"This day keeps getting better and better." Percy muttered to himself.

His rhythmic pacing was wearing a rut in the concrete floor of the forges. His pen twisted in his fingertips the way a color guard professional would swing their flag. You could see just by looking at him that he was near a nervous breakdown. Not something you saw an all powerful director of a huge underground network do everyday.

"Oh yes," Beckendorf snapped over his shoulder, "and muttering will help everything get better."

Percy stopped suddenly in his pacing and lashed out at the nearest object. A barrel full of metal rods flung across the underground bunkers. Nyssa screamed dodging them as the break stream-rolled her project.

"The Hell!" Beckendorf yelled at him, "Get yourself under control, Percy!"

Frank and Hazel shared a worried look. With a flick of her wrist all the metal flew back to her easily. Frank held a blank look, as he analysed his Captain.

Percy took a deep breath, "Sorry, sorry..." He muttered, but it didn't sound like he actually meant it.

"Percy relax," Annabeth said coming into the forges. She looked miffed. Percy ignored her advice, like always.

"Where's Piper?" He ran another hand through his black hair.

"Busy." She said shortly, her eyes sparked with those gray flames, displaying her anger when her face was cool. She turned away quickly, asking, "Beckendorf, how we doing?"

The forger slapped his wrench on the table, snapping again, "How the Hell should I know?! This isn't my creation!" Every eye turned towards the project he was working on. Festus barked urgently again as if they still needed a reminder Leo wasn't there.

"This is years beyond anything I have even dreamed about building. I have to take it apart piece by piece." Beckendorf ranted, "It's not like I can just ask, "Hey Festus, where's Leo?" It's a robot-"

Festus barked rapidly, jumping off the table. It's headlight eyes changed color, from blue to red. It sat in the middle of the group and turned its upwards.

"Son of a--!"

The air lit up like a projection screen. It took Percy a couple embarrassing seconds to figure out what it was. A map. It displayed the whole city, with marked buildings and parks. A little green blimp burst in color on the top right of the light page.

"Thirty fourth street." Hazel pointed out, quietly.

"There's no building there." Frank frowned, "that's a closed off sector of the beach. I went jogging there once. The cliffs are wickedly sharp."

Percy didn't say anything. Annabeth placed a hand over her mouth. They'd gone a white pale, looking like skeletons in the dim lighting.

"Is that..." Beckendorf shook his head.

Percy stepped forward in a trance-like state, his hand out raised as if he was going to touch the picture, "...Home."

***(Theme song of awesomeness again)***

"You have to go help."

"I don't have to do anything, Princess."

Jason tossed the last of Piper's mirror in the trashcan. The glass shattered even more but he didn't mind it.

Piper stamped her foot, or at least tried to. She wasn't in a solid form, just a shadow silhouette at the edge of Jason's subconscious. The girl was stubborn.

"Listen here, Body-snatcher," she snarled, "Leo is ten times the man you are ever going to be! He's my friend and you're in my body!"

Jason rolled his eyes. "Can you just shut up? Your voice is annoying and I have a headache."

Piper made a furious growling noise and went to kick her nightstand. Her foot slid right through the furniture, and she groaned.

"Is this what you feel like?" She snapped, "Not being able to touch things?"

Jason doubted that was rhetorical question, but he heartbeat faltered for a second. He clenched Piper's hands into fists, feeling the floor underneath him.

Piper didn't notice. She was fuming of in her floating ghost like form, just on the edge of his mind.

It irked Jason that she was like this. All the other times he'd taken over people they'd just succumbed to his control. They let him take everything do what he needed to do, whether it was randomly wiring a couple hundred dollars to another account or stopping them from hurting someone. Everyone else would just sit back and hang out in the back of his mind, experiencing a black out.

So why was it that this Piper girl was talking in his brain? Didn't she understand that he didn't want to be here anymore than she did?

All he wanted was to be himself again. And never have to worry about his fingers sliding through solid objects, or his body dispersing into the air, or his inevitable death that was coming all too soon. He didn't care about her friend. Leo had done what he wanted to. Good for him.

It irked Jason even more that a sliver of guilt was slipping into his mind the longer he stayed in Piper's body. He didn't care. He didn't care. He kept telling himself that. He didn't care. He didn't care at all.

