Yes I know it's late!! I'M SORRY.

Leo shoved his random assortment of clothes into his bag. His mind was swirling with so many emotions, he didn't know what to think. But he knew he was mostly mad and irritated.

Oh, And that Percy was an idiot.

Leo piled in his new jacket, compliments of the in office store a couple floors down. Then he zipped the bag up and grabbed his hot chocolate from the nightstand. It was still warm, still fresh like the argument that had just happened. He glanced around the room, it was feeling just as alien as the day he arrived in it.

One single large bed, a desk that he cleared of his scattered blueprints, a closet now empty, and a bathroom he cleaned of any trace of him ever being there.

Unfortunately he had a lot of experience with that.

Leo left the room closing the door with a thud. No remorse. Festus made a whimpering noise in his metal sound box and pawed the ground.

"Leo?"

He turned and saw Piper standing in the hallway looking surprised with her blue dazzling eyes. Leo glared at her even though she wasn't the one he was mad at.

"What...what are you doing?" She asked, confused.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" He snapped, she stepped back slightly.

"I don't-"

"Oh don't give me that!" Leo turned away, heading for the elevator, "We all knew I wasn't the superhero type. I never even wanted to be here!" Festus eyed Piper like she was a threat and barked. Leo petted his head.

"They're just letting you walk out, Leo?" Piper firmed like she couldn't get over it.

"They should." Leo spoke with spite, "After all Percy Jackson suggested it himself!" He laughed but there wasn't any humor in it, "Bye Beauty Queen. This time for good. I'm leaving, and I'm not coming back."

Leo and Festus walked towards the elevator leaving Piper stunned. Leo didn't even turn around or glance back. He pressed the button on the elevator and the doors rumbled closed.

Just like that, he was gone.

***(Theme song of awesomeness probably Warriors^^)***

Leo walked along the sidewalk, Festus at his heels. The mechanical wonder eyed everything as if it was a danger to his creator. It made Leo feel ten times better. He reinstated his old rule that machines were better than humans.

Especially in Percy Jackson's case.

Who did that guy think he was? The president? Even if he was, Leo still wouldn't have listened. He didn't want to train. That wasn't why he was there. Well actually he didn't know why he stayed.

Powers were curses. They weren't suppose to be expanded. Fire was dangerous. People could get burned, like Hazel.

Or worse.

Leo had control. He'd only ever lost it twice. The first time when he was little and his powers first started. The second time when...it...happened. That horrible night that ended in death.

Festus bounded ahead, knocking into a couple of people who shouted. Leo smiled and ran after his dog apologizing to the people.

"Festus!" Leo called, "Heel!" Immediately the dog whirled and speed fixing it's ruby eyes on Leo waiting for his next order. Leo swallowed a lump of pride in his throat, grinning.

"There you go boy!" Leo rubbed the metal dogs head, right behind it's ears, "Come on, bus station to the airport and a couple of hours a plane headed somewhere far, far away."

The dog didn't reply. It just looked at him.

Leo frowned, "Don't give me that look!" He huffed, "We both knew what was coming. I'm not going back. You heard Jackson. If I didn't like the schedule I could just go ahead and leave."

Festus titled it's head. Leo sighed, "Whatever." Leo stood back up, his back feeling slightly heavier, "Let's go."

He glanced around, before he started again for the bus station. He caught sight of an open front cafe, that was brimming with customers. One particular girl he noticed was looking at his dog slightly impressed. She was a teenager, with long dark hair braided along her shoulder, and she wore purple sunglasses that matched her T shirt.

Leo got the strange feeling that he really didn't want to talk to her. Like something terrible would happen if he did. Like the end of the world terrible.

Leo turned away, shaking off the feeling. She was just a normal teenager. He walked down the street side by side with Festus. They got more than just a couple weird looks, but Leo really didn't care.

He should've.

They turned down a more recluse street, a short cut to the nearest bus station.

Festus seemed more alert back here. The only thing in the alley was a couple of trashcans and a back door to some apartment or whatever.

Leo patted the machine. He walked forward and the dog followed uneasily. Leo rolled his eyes. What was going to attack them? The trashcan?

Suddenly Festus barked loudly, a warning.

