Apollonia definitely did not expect for the dragon to literally malfunction, making them drop out of the sky.

"Zeus you better not blast me! This was not my fault!" Apollonia screamed to the heavens as she guided her free falling body towards one of the buildings she spotted below them.

Apollonia heard someone call her name somewhere above her. Jason.

She looked up to see Jason with Piper and Leo in his arms, trying to reach her.

Jason saw Apollonia free falling and not slowing down. He couldn't get to her in time. Jason started to panic and was continuously calling out her name.

"Land at the building!" She yelled to him.

"What about you?! I can't leave you to fall!" Jason yelled back over the winds. He did not want to see his soulmate to be a flattened pancake, he didn't care if she was immortal, she would still get hurt. That thought alone was already driving him insane.

"I'm following Festus down! Get them to the building! I'll meet up with you!" She yelled and tilted her body towards the dragon. That seemed to already be nearing the ground due to its weight. She can still hear their screams calling her name. Jason's pained ones.

As she was nearing the ground she suddenly wondered how she was going to nail a landing going at this velocity.

Oh shit, she thought, I'm going to be landing in a port a potty, just my luck.

She tilted her body a tad bit away from the port a potty to land in the snow. She did a somersault and rolled in the snow until she came to a stop by a tree stump that unfortunately aligned with her gut. She sprung up to her feet a bit winded and dizzy.

While Apollonia was fine, the other three were definitely not as fine. Jason lost concentration while being distraught over the falling immortal. They hit the deck. Hard.

Piper got the worst of it, she ended up with a broken ankle and there wasn't any Apollo kid around to heal it at the moment. She didn't even know where the immortal Apollo kid landed.

Then she heard Jason's voice somewhere below, echoing through the building. "Piper! Where are you?"  

"Ow, bro!" Leo groaned. "That's my back! I'm not a sofa! Where'd you go beauty queen? I don't feel like getting an arrow to the head by a certain someone if you're dead!"

"Here," Piper managed to say, her voice a whimper. She heard shuffling and grunting, then feet pounding on metal steps.  Piper's vision began to clear. She was on a metal catwalk that ringed the warehouse interior.

Leo and Jason had landed on ground level, and were now coming up the stairs towards her. She looked over to her foot pointing the opposite way.  She forced herself to look away and tried to focus on anything else but her foot.

The hole they'd made in the roof was a ragged starburst twenty feet above. How they'd even survived that drop, she had no idea. Hanging from the ceiling, a few electric bulbs flickered dimly, but they didn't do much to light the enormous space. Next to Piper, the corrugated metal wall was emblazoned with a company logo, but it was almost completely spray-painted over with graffiti. Down in the shadowy warehouse, she could make out huge machines, robotic arms, half-finished trucks onan assembly line. The place looked like it had been abandoned for years. 

Jason and Leo reached her side.  Leo started to ask, "You okay..." Then he saw Piper's foot, "Oh no, you're not." 

"Thanks for the reassurance," Piper groaned. 

"You guys will be fine," Jason said, though they could hear the worry in his voice, "Leo, you got any first aid supplies?"  

"Yeah— yeah, sure. Damn where's the Apollo kid when we need her," He dug around in his tool belt and pulled out a wad of gauze and a roll of duct tape— both of which seemed too big for the belt's pockets.

"How did you—" Piper tried to sit up, and winced, "How did you pull that stuff from an empty belt?" 

"Magic," Leo said, "Haven't figured it out completely, but I can summon just about any regular tool out of the pockets, plus some other helpful stuff."

Leo reached into another pocket and pulled out a little tin box, "Breath mint?"

Jason snatched away the mints, "That's great, Leo. Now, can you fix her ankle?" 

"I'm a mechanic, man. Maybe if she was a car..." He snapped his fingers, "Wait, what was that godly healing stuff they fed you at camp—Rambo food?" 

"Ambrosia, dummy," Piper said through gritted teeth, "There should be some in my bag, if it's not crushed."

Jason carefully helped her sit up and pulled her backpack off her shoulders. He rummaged through the supplies her siblings packed her, and found a Ziplock bag full of smashed pastry squares like lemon bars. He broke off a piece and fed it to Piper. 

"More," Piper said. 

Jason frowned, "Piper, we shouldn't risk it. They said too much could burn you up. I think I should try to set your foot."  

Piper's facial expression went full panic, "Have you ever done that before?" 