"Sorry." He whispered, but Jason doubted Piper had heard him at all.

***

"Percy!" Annabeth called after him yet again gaining the attention of several agents. Percy didn't slow for her, forcing his second in command to match his pace. Silena Beauregard dove out of their way, wide eyed, and nearly dropped her lap top.

"Percy! Listen to me!" Annabeth said. Percy just kept walking his eyes trained ahead.

"Perseus Jackson!" Annabeth stopped, scratching her heel loudly on the ground.

Percy took a deep breath and also stopped, glaring at the ceiling like he was cursing someone. "Don't call me that, Agent Chase."

"I'll call you what I want, Percy!" Annabeth replied, "If it'll get you to stop and listen to reason!"

"I don't need your reason, Chase," Percy said, "Stand down, that's an order."

"No."

A collective gasp went throughout the other agents in the hall. But the two head agents disregarded them. Frank and Hazel shared a look. Silena looked sick. There were several others in bronze battle armor, and one guy wearing a green Pegasus shirt was actually holding a bomb with a ticking timer.

"Are they..." A guy peeking out of a doorway, looked at Silena, "...fighting?" They sounded like the idea was so absurd it never even occurred to them.

"It's August 18th." Silena whispered, back.

"What happened on August 18th?" Hazel asked quietly sensing a backstory.

The guy with the bomb, shook his head, "Bad stuff."

"I will remind you, Chase, you are merely my adviser--Not my superior, not my equal." Percy's tone was harsh and cold. The agents around the stirred restlessly, like little kids, trying not to be seen when their parents got into a fight. "You do as I say, when I say!"

"What's this you're suddenly following the rules?" Annabeth spit, her entire form flickered invisible, and she was practically steaming with anger. The Pegasus agents backed away from them nervously sensing a physical fight. Hazel had seen them fight, but even in the training area she doubt either of them had practice even a minuscule amount of their real power.

"Their going to bring this place down." Silena whispered worriedly.

Frank stepped towards them to break up them apart, before it came to that. But the guy with the bomb threw his arm out in front, shaking his head so fast he might have gotten whiplash. "Don't." He warned the shapeshifter, "If they break into fight the last thing you want to be is closer than ten miles....or states."

"YOU CAN'T GO CHARGING IN THERE! THAT'S WHAT SHE WANTS!"

"THAT'S WHAT SHE ALWAYS WANTS!"

"JUST GIVE ME AN HOUR TO FORMULATE A PLAN!"

"NO! I CAN'T! NOT WITH LEO'S LIFE ON THE LINE!"

"YOU'RE AN IDIOT!"

"I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!"

"YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO HOW FAST KELLIE CAN GET INTO YOUR HEAD!" Annabeth shouted, "She knows you better than you know yourself! And you know the only real way to keep her from controlling you is for her not to know you!"

"I'M GOING ANNABETH!" Percy yelled.

Annabeth stood stoically, as if realizing she couldn't change his mind, "If you go then I'll quit."

"What?!" Silena exclaimed but neither of them replied. Percy and Annabeth glared at each other, as if they'd been turned to stone.

"I'll do it." Annabeth said in a dangerously low voice, "I will quit if you go into that elevator."

"It's my fault Leo left, Annabeth," Percy replied, "Look around! There's no one left who will clean up my mess for me. It's about time I finally started doing it myself."

"That's not how it was! That's not how Luke saw it, that's not how Zoë saw it! That's not how any one saw it!" Percy flinched at the sound of the names. The hallway was silent. No one could look away. "I know you're hurting. But that doesn't mean you can just go be an idiot!" Annabeth crossed her arms, "We can't lose you. Pegasus needs you. I-I..."

"You need me?" Percy snorted, "Yeah right. I'll be back in a couple hours."

He turned away.

"PERCY!" Annabeth shouted, "This isn't like before! You can't just go charging in someplace without a plan!! It doesn't work like that any more!"

Percy didn't turn around, he stepped into the elevator doors, and pressed the up button, heading towards the hanger. "Didn't work before either."

Annabeth's resignation was in the Pegasus catalogue before Percy had left the building.

