search the entire middle of the country!"
"Still with the sarcasm," Percy noted.
"Hey, man, I've sailed with the most sarcastic scalawags on the high seas."
"Idiots," Cressida huffed as she rolled her eyes when the two boys high-fived.
"You were included in that too, Hollywood," Leo added and in a very mature move, Cressida stuck her tongue out at him as Leo repeated the action.
The last person to come through the line was Chiron himself, pushed in his wheelchair by Rachel Dare. The old centaur gave Leo a warm, fatherly smile. "My boy, I am so pleased to have you back. And you freed Calypso, I see. Well done, and welcome, both of you!" Chiron spread his arms for a hug.
"Uh, thanks, Chiron." Leo leaned forward.
From underneath Chiron's lap blanket, his equine foreleg shot out and implanted a hoof in Leo's gut. Then, just as quickly, the leg disappeared.
"Mr Valdez," Chiron said in the same kindly tone, "if you ever pull a stunt like that again—"
"I got it, I got it!" Leo rubbed his stomach. "Dang, for a teacher, you got a heck of a high kick. Though, I still think Hollywood's punch was the worst."
Percy huffed a laugh. "Tell me about it. And I've been on the other side of her punches more than once. Not fun times."
"Don't do stupid things and then you won't get punched."
"I can't control the stupid stuff that happens to me half the time!" he protested.
"That sounds like a you problem."
"And you love me which makes it an us problem."
"Unfortunately," she relented as he kissed her cheek and Rachel grinned as she wheeled Chiron away and Calypso helped Leo up.
"Yo, Nico," Leo called, "please tell me that's it for the physical abuse."
"For now." Nico smiled. "We're still trying to get in touch with the West Coast. You'll have a few dozen people out there who will definitely want to hit you."
"Oh, here," Cressida said as she reached down and pulled a walkie-talkie from her boot before she tossed it to Nico. "Different channels to reach different people. Two is Annabeth, three is Piper, four is Reyna - you get the gist, there's a list on the back of it," she explained and Nico's smile grew wider.
"Oh, I got it, alright."
And his grin was wicked as he lifted the walkie-talkie to his lips and he started by contacting Jason first as he headed over to Will.
Leo winced. "Yeah, that's something to look forward to. Well, I guess I'd better keep my strength up. Where do you guys eat lunch now that the Colossus stepped on the dining pavilion?"
"Come on," Cressida grinned. "Time for your welcome home feast."