Leo whipped around. He stumbled back surprised to see a girl standing right behind him. Her hair was standing up straight like she'd been electrocuted and her eyes were the color of blood. She grinned looking slightly less dangerous than a starving lion, and revealed vampire like fangs.

"WHAT THE-"

Before he got the last word out she slammed her lips onto his and Leo choked. He shoved her away.

"Sweet Dreams." She hissed, disappearing like she'd never even been there.

Leo's eyesight blurred, his sense of balance lost and he nearly tumbled into a face plant. What did she do? He coughed. The ground rushed up to meet him.

"Festus...." He murmured, "h-home...."

Leo was unconscious before he knew whether or not his mechanical best friend had actually listened or not.

***

Jason couldn't think straight. His mind was filled with thousands of thoughts and he felt like just collapsing.

"What the Hell are you doing?!"

And then there was that.

He was in the girls room. Piper's. He'd never felt so awkward ever in his life. Piper had a purple room. Her comforter was neatly folded on her bed, Jason hadn't used it to sleep last night. He actually couldn't remember the last time he slept. Considering that he was just a gas, he didn't even need sleep. He missed sleeping. Just like he missed being...well...real?

She had a desk on the side that was mostly empty. A bag rested by the bed and the closet was full of outfits Jason didn't want to look at. He felt Piper's face heat up when ever he even glanced over there. His head was pounding. He sat on the bed and faced the full length mirror that was pinned on the wall.

Piper looked back at him. Only her expression didn't meet the one real Jason was wearing.

"What did you do?" Piper's voice was loud and clear, but just to Jason. Her reflection was her real self. And she looked pissed. Jason groaned his headache expanding.

"I didn't do anything!" Jason moaned, "I have no clue what happened!"

"Yeah, right!" Piper yelled, "You took over my body! Get Out!"

"Don't you think I've tried!" Jason snapped.

Piper huffed, her reflection crossing her arms. Jason glared at the ground covering his ears like that would block out his headache.

"This is just my luck. Just my luck." He muttered, "Free lancing across the country, just trying to enjoy my last few days of life, and here I am stuck in some wanna-be, spy-girl's body, who is apart of a creepy organization that had been stalking me. Thank you life."

"HEY!" Piper yelled, it felt like she was driving a spike into his forehead, "You have no right to judge! You took over my body!"

Jason growled, "Do you really think I would take over your body on purpose if I knew pulling out would kill me?"

"Kill you?" She echoed.

"Yes." Jason said like he was talking to a two year old, "Kill me. If I pull out, I will dissolve. Thank you for reminding me. So either I die or I stay in here and trust me....I'd rather die."

Piper crossed her arms glaring at him, "Then why don't you?!"

Her retort made him pause. If only for a second. His glare faltered.

She noticed.

"You're scared."

"Shut up, what do you know."

"Why are you scared?"

"I'm not."

"Yeah, you are. You're exhibiting my emotions still, I can feel them. Emotions are my thing. They fuel my power. Now tell me...why are you scared?"

"I'm not scared, now shut the Hell up!"

"Prove it!" Piper challenged, "Close your eyes!"

"I said, SHUT UP!" Jason grabbed the nearest thing he could find, a hair brush off Piper's nightstand, and threw it at the mirror. Piper let out a gasp and scream and then the glass shattered.

The room was silent for a moment. Just the clicking of the fan rotating overhead. Jason let out a shuddering breath. His shoulders slumped back and he fell back against Piper's bedspread.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

Piper floated next to him. He could feel her on the brim of his consciousness, even if he couldn't see her.

"Close your eyes."

Jason started at the fan watching the blades spin slowly, "No." He said softly.

Piper's ghost form sat next to him barely rifling the cover. "What happened, Jason? Just close your eyes."

Jason suddenly felt his eyes get heavy. Like he was suddenly tired. But he wasn't. "...you...shouldn't be...able to do that..." Jason murmured under his breath.

Piper didn't respond.

Dread boiled inside Jason. His mind flashed back to the picture that was almost imprinted on the back of his eyelids. The room was shrouded in darkness, a cold metal table under him, cuffs strapping him down holding him still. He could hear his own screaming, the pain hit him like jumping off the St Louis Arch.