***(random commercial break, Brought to you by Boxed Water! Just add H2O)***

Percy walked the last fifteen feet. The ocean breeze tussled his raven hair, comforting him. The salt air felt refreshing. Even in the turmoil that the waves caused crashing on the beach, Percy felt reassured.

Even in the face of the dark memories here he felt safe. He always felt safe on Half Blood property.

His car hung back behind the old police tape. Percy stood at the very edge his shoes just inches from dropping him down the jagged cliff.

Looking down, there was no sign that there had ever been a building on the cliff. No sign of the prestigious school. The Academy for the Gifted, aka Percy's favorite lie.

He took a deep breath.

"I'm here!" He yelled at the empty shoreline, "Now let him go!"

"No need to yell, I'm right here, gorgeous."

Percy whirled around, his sword flying into his hand automatically. She hadn't changed a bit. Never had, never will. Kellie looked the same as she had two years ago when she brought chaos to the world. The only difference was now she was laying on the hood of his car.

"Where's Leo?" Percy asked.

Kellie grinned, her homicidal smile showing off her fangs, "You should be more careful with your play toys, Perseus."

Percy leveled his sword at her neck, though his threat was loose. Kellie was an assassin, a kidnapper, and a headache rolled into one dysfunctional body.

But she was also how he was going to find Leo.

Kellie kicked herself off his cars hood, her hair sparking and threatening to burst into flames as it tended to do when she was excited.

"Percy, Percy, Percy..." She said with mock disappointment, "you are ever so careless."

"Skip the mockery, Kellie," Percy said. Down below them the waves crashed heavily on the shore, a constant beat down that shook the cliff.

"Don't be so dour, Jackson!" She hissed lightly. Percy assumed that was her laugh, "but fine if you insist. The parties this way, Cap." She pointed towards the shoreline again, "I'm sure you're going to love it."

"About as much as I'll like your duplicity." Percy grumbled under his breath. For a moment, he hesitated in following. He knew he was doomed. He could feel it in his gut. Annabeth was right. But he had to do this.

Kellie wanted him.

If Annabeth or anyone else had come along, Percy had no doubt Kellie had a deadly plan for them. Percy would rather Annabeth be alive and outside the organization than her be dying in his arms.

Of course he could always try to arrest Kellie. They'd tried before. Something told him this time if he tried that approach he'd lose Leo and Kellie would more than likely talk her way out of any type of custody.

Kellie lead him toward the cliff side, her mismatched legs glittering in the sunlight like gold. No one came out on the beach anymore, but that didn't stop Percy from feeling like he was being watched. The cliff had been cut off in distinct rivets, and it was easy enough to climb down if you knew where to put your hands.

Percy knew.

Percy knew too well.

Kellie elected to climb down first winking at him and flashing the sides of her worn cheerleader skirt just enough for him to see a bit more of her leg than he actually wanted to see. Percy hesitated at the top. He glanced towards the horizon, sending out a silent prayer to the gods he didn't quite believe in.

Help me fix this mistake.

Percy grabbed the edge of the cliff and lowered himself down the wall, pretending like he couldn't hear the memories of the screams inside his head from so long ago. His focus drifted along the water eroded edges wondering just how long it would be before he could come back here an not hear them.

Probably never.

"So, how's it feel to be Director, Perseus?" Kellie leered at him with those intense eyes when he reached the bottom. She fixed her shirt, messing with her bra for an obnoxiously long time. Percy bit his tongue, digging his nails into the grip of his sword. The demon girl noticed and let loose one of her horribly blithe laughs that never matched her intentions.

"No need to thank me, Little Commander." She cooed, "But I'm certain you've spursed things up a bit at your new HQ, right? Changed things? Made new rules? How many new recruits have you taken on to replace your old team?"

"Leo," Percy's voice came out robotically.

Kellie waved him off. "But it's been so much fun out here reminiscing with you! It's been such a long time since we've hung out together, Perseus! Remember last time?"

Percy didn't respond which caused Kellie to purr. She knew she had him then. Of course, he remembered. How could he not? She was the reason he hated August 18th. The reason he hated everything to do with the Monsters. Waves crashed dangerously close to the rocky ledge where they stood. One wave rose up and completely soaked the elated assassin.

"Fine," Kellie spit out a mouthful of salt water, "He's this way, you ungreatful brat."

If looks could kill and Kellie was killable, then she would've been in the depths of Tartarus already. She would've been back where she belonged.

She walked to the cliff edge a bit away from where'd they had made their way down from. Percy stared at her back wishing impossibly that she didn't know exactly where she was going. But Kellie walked right up to the slightly discolored rock pattern and shoved it inwards.

They'd made a door.

For some reason that irritated Percy more than anything else. They'd made a door going inwards. A door that sealed off the Half Blood Hallway from public view. It hurt tremendously in his gut just to know that this freak had been walking down the halls of his school, his home, and relishing the fact that they'd driven them out.

"Come along, Little Commander!" Kellie smirked with those truculent fangs, "Just wait until you see the improvements we've made to your room!"

Percy imagined all the ways he could've slit her throat in that one moment. The one thought gave him enough courage to follow the demon Monster Assassin into the dark remains of his underground home.

***(And this break is because I feel like there should be a break here)***

Leo was getting bored. Sure, it was terrifying to be held hostage by the freaky vampire girls, but there were worst things. He could be slowly dying because he tripped down a well and couldn't get out. He could be working at McDonalds.

So yeah there were worst thing that could have happened. And after his initial shock of waking up surrounded in dark gloom and a bunch of ladies, having been tied to a chair and freezing his butt off, there wasn't really anything left for him to do. The chains on his arms must have been magic or something because he couldn't melt through them, though the girls loved to seem him try, giggling that snakelike laughter. The chair was bolted to the ground, so it wasn't like Leo could get up and try on of those fancy ninja moves he'd scene on TV were the hero defeats all his opponents strapped to a chair.

The girls were lounging around, occasionally whining about how unfair their lives were. Leo thought he heard the words "immortal" and "suffering" thrown around at least twenty times. Two of the girls were playing a card game, something like BS with house rules that lead to betting with what looked like round coins, by the light of their fiery hair. The girl on the left had a tell, a twitch in the way she sat. The girl on the right popped her bubblegum when she was telling the truth.

"Three Aces," the one the right said.

"BS," Leo sighed.

"Two, Twos," The one on the left said shifting to the side.

"BS," Leo groaned.

"Shut up!" They both hissed at him, and the one girl grabbed a handful of the coins and threw them at him.

"Hey, what's going on?" the metal clank and a soft tap of a heel made its way over to them. The girl was the leader, with some unpronounceable name that sounded like Cell Phone. The other girls respected her. She regarded them with her glowing cat eyes. "Kellie, will be back any minute now."

"Serephone," The vampire popped her bubble gum and whined, "I don't wanna wait for her to get back! I'm hungry! Why can we just kill this one and get over with it?" She nodded her head towards Leo, shooting him a dirty look that Leo definitely didn't think he deserved. It's not his fault she had a tell.

Serephone pursed her lips, "Which would you rather have? This scrawny runt or Perseus Jackson?"

The girls looked at each other their hair sparking like they weren't sure.

"Percy!" Leo put out there helpfully, "Percy Jackson will totally taste better."

"Well..." The other girl put down her cards, "I do like the flavor of revenge."

Leo didn't want to know what that tasted like. Peppermint? No that was the taste of death, he was pretty sure. But at least now the girls were no longer planning on killing him right away. He bought himself some time. He hoped. Oh crap he prayed that Percy wasn't stupid enough to actually follow him.

"Did you just seriously tell them I would taste better?"

Leo let out a breathe looking at the vast ceiling, "Why do I even pray to you guys?" He asked the gods up there as if they were listening.

Percy Jackson was looking a bit on the pale side. His hand in a tight grip around the hilt of his sword. Beside him was the girl from before, Kellie, the one who had kissed him and kidnapped him and was even weirder to look at. She grinned all fangs just for him.

"Well, well, well," Serephone clapped her hands. "Look who the cat dragged in."

Kellie hissed at her. It seems like they did this a lot. Kellie looped her arm around Percy's like she was declaring dominance.

Percy ignored them both, "Hey, Tammi," He said to the last girl in the room. Leo had forgotten she was there. She looked up from her magazine and grinned.

"Hey, Cap," She replied, "Having fun?"

"You know it." Percy grinned though he looked like he wanted to killed everyone in the room, including Leo.

Serephone brushed back a piece of her burning coal hair, "Do you like what we did to the place?" She asked innocently.

"He loves it." Kellie answered for him, "He said he'd love me to give him a tour of his room later." She cackled and Percy rolled his eyes.

"Leo, you okay?" He asked, pulling away from all the girls.

Leo shrugged, "I'm cold and I can't feel my hands anymore." He caught his hair on fire a bit, "Amzingly, I've been worse."

Percy grinned again as if nothing was wrong. It didn't take Leo's master observation skills to know the exact opposite was going on. Percy looked...shaken. He strolled around behind Leo and hummed some catchy tune, creating an illusion of calmness.

"Fire proof chains?" Percy called to Tammi, "Really?"

The girl flipped her page unmoved, "I'm just here for the money, Percy," she said. "Everyone else wants you to sleep eternally."

Kellie and Serephone had started a fight, and were squabbling like siblings. Pulling hair and kicking each other, they fell over onto the ground. The other two girls were trying to break them apart and the demonic Tammi made no move to stop Percy at all.

Percy knelt beside Leo, fiddling with his sword in the chain lock. "Sorry." He whispered. Leo was kinda shocked. "Didn't mean to get you caught up in this."

Leo ducked his head forward, a strange urge to smile coming over him, "Dude, what are you serious? I was stuck in a room with five blazing hot ladies. I haven't had this much fun in a long time."

Percy looked up confused for a second then he shook his head, "you're something else, Valdez." The lock clicked and Percy let them fall to the floor. Leo brought his hands around trying to work the feeling back into them. They both caught fire with easy. Leo had never been so happy to see his horrible flames before.

"Alright, Kellie," Percy said, brandishing his sword in the darkness. "Deal's a deal is it not?"

Kellie ad Serephone paused so abruptly Leo wanted to reverse time and stop Percy from saying anything. They looked at each other and chuckled.

"Deal?" Kellies cooed, "I don't recall ever making a deal with you, Perseus."

"Leo for me," Percy said, his tone unchanged,

"Hey wait a sec-"

Percy slapped his head hard enough to make him shut up. "That was our deal, Kellie. Leo walks free and I take his place."

"Percy you can't!" Leo yelled, but he didn't budge.

The girls around them laughed gleefully. Serephone stood beside them, her vanilla fragrance filling the air, "Don't be dumb, Percy," She whispered, "Who ever said we'd let anyone go?"

It happened so fast Leo barely remembered it. The girl with the bubble gum grabbed his arm and pulled him close. She smelled strange, like a giant wad of bubble gum. Her skin was ice, and if there was ever a thing like the Reaper, Leo figured that's what his skin would feel like.

"Don't be scared," She whispered. Except her voice wasn't her own anymore. Leo was startled. He hadn't heard that voice in a long, long time. It was his mother's.

"Don't cry, Mojo. Just look into my eyes," She said. And despite everything bad Leo knew would come of doing it Leo looked anyway.

Kellie & co were immortal mutates that got along very well as paid assassins. This was not their first time abducting people. They'd made it their personal goal to destroy Percy Jackson. It was more of an obsession than anything else. They had a variety of powers between the five of them but all of them had the same metallic leg problem ( a side effect of the serum they had taken-it had literally turned their legs to metal), and the flaming hair. But there most useful one was the one that was the most powerful.

If they knew even the slightest bit about you they could get into you're mind and then they could control everything you did.

Leo of course didn't know any of this really, but he made the assumption when he felt his brain go slack.

They probably would have had him do something horrible like burn the place down or recite Shakespeare backwards. Or maybe have Percy kill him on the spot with that glimmering sword. Leo wouldn't have stood a chance. Percy was ten times the fighter he was. Percy could've turned around and sliced his throat and Leo would've fallen over before he could blink. Leo would've died in that cold, misused and abandoned forge.

You know if Piper hadn't chosen that moment to make herself known by kicking the bubble gum right out of the demon girl's mouth.

