(Leo's POV)
I was not okay with leaving Madi back in the warehouse. And I wished Festus hadn't landed on the toilets. He had flattened them all, seriously dude? I made my way over to my dragon and got irritated. He looked perfectly fine. He fell from the sky with a giant boom, and hadn't even been dented or scratched! Nothing was broken either.
"Not my fault," I muttered, "Festus you're making me look bad." I opened the head of the dragon, and saw the frozen wires and charred control disk. I sighed.
I remember something my mother said when I was little, "Most problems are bigger than they seem, Mijo nothing is unfixable" I doubt that she ever had to fix a flying magical fifty-year old dragon.
"Right," I mumbled, "Gimme a nylon bristle brush, some nitrile gloves, and maybe some of that aerosol cleaning solvent." my toolbelt obliged. It wouldn't give me anything magical like Jason's sword, or a chainsaw. I tried both. But if I asked for anything complicated, or too much at once, the belt needed a cooldown. I can't believe how stupid I was back at Boreas' palace. I mean, first I let them take Madi from me, and second I'm the son of the freaking god of fire!
"Leo?" I heard. I faced where it came from and nearly fell off Festus.
"Madi!?" I asked stunned, "You're supposed to be with Jason and Piper."
"Leo, you can't solve every problem alone." She looked into my eyes, and I gazed into her eyes. They always seemed to put me under a spell, when it came to girls I wanted to date, she was the only one. I mean yeah, Khione was hot and all; but she's not my type really.
"So, what we were discussing in morse before we fell," I brought up, we both blushed and began working on fixing and cleaning Festus.
"Oh! Right," She looked guilty of something, "It was nothing Chico." She admitted and my spirits deflated.
"Oh?"
"Yeah? We've been friends for a while. I thought I could try and tell you."
(Aphrodite's POV bc I had a funny idea)
MY GREATEST SHIP IS NOT SAILING NOOOOOOOOO!!!
"What's wrong?" Ares/Mars asked.
"LEO AND MADI AREN'T CONFESSING YET! She almost did but then didn't!!"
"Wait, you're shipping MY daughter, with HIS son?" Poseidon/Neptune motioned to Hephaestus/Vulcan.
"Yes! They're just so perfect together! I can't help it. They will be quite the love story when I'm done with them."
(Leo's POV again)
"Yeah, you can tell me anything." I knew it was weird to like your best friend. But I couldn't help myself. She had kissed me on the cheek earlier, we've held hands, and I've given her my jacket several times! How more obvious can you get?
"I just, I don't want to talk about it." She said,
"Yeah fine," I mumbled.
"Leo. Do you think I'm needed on this quest?" She looked at me with the eyes that I love so so much.
"Of course!" I answered quickly, "Jason, Piper and I wouldn't be here without you! You know that right? If anyone's not needed on this quest it's me."
"No it's that's not —" she was cut off by a hissing voice that I sadly recognized.
They need you Leo. it said, Desperately. In some ways you are the most important one of the eight.
"Leo?" Madi looked at me. We looked down to where the voice came from and I wanted to scream. Ms. Dirt Face had appeared in the sludge. Her closed eyes landed on Madi.
Why hello Madison Skye Jackson Madi backed away. Did she just tell Madi her real last name wasn't Dane?
"W-what?" Madi stammered, inching closer to me.
Of course you don't remember. My minion was the one who stole you from your mother and brother. I gave you to the French woman. Now, let me talk with Leo Valdez here. As if on cue Madi fainted and I caught her in my arms. She was pale and shivering. I looked right at Dirt Face.
"What did you do? Wait, you're the one who killed my mom! Now you knock out my best friend?"
Do not oppose me Valdez. For I am the first mother. Walk away now. Let my son rise and become king. And I shall lift your burdens, you shall tread lightly on the earth. I grabbed the first thing I saw, a porta potty seat and threw it at her face. Her face and voice vanished. Madi's eyes fluttered open and glanced at me with concern.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes,"
"Did she hurt you?"
"No,"
"Is she gone?"
"Yes,"
"What'd she tell you?"
"She tried convincing me to walk away, but I couldn't leave my friends,"
"Piper! Jason!" Madi exclaimed as there was a loud series of bangs coming from the warehouse. They echoed across the yard. Madi looked at her wound and began removing the bandages.
"What are you doing chica!! You're still hurt!" I stopped her. I put my hands on hers, and my other hand on her waist, kneeling down I rewrapped her bandages. My hands staying where they were, I moved up and looked at her. We were both speechless. I moved my hand from her waist and reached into my belt. Her free hand krept to her daggers.
