This takes place right after The Lost Hero, before the Argo 2 was built. Just wanted to add, so there are no confusions.

Leo's birthday was today.

It was early in the morning, and he already got a bunch of presents from his friends. He loved hanging out with them, but Leo just wanted some privacy for now.

After all, he was better with machines then people.

He had just finished looking at a card from Piper and Jason. At the bottom, it was signed Beauty Queen and Super Man.

Leo chuckled as he put the card by his bed in the cabin. He stood and stretched, and a childish wish suddenly came to him. He wanted Hephaestus, his father, to help him fix Festus.

He really loved the dragon, and he just wanted a bit of help from the God of Blacksmiths himself. But then, Leo immediately squashed the dream. Hephaestus barely visited him now, and he probably won't visit him today, or, if he was busy, ever.

Leo muttered to himself as he pulled on his tool belt, and began trudging through the forest to Bunker Nine.

Everybody was still asleep, so Leo assumed his friends left their happy birthday cards in the middle of the night.

He came upon the bunker all good safe. It was much nicer looking since the rest of the Hephaestus kids tidied it up. Well, I depends on how one would tidy a workshop.

Leo went over to the corner, where bits of Festus's broken body lay. It was depressing, seeing Festus torn apart like this. He wanted to at least be able to get Festus' head working.

Leo didn't know how long he was working, but soon, he was exhausted, and nothing seemed to work on getting Festus back together again. He sat down, huffing slightly.

A loud knock came on the door of Bunker Nine. Leo looked at the door, confused. When his half-brothers and sisters came to work, they just opened the door without formalities. It was pretty rare for someone to knock.

Leo just ignored it, assuming it was one of his siblings playing a joke. He went back to Festus, looking at the wires in the head. The knocking them came louder.

Leo still ignored it, until it came loud and insistent. He threw down his wrench. "Ha ha! So funny! Now knock if off!" The pounding still remained.

Leo felt like this was a horror movie or something. He groaned, and then stomped to the door. He swung it open, and to his not so much surprise, no one was there. Something brushed his foot.

Leo looked down, and saw a smudged red letter. He frowned, and picked it up. The front was addressed to him, but there was no return address.

Quickly, Leo tore the letter open, hoping it wasn't some weird invitation coming from a monster or something.

He opened the smudged red paper, and saw it was a letter. He began to read:

My dear boy,

I am not very good with words, and s I'll keep it short and simple.

I know you were upset about your dragon. And I know you wanted me to help you fix it, but I'm afraid I can't.

So, I decided to give you a special present. Look back inside.

Happy birthday kiddo.

Hephaestus

Leo was confused. What exactly had his father done? He shrugged, and turned back inside, only to drop his letter in shock. A girl was standing there.

She had copper colored hair, with dark brown eyes. She was wearing a reddish brown cape, with armor plating. She was also wearing a helmet, which was shaped like a dragon's head.

The girl looked at him, and then tried to walk to him. She slipped a bit, and looked around her. Leo noticed the body of Festus behind her was gone.

Leo's mouth still hung wide open.

"F-Festus? Is that you?"

The girl smiled.

"Hi, Leo. I've missed you."

Leo couldn't help grinning as the girl imitated Festus's whirring sounds, and she laughed.

He felt so many emotions. The joy of seeing Festus alive. The shock of Festus as a human. And a girl. But hey, she wasn't too bad.

Leo smiled as he looked at the new Festus.

"I've missed you too, Festus."