***(insert awesome commercial about dogs)***

"You're crazy, you know that?" Jason said wishing he could rub his temples. "Flipping crazy, Piper McLean."

He couldn't decide if Piper was the worst thing that had ever happened to him or the most irritating. Of course, some small part of him couldn't help but admire her, so he couldn't hate her completely.

Jason thought he knew girls. Back before...everything, he'd actually been rather popular with the ladies. His best friend was a girl, who he would've gone through anything for.

He had gone through everything for her.

But Piper was in a league of her own. Jason didn't know how she did it. Then again Jason didn't know how she did anything.

Jason looked around the depths of Piper's mind, his resting spot for now, which also made no sense. It was dark, a new dimension that wasn't suppose to be seen by human eyes. Jason could feel Piper thinking; it was a pulse that shook his entire body. If he turned away from the dark abyss then he could see what Piper was seeing.

"How the Hell did you take back over your body?" Jason yelled.

She was smirking. Jason could sense it. He knew she heard him, her thought came like a blast.

Shut up, will you? It's my body, Jason. Besides I need to do this.

Right. Sure.

Jason rubbed his temples feeling overly exhausted. As long as he wasn't flying apart he was ok, Oh Hell, maybe he was already dead and this was what he would spend the rest of his life doing--giving Piper advice she was going to ignore.

"If they needed your help why did that Percy guy tell the other two to scram?" Jason had tried to reason with her but she had followed the Percy's car nonetheless.

Why do you care so much what I do?

"Because I'm linked to you as of this moment." Jason sighed. It would be a horrible inconveince if she decided to die right about now.

As much as Jason was inclined to deny it, Piper was very good at sneaking around. She didn't seem to have a problem with anything from skulking after Percy and the monster girl with the metal leg, to merging with the shadows and keeping quiet to servey what was going on. Jason found himself holding his breath with her as they waiting and watched.

The Leo guy Piper was so concerned with looked vaguely familiar. Scrawny, unimposing, the same way he'd looked earlier when Jason had run into him before finding Piper's room. He seemed anxious, not scared for his life. Jason counted five girls, all seeming to be equally dangerous, Kellie most of all. Percy was calm and collected like this was nothing compared to how he normally spent his day (which was probably hunting down other innocent people like Jason himself).

"Bad idea, Piper!" Jason yelled but it was too late. Piper was moving and Jason hugged himself nervously. She kicked her foot into the girl with bubble gum and she slammed to the ground letting go of Leo in the process.

Everything stopped.

Percy had his sword out at Kellie's neck, while Serephone had his arm. Tammi dropped her magazine, and the other girl hissed at Piper. Leo was gaping at his guardian angel.

"I thought I made it clear no one was to follow." Percy broke the silence without looking at Piper.

Piper shifted ever so causally, "I'm never one to follow orders, sir."

"Hadn't noticed," Jason commented snippily. Piper snorted showing that she had heard and was very pleased that he was irritated with her trying to get them both killed. Leo looked around at everyone, his eyes lingering on Piper a little longer than anything.

Was he checking her out? Jason wasn't sure why that annoyed him further. What did he care if this elfish kid was admiring the way Piper had saved his ass? Maybe that's why she'd been so insistent that they had to save Leo. They were a couple. Jason crossed his arms wondering why he suddenly wanted Leo to get eaten alive.

Leo, who was unfortunately not being eaten alive, broke into a grin.

"So....." He asked, "Party?" His hand lit up with warm flames.

"Kill them." Serephone said, "All of them."

The entire world shifted into fast-forward. Whatever trance Piper's appearance had made it was shattered like glass. Everyone leapt into motion so fast Jason couldn't even process it. Percy's swords drove into Kellie and Serephone idiotically tried to sink her teeth into Percy's neck. He slammed her into the ground. Piper moved like water, her movements so fluid and restless Jason bet she been doing them for years. She snapped the now bubblegum-less demon of her shoulder and shoved her into the chair Leo had been sitting in. The other girl had tried to pin her but Piper yank a handful of--was that dirt??-- out of her pocket and threw it into her eyes blinding her.

Leo took Tammi, who was suddenly very less reluctant to fight. Her hair was illuminated with her own wild fire. her eyes glowing red and fangs sticking out. She chortled as she backed Leo into a corner. Piper called out to him but she was tackled and forced to wrestle her way out from the razor grips of the other girl.

"Shame I liked you, kid." Tammi told Leo.

"I like me, too." Leo tossed a useless fireball at her face. It only blinded her for a second to which she waved it off. She couldn't wave off the hammer Leo slammed into her head following. He must have grabbed it off the ground.

Tammi fell with a shriek and Leo bounded out of the corner.

Piper meanwhile was trying to talk her attackers into fighting each other, "She said your hair is hideous!" Neither of them were moved by the insult, and Piper had paused in her fight. It was just enough time for one demon girl racked her rack with her razor sharp nails.

"Piper!" Percy and Leo yelled out to her. The calm thought pulses Jason had been feeling exploded with pain and curses. Piper stumbled backwards clutching the wound. Jason panicked. The girls were closing in for the kill, and he did not want this to be the end of Piper.

"Wait," Piper commanded. Jason was surprised at the amount of power that flowed out of her. It was so much more than anyting he'd ever felt. Both the monsters paused. Piper pointed at the girl who was bleeding down her chin. "She said your leg is out of fashion."

"What?" The girl shrieked, quickly fixing her skirt so it was coming down further. She turned on the other one, "You Bitch! You knew that I was insecure about it!" the other girl barely had time to defend herself before they launched into a fight.

Jason let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Piper seemed to do the same thing.

"Nice job, " Jason said. She didn't reply, but her thought pulse seemed to lighten up.

Percy knocked Serephone out with the broad side of his sword. She cracked her head against the cold cement and didn't get back up. Bubble gum girl won her fight, and she celebrated with a kiss from Leo's thrown hammer.

Kellie was the only one left standing. She was breathless, her shirt was torn and blood leaking out of her shoulder and her left leg, but she didn't seem to care. Her eyes glared a complete red and her hair was so out of control she was dropping little sparks onto the ground.

She was looking right at Piper.

"You think you're so cool, Piper Mclean." She hissed, flexing her knife nails. Jason got a sinking feeling in his stomach. "So wonderful. I bet you think your a hero right now, don't you? Daddy would be so proud."

Piper's thoughts took on a quicker pace. She took a sharp intake and Kellie noticed.

"Oh yeah, Daddy Mclean." She smiled, "All you want is a little attention, right? Daddy pay attention to me! Look at me, Daddy! Look at what I can do! I can take things! Aren't you proud?"

"Piper, Don't listen to her!" Jason yelled but Piper didn't seem to hear this time.

"Too bad you only discovered your powers after he was gone." Kellie tried to look sympathetic but she was laughing to hard.

"How did you know aout-" Piper's voice was trembling. Kellie grinned savoring the sound of Piper's pain. Wing's unfolded from her back stretching out like a cape of night in the darkness. Leo shouted a warning but it was too late. Kellie was faster than sound. Jason blinked and she'd dragged Piper to the ceiling of the forge and pinned her there.

Piper screamed.

Percy cursed from the floor about two stories down. He couldn't do anything.

Kellie cooed, "You know he begged for his life?" She whispered, "He told me all about how he wished he'd been there and he need to be there now. He cried, Pipes."

Piper choked up. Jason clenched his fists.

"I killed him." Kellie smiled, brightly, "I dragged these nails across his neck and watched the blood gush out like a waterfall." Piper whimpered tears dripping downward, "I made a promise to him though. I promised I'd get his little daughter to and reunite you two. I didn't even have to go out and find you! You came to me!"

Kellie reached back one arm and slashed.

"Piper!"

Jason didn't know what he did. It was instinct. There was a loud snap and Kellie screamed out in a bright light. Piper fell.

And then Jason was in control again. He could feel Piper's body,the wind whipping her face, the tears that were still on her face, the burning sting of the cut bleeding out her side. Percy was yelling, Leo running towards them. Jason spread his arms and called on the power he never used.

The wind slowed,Jason prepared himself. He force the wind to bend around Piper's body, slow them and protect Piper. He wouldn't forgive himself if she got hurt when he could have prevented it.

Even so the ground slammed into him like a freaking brick wall. Jason laid still.