"Give me the biggest hammer you got." I told the belt. I removed my hand from hers and we ran to the doors. I was blushing the entire way.
(Madi's POV)
Leo and I normally held hands. On Festus I was about to tap, I love you. But instead tapped, I remembered something about my mom... Yeah .... She was always scared, and refused to travel by bus or train. And then she died in the fire. Next we crashed and I had gotten a deep cut from the roof. THEN, when the dirt lady appeared, I passed out. I woke up in Leo's arms. Now just as we were running to save our friends I recalled our silent moment from seconds before. I was trying to take off my bandages, but Leo had stopped me. We were in the perfect position to kiss. And it's not like I hadn't thought about kissing Leo, trust me I have, but it was like fate was wanting us to kiss.
"Leo? Madison?" Piper's voice called out and it was close. I was so happy Piper was okay that before Leo could stop me I ran to find our friend. But it was not Piper I was greeted with, nor was it Jason, instead it was a cyclops, with one bloodshot eye. I almost screamed. But he grabbed me by the throat and lifted me. Carrying me to his comrade.
"Look Jason," He said in a perfect imitation of Piper's voice, "I found Madison."
"Glorious!" The other one said, but it was as Jason, "Maybe there is no fourth one." They carried me to where there were two other beings cocooned in chains hanging from a crane, it was Jason and Piper. Piper looked unharmed, just chained and gagged. Jason on the other hand was out cold.
"Put me down!" I croaked. They dropped me.
"MA!" Ugly number one called.
"WHAT!" A female cyclops shouted. Laying her eye on me she grinned, "Ah, let's get cookin' boys. We shall eat this one first.'' The two other cyclops grabbed me by the arms while the female one looked for something.
"She will taste good." One said in my ear. I nearly barfed. I saw Leo, Piper did too, he was making his way to the machinery. A big bat was inches from my head.
"NO!" I heard Piper shout. Then everything went black. My dream was flowy, like I was underwater. But I wasn't. Instead I was at someone's house. I saw a young African American girl cooking at the stove.
"Bonjour?" I asked her. I was speaking French. I walked up the staircase I saw, and went into a room where I heard speaking from. An elderly woman sat on the bed while a tall boy with camo pants, a purple shirt, and a cool haircut sat next to her. The woman smiled at me.
"Hello dear." She said,
"Bonjour Madame. Vous vous sentez bien, vous avez besoin de quelque chose?" I asked. Not knowing I was speaking French. The boy also seemed to see me.
"Grandma?" he asked the older woman. She nodded like we were allowed to have an exchange, "Hello, I'm Frank."
"I'm Madison. But I go by Madi." I spoke in English this time.
"Madison. Are you related to Perceus Jackson?" Frank's grandma asked me.
"I think so ma'am. I mean, I'm not sure. But I think and hope so."
"Should I tell Percy?" Frank asked. I shook my head.
"I think we need to find out on our own time. Are you three on a quest too?" I said.
"Yeah, we need to go save the god Death."
"Oh..." I looked down awkwardly, "We have to go save Hera."
"Oh, for me it's Juno."
"You're a Roman demigod!" I noticed.
"Yeah, you must be a Greek one then. So, what should I tell my friends?"
"Dites à Percy qu'Annabeth le cherche. Mais dites-leur à tous que nous nous unirons un jour. Nous faisons partie des huit." I said in French. (Tell Percy that Annabeth is looking for him. But tell all of them that we will unite one day. We are part of the eight.) Frank nodded as though it made perfect sense. Then it all faded and I woke up on Festus.
Piper explained how Leo had single-handed beat all the cyclops. I didn't mention my dream, I couldn't yet. It wasn't the time. Jason explained his.
"So I'm not alone," He said, "There are others like me." Frank and the other girl I thought. Leo squeezed my hand.
"Well there was a dirt face in the porta potty sludge." Leo mentioned.
"Who is this lady, and how is she connected to Enceladus?" Piper asked aloud.
"Who?" Jason and I asked at the same time.
"I uh..." her voice quavered, "That's just one of the names I could remember."
"Well I don't know about Enchiladas," Leo said, "But Dirt Lady mentioned another name, Porpoise Fear?"
"Porphyrion." Piper corrected. They talked about the myths for a while. Until a storm spirit appeared.
"Follow it!" Jason ordered, I soluted.
"Yessir!" Leo flicked the reins.