"Yeah... I think so," the tall blonde said unsure.  Leo found an old piece of wood and broke it in half for asplint. Then he got the gauze and duct tape ready. 

"Leo, hold her leg still," Jason instructed him.

"Piper, this is going to hurt," Jason said. 

"Just get it over with," Piper said through clenched teeth.

When Jason set her foot right, Piper flinched and punched Leo in the arm. Jason worked fast, and Piper saw her foot was pointing the right way, herankle splinted with plywood, gauze, and duct tape. 

"Ow," she said.  

"Jeez, beauty queen!" Leo rubbed his arm. "Glad my face wasn't there." 

"Sorry," she said. "And don't call me 'beauty queen,' or I'll punch you again." 

Once she wasn't screaming in pain, Jason could hear the wind howling outside. Snowflakes fluttered through the hole in the roof, and after their meeting with Khione, snow was the last thing he wanted to see. 

"You did great," Jason found a canteen in Piper's pack and gave her some water. After a few minutes, her stomach began to calm down. 

"What happened to the dragon?" Piper asked, changing the subject, "Where are we? And I hope Apollonia's okay..." 

"I'm sure she's fine..." Jason trailed off, trying to not busy his mind with any negative thoughts.

Leo's expression turned sullen, "I don't know with Festus. He just jerked sideways like he hit an invisible wall and started to fall."  

Leo pointed to the logo on the wall, "As far as where we are..."

It was hard to see through the graffiti, but they could make out a large red eye with the words Monocle Motors, Assembly Plant 1.  

"Closed car plant," Leo said, "I'm guessing we crash landed in Detroit." 

"How far is that from Chicago?" Jason handed Piper the canteen, "Maybe three-fourths of the way from Quebec? The thing is, without the dragon, we're stuck traveling overland." 

"No way," Leo said, "It isn't safe."  

"He's right. Besides, I don't know if I can walk. And four people— Jason, you can't fly that many across the country by yourself," Piper agreed. 

"No way," Jason agreed, "Leo, are you sure the dragon didn't malfunction? I mean, Festus is old, and—" 

"And I might not have repaired him right?" 

"I didn't say that," Jason protested. "It's just— maybe you could fix it and find Apollonia along the way." 

"I don't know." Leo sounded crestfallen. He pulled a few screws out of his pockets and started fiddling with them. "I'd have to find where he landed, if he's even in one piece."

"It was my fault." Piper said suddenly. 

"No it's not," Leo told the girl, "you were passed out on Apollonia. You're just shaken up."

"Piper," Jason said gently, "Leo's right, you were asleep when Festus conked out. It couldn't be your fault." 

"You're in pain. Just rest."  Leo stood, "Look, um, Jason, why don't you stay with her? I'll scout around for Festus and our favourite immortal. I think they fell outside the warehouse somewhere. If I can find him, maybe I can figure out what happened and fix him." 

"It's too dangerous," Jason said. "You shouldn't go by yourself." 

"Ah, I got duct tape, breath mints, and a wandering immortal out there. I'll be fine," Leo said, a little too quickly, and Piper realized he was a lot more shaken up than he was letting on.

"You guys just don't run off without us!"

Before Jason could protest, Leo reached into his magic tool belt, pulled out a flashlight, and headed down the stairs, leaving Piper and Jason alone.

The two sat quietly at first. It was the first time they've been alone since that one moment after the campfire where he approached her asking her to join the quest officially.

"Well, you look better," Jason said awkwardly.

Piper decided to focus on her ankle instead. As long as she didn't move it, the pain wasn't bad. "You did a good job," she told Jason. "Where'd you learn first aid?"

He shrugged. "Same answer as always I guess. I don't know." 

"But you're starting to have some memories, aren't you? Like that prophecy in Latin back at camp, or that dream about the wolf." Piper asked. 

"It's fuzzy," he explained. "Like déjà vu. Ever forgotten a word or a name, and you know it should be on the tip of your tongue,but it isn't? It's like that— only with my whole life."

"That must suck a lot," Piper said and he nodded his head. 

"How are you doing about the whole soulmate thing? I know she's not making it too easy for you," Piper asked genuinely concerned for her friend's fated relationship.

Jason went silent for a moment, "Honestly, I really feel like she truly doesn't want me. I must've done something horrible in my previous life for my own soulmate to not want me. I just wish I knew why... it would sting a little less if I knew..." Jason said, sounding like his wall of emotions was on the edge of breaking.