Jason's eyes snapped open, and he flung himself upwards.

"No." Jason said his voice shaking, "No."

He rubbed his right arm, phantom pains bleeding into Piper's body. Her floating form whinced, and she also grabbed her arm. Jason bit his lip.

"What was that?" She whispered.

Jason blinked back tears, "Something really bad."

***

Percy Jackson was not having a good day. Especially not today. Most people knew to back off on this day. It was the only day Percy was allowed to be in a crappy mood.

He hadn't really thought about his argument with Leo that morning until he was attacked by his dog. He'd been in the middle of a conversation with Lacy, a runner who delivered info about the base. The younger girl was bouncing with nervousness like she couldn't wait to get away. She'd been mentioning something about a message from the benefactor who wanted to talk with him next week.

"VALDEZ!" Percy yelled.

The dog weighed oddly heavy like a suitcase. It's front paws slammed into Percy's back and he went skidding across the floor knocking over Annabeth who'd been walking up to him.

"Sir!" She cried, in her slightly-surprised-trying-to-hold-back-a-laugh tone. The dog whirled its teeth, the sound box making some type low pitch growling. Percy rolled his eyes, waiting for Leo to appear laughing about how surprised he was. A bubble of anger swelled in his stomach.

He shoved the dog off him getting up. "Real funny Leo. I'm laughing my face off right now. "

Annabeth offered him her hand and Percy took it. Percy huffed as Leo didn't show himself. Whatever. Percy turned back to Lacy who was looking at the dog in awe.

"Is that...is that a robot?" She gasped.

"Yeah." Percy said, then wrapping up their earlier conversation, he said, "Can you tell Rachel, Annabeth and I will be there?"

Lacy nodded twice and started bounding off. Percy sighed and looked at the ceiling. Annabeth put a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay?"

"Do I look freaking okay, Chase?" Percy snapped. Annabeth looked down. The mechanical dog made that whirling sound again which Percy ignored.

"Today marks the second year," Percy said, "Of course I'm not freaking okay Annabeth."

"They wouldn't want you moping about them still."

Percy snorted, "They don't get a say in this." Percy shook his head and started walking away. "They're dead." The anger in his chest boiled. His hands closed into fists whenever he thought about it. And how could he not when their ghosts were haunting him? He was the only one...only survivor...

"Well you stop that?!" Annabeth asked.

"What?" Percy turned to see her. One of her curls had fallen from her pony tail. She looked younger again, like back when they first met. Before everything started going wrong.

"You aren't the only one who lost people, Percy!" She said.

"It was my fault!"

"No it wasn't! They made the choice. There was nothing you could've done."

"Really? Is that what I'm suppose to think? That while I stood there and watched them die, there was nothing I could do? They trusted me. Zoë put her faith in me. And what did I do? I let them die!"

Annabeth looked ready to retort, her eyes filled with both rage and sadness. But she was cut off, suddenly. Festus- that is what Leo named that thing right?- barked to get their attention. Percy looked back at it.

"What the Hell do you want?" Percy snapped at the dog, Why was it still here? Why didn't it go find Leo? Annabeth was looking at it too. Her face was pulled into a calculating look. It made that growling sound again.

Annabeth frowned, "Is it me or does that sound like...a whimpering?"

"Dogs whimper?" Percy asked, kneeling next to it.

"Yes, Percy, Dogs can whimper." Annabeth answered tiredly.

"Hey Guys!" Percy looked up to see Hazel and Frank walking down the hallway. Frank was looking slightly annoyed, though Hazel was oblivious. "Have you guys seen Leo?"

Percy stared at her for a couple seconds, before what she said clicked in. "Aww sh*t."

"What?" Hazel asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Percy?"

Percy whistled and he took off down the corridor, Festus barked in reply and took off after him, leaving Annabeth, Hazel, and Frank to share a questioning look.

***

Jason was picking up the glass shards when the door hit him.

"Piper!" The voice of a very concerned, teenage girl called in between Jason's cursing.

"Hey!" Piper protested, "What happened to knocking?!"

Jason would've liked to know as well but as he sat up with the help of the blond haired girl, he didn't get a word out.

"Piper, have you seen Leo? His room is cleared out, and we just found Festus running around!" Annabeth, Jason thought was her name, said.

"Found Festus?"

"All he said was that he was leaving." Jason said rubbing his forehead, "Was that really worth hitting me in the face with a door?"

Annabeth frowned, "Yes! Piper, he could be dead!"

"DEAD?!" Piper's voice rose several octaves.

"So?" Jason went back to picking up the glass. Piper appeared in the biggest shard looking aghast.

"What the Hell is wrong with you?!" Annabeth drew away from Jason disgusted.

"He wanted to leave, so let him." Jason said, "I'm pretty sure Leo can handle himself."

"You know, I use to think you were different, Piper," Annabeth spit at him. Jason couldn't help but flinch at her tone, "But it looks like you're just another self-centered, rich kid."

Annabeth stormed out of the room slamming the door behind her.
Piper was so pale she made ghosts look alive. Her hands were clamped into fists, and she was shaking. "What...." She whispered, in a steely voice, "Did you just do?"

***

Somewhere not that far away, Leo felt cold. His limbs were like lead. His brain was slowly trying to work again. He felt like a computer someone had rebooted, and now he was slowly turning back on.

Leo shivered involuntary and spikes of pain dove through his shoulders.

Panic swelled in his chest. He couldn't move his feet, he could barely feel his wrists tied together. The stiff chair under him didn't budge.

Darkness was immanent around him. He couldn't hear any sounds and he couldn't see a thing.

Only the air smelled familiar, and it made Leo's heart pound. It was like motor oil and smoke and wood shavings, the smell of most workshops. His stomach clenched, and he swallowed hard.

Where was he? A workshop? He pushed out the thoughts of the other workshops he'd been in. He shook trying to form a flame on his finger tips. Chills ran through him. A sinking feeling swelled in his stomach as nothing happened.

He was powerless. Leo didn't even know that was possible. But he was. Trapped in the darkness.

Did anyone know where he was?

His heart almost completely stopped. Did anyone even care?

Did they? He was just a pyro. A menace. A curse that bad things tended to follow. He ran. From everything. But surely someone would care enough to check on him. Piper would, right?

Annabeth?

Percy?

Leo took a sharp intake of breath. He remembered the last look Piper had given him. Her blue eyes filed with disbelief. Hey, Wait a second-

"Finally!"

Leo flinched at the sudden voice in the darkness.

"I was beginning to think Kellie had killed him!" Another voice hissed. There was a squeak of metal that made Leo cringe internally.

"Me?" Yet another voice shrieked. Leo vaguely recognized it. The girl from the alley. The freak monster, "You doubted me? I always did my jobs right! Unlike Tammie, I know what I'm doing!"

There were more creeks of metal on metal, like rusted hinges. They got closer and closer to him.

"Hey!" Another girl hissed.

"You? Knowing what you're doing?" The first voice snorted, "Please, Kellie, don't make me laugh!"

"All of you, shut up." Another feminine voice cut in sending shivers down Leo's spine, it was right beside him. How could he have not heard her before? Not even her breath. Or the bare hints off vanilla perfume he could smell now, "It's time we get ready anyway. After all our guest is only the beginning."

They all seemed to like that idea. They hissed repeatedly and it took Leo a moment to realize they were laughing.

"What do you want with me?!" Leo demanded, his tongue felt like lead. Why was he so cold?

The scent off vanilla drew stronger. Leo flinched back as a icy hand was placed on his shoulder. He could picture the face off some demon girl standing right in front of him. But the inky blackness was absolute.

"Pyro," the last voice said, her tone was like silk, easy, flowing, and Leo couldn't help but think she was all the more terrifying, "Don't be so self centered."

The other girls laughed again, the squealing of metal cutting in with their hissing like knives.

"What ever made you think this was about you?" Kellie giggled like an insane schoolgirl, "Personally, I would've preferred Annabeth Chase, but she's much smarter than you. She remembered to stay inside..."

Leo didn't know what to do or say. Not that he could do much of anything.

"Don't worry, dear." Another girl said, "It doesn't matter who we get."

"He'll come for anyone." Another added.

Leo was almost took afraid to ask but the word dropped out of his lips, "who?"

He could feel all of their stares on him, "Why, Percy Jackson, of course!"