Shit shit shit shit....

"Jason?" Piper's voice called to him. Jason could hear her worry. Jason smiled up at the ceiling. Kellie was no where in sight. Percy and Leo where sprinting to them.

You okay? He asked Piper.

"yeah, you?"

I'm not dead.

Piper sniffled a laugh. "Thank You, Jason. You didn't have to do that."

On the contrary, Jason was sure if he hadn't he would've died too but he didn't tell Piper that. Instead all he was thinking was one word, Truce?

"Truce, Sparky," she laughed, "How come you didn't mention the lightning thing earlier?"

Jason frowned slightly. Lightning? He totally didn't know he could even do that. He knew he could control Wind, but it took energy and focus that left him feeling drained. Though now, sharing this body with Piper, he didn't feel tired. In fact he felt energized.

"Oh my gods, Piper!" Leo and Percy leaned over them, "Are you alright?"

Jason smiled, "Yeah, I'm okay."

"How?" Leo spurted, "That drop was like four stories!"

Percy help Piper's body stand up. He asked, "And the lightning? What the Hell have you been hiding from us?"

"Mind if I take these ones?" Piper called, which was a good thing because Jason had no clue what to say. He let Piper take over again and she leaned heavily on Percy.

"First off Repair boy," She flicked his ear, "You aren't my mother, stop fretting." She sounded a lot stronger, as if the past two minutes hadn't happened and she had never cried. "And that was only two stories. I jump those for fun, idiot. And that lightning was just a prank hand zapper." She removed a bunch of the hidden gadgets from one of her pocket. Jason had only ever seen those things in commercials on reruns of old cartoons. He didn't even know you could still buy those anymore.

It seemed to satisfy Percy. or maybe he wasn't all that worried. He was looking at the bodies of the Monster girls and leading Piper toward the exit. "Come on," he said, "I've got a first aid kit in the car. I don't want to be around when they wake up."

"Aren't they dead?" Leo asked, "I did hit two with a hammer pretty hard."

Percy shook his head, "They're immortal thorns in my side. They can't die. I've tried just about everything to get rid of them, but they keep coming back." He snorted, "Hell, I dropped half my home on them and they are still here. Come on."

It wasn't until they got to the car and Piper had been bandaged that Percy talked again. Percy was driving back to the HQ and Leo was sitting next to Piper to keep her steady. Piper was making Sparky jokes to Jason in her head and Jason was telling her to knock it off.

"I'm sorry, " Percy said, "It's my fault this started. I shouldn't have yelled at you, Leo. I....I didn't want you to leave."

Leo shrugged, "I should've listened to you, man. I actually kind of liked Pegasus."

Percy stopped at a red light. Jason watched them confused. Piper was smiling, and keeping quiet as if she knew something no one else in the car knew. Which seemed unlikely, but Jason was learning that Piper had her ways.

"The truth is..." Percy hesitated, "Today's my birthday."

"What?"

"It's my birthday," He reiterated, "It's also the day I got my last team k-killed. I...I don't want it to happen again. I can't let it happen again. We hadn't been prepared, We never trained as a team. We goofed off and I never took anything seriously."

Jason was shocked. This guy didn't seem like he joked around. He didn't even seem like the type to smile unless it was a twisted one made to scared everyone (he did that well).

"So I'm sorry if I overdo it," Percy continued. "Especially now. I know you hate using your power when it's not necessary, so I won't make you."

Leo kicked Percy seat, "Nah, I get it now. I'll train, maybe not much but I'll show up, okay?"

"We cool?"

"We cool, man."

Jason looked pointedly at Piper's mind, "Did you know about this?"

Maybe.

"Hey, Pipes," Leo leaned over next to her, "I wanted to thank you for saving my butt back there. That was awesome."

Piper batted his head, "Well you know it would be too quiet without a repair boy to deride."

"I'm gonna have to make it up to you." He grinned, "I think I know just the thing too!" He didn't elaborate further and it made Jason slightly nervous. Like what could he possibly be thinking of doing? Proposing?

"Let's go home." Piper said, cheerfully, despite the pain in her side.

They drove off to the Pegasus HQ, unaware that everything had changed so completely, that fate itself had been rewritten entirely.