"Hey, hey, Jason. Don't feel too down about it. Annabeth didn't tell me much but I feel like she'll accept you soon. You just have to wait for her, this must be a huge shock for her," Piper said, trying to prevent the boy from crying.

"Hera told me that our relationship is essential to the prophecy, no idea which one but I'm going to assume the Great Prophecy. But I can't even get her to even smile at me. How can I get her to fall for me? What am I doing wrong, Piper?" Jason confessed in a faint whisper near the end, as if his voice is giving up on this topic.

"You're doing nothing wrong, Jason. In fact, you're doing an amazing job already, don't think I didn't notice on the way to Boreas' hotel. I honestly think time is the biggest factor now," Piper consoled her friend to the best of her ability. She decided to change the topic.

"That photo in your pocket," Piper said. "Is that someone from your past?" Jason became stiff. Oh not a good topic.

"I'm sorry," she said, "None of my business. Forget it." 

"No— it's okay." His features relaxed, "Just, I'm trying to figure things out. Her name's Thalia. She's my sister. I don't remember any details. I'm not even sure how I know, I know that Apollonia knows her, she said her name earlier."

"Um, it's just— that's great you remembered. Annabeth told me she became a Hunter of Artemis, right?" 

"I get the feeling I'm supposed to find her. Hera left me that memory for a reason. It's got something to do with this quest. But... I also have the feeling it could be dangerous. I'm not sure I want to find out the truth. Is that crazy?" Jason told the injured girl.

"No," Piper said, "Not at all." 

"Jason," Piper said. "Speaking of the truth, I need to tell you something— something about my dad—"  She didn't get the chance to reveal anything.

Somewhere below, metal clanged against metal, like a door slamming shut. The sound echoed through the warehouse.  Jason stood. He took out his coin and flipped it, snatching his golden sword out of the air. He peered over the railing, "Leo? Nia?" he called out. No answer. 

He crouched next to the girl, "I don't like this."  

"He could be in trouble. Go check."  Piper said.

"I can't leave you alone. Apollonia would kill me!"  

"I'll Be fine, she literally would just act the same around you then," Piper said, sounding a bit annoyed. She drew her dagger Katoptris and tried to look confident, "Anyone gets close, I'll skewer them."   

Jason hesitated. "I'll leave you the pack. If I'm not back in five minutes—" 

"Panic?" Piper suggested.

He managed a smile, "Glad you are back to normal. The makeup and the dress were a lot more intimidating than the dagger." 

"Get going, Sparky, before I skewer you." Piper said. 

"Sparky?" Jason asked, offended.

Jason made his way to the stairs and disappeared into the dark.

••••••••••

Apollonia walked her way over to where Festus laid, the port a potty.

She tried to take a look at it but had literally no clue on where to even begin. She wasn't the best in mechanics.

She suddenly felt a presence behind her. She spun around quickly yanking the twin sword charm. There she was. She hasn't seen her in millennia. Gaea.

"You are still around I see, child. It's been some time since I have last tried to recruit you."

"Yes, It definitely has. If you are here to try it again, my answer remains the same," Apollonia said strongly.

"My child—"

"I am a child of Apollo! I am not your child so do not address me as such!" Apollonia told her off raising her swords in a fighting position.

"Let me finish. You cannot win this war child, I sense your fear and doubt even now. But I sense that you do not fear death. No. You fear for your friends and family. If you walk away now, I will spare you, your siblings, and your father." Gaea said to her in a light persuasive voice, but she knew better.

Then she heard a voice in her head, Do not listen to her. She tries to beguile you, my little sunshine. Do not fall for it, she plans to kill us all.

It was her father, Apollo.

"Walk away now, Champion of Apollo. You can still be saved. You can save your family just by doing this one simple thing."

Apollonia felt her head spinning like a tornado but then her father's words rang back in. She will not be fooled by Mother Earth. She knows if she walks away, the gods will know immediately.

"No," Apollonia said, "As I told you all those ancient moons ago, my answer will not change. I am the First Daughter of Apollo. I am the Only Champion of Apollo. I fight for and with Olympus."

"Then you will be crushed among your peers and you will be the death of your siblings. Goodbye, Athanasios,  Apollonia."

Apollonia felt herself almost collapse to her knees at the sound of her surname. Her surname hasn't been used in ages. Only small traces of her surname are in the old myths and legends but other than that, no one else says it anymore, not even Apollo.

She suddenly heard running footsteps coming from the trees to the right of her. She raised her twin swords getting ready to fight whatever Gaea sent her way after saying no.

She dropped the swords to her side once she saw it was only Leo stumbling out of breath into the porta-potty clearing.

"Leo?" Apollonia called out while walking towards the winded boy.

"Hey," Leo said to Apollonia once he regained his breath, "I see you found Festus, are you injured after the fall at all? Jason is worried sick about you but he's trying not to show it."

"I'm fine. I'm not injured at all, he shouldn't be worried. Did you all forget I'm immortal?" Apollonia deadpanned, putting her hand on her hip in a sassy way.

Leo walked straight towards the metal dragon and started to check what's wrong. He didn't like the silence that emitted between them. He decided to try and play wingman.

"So— uh... Jason's a great guy Huh?" Leo said kind of awkwardly.

Apollonia arched a brow at this statement, "Why do you say that?" She said sitting down on one of the rocks nearby.

"Oh nothing, just wondering why you don't want sir lightning prince over there. He's pretty great ya know?" Leo said, pulling on some frozen wires.

"Oh please, Valdez. I just don't want him, I'm simple like that. He can go date Piper again for all I care," Apollonia said nonchalantly while leaning back into her palms.

Silence once more engulfed the two. Leo worked busily on the dragon while trying to come up with statements to be a better wingman.

"He's really trying, you know? I mean— to win you over," Leo said slowly not wanting to erupt the girl's anger issues.

"Oh I can tell," She said, "He can stop now though, it will be better for the both of us."

"That seems— a bit harsh... Don't ya think? I can't really imagine—" Leo got cut off.

"Just work on the dragon, Valdez," Apollonia snapped, shooting him a sickly sweet smile.

"Uhh... I guess now's a good time to tell you Piper broke her ankle, lightning prince and I had to fix it but it'd be best if you also check it out, being a daughter of the healing god n all," Leo informed her.

Apollonia jumped to her feet, "She what?!" She tapped her charm bracelet to hand Leo a dagger, "Here I trust you with this, stay here to fix the dragon. I'm going to go fix her ankle. We can't have someone who can't walk, that'll be horrible. Scream if you need help, I'll hear you," She said to him before running off.

"Sweet, a new dagger."

••••••••

"You've got to be kidding me..."

It was eerily silent when Apollonia arrived at the abandoned warehouse, she immediately sensed something was off so she tapped her charm to arm herself with her bow and arrows. She quietly scouted around before making her way inside. Suddenly she froze.

"Nia! Leo! Help us!"

Apollonia dove for the cover of an old machine. The voice sounded like Jason but she knew immediately that it wasn't him. Jason would be fighting until his last breath rather than lure her or his friends into danger.

She peered her eyes around the side of the machine just to be greeted by a very unwanted sight.

Cyclops. About to eat Piper and a knocked out Jason. Fuck.

She can see Piper trying to charmspeak her way out of this.

"Please, ma'am—" she tried,

"RAWWWRR!" The lady Cyclops grabbed Piper around the waist. "Don't try your pretty talk on me, girl! I'm Ma Gasket! I've eaten heroes tougher than you for lunch!" 

Apollonia feared Piper would be cooked first, but Ma Gasket just dropped her and let her dangle from her chain. Then she started yelling at Sump about how stupid he was. 

"Idiot!" Ma Gasket yelled, and Apollonia finally recognized her. She killed Ma Gasket about 500 years ago. Sump and Torque must be her sons. If that's the case— ugly most definitely ran in their bloodline, "I should've thrown you out on the streets when you were babies, like proper Cyclops children. You might have learned some useful skills. Curse my soft heart that I kept you!" 

"Soft heart?" Torque muttered. 

"What was that, you ingrate?" Ma Gasket snarled.

Torque flinched, "Nothing, Ma. I said you got a soft heart. We get to work for you, feed you, file your toenails—" 

Poor kid, Apollonia thought with a grimace.

"And you should be grateful!" Ma Gasket bellowed. "Now, stoke the fire, Torque! And Sump, you idiot, my case of salsa is in the other warehouse. Don't tell me you expect me to eat these demigods without salsa!"

"Yes, Ma," Sump said. "I mean no, Ma. I mean—" 

"Go get it!" Ma Gasket picked up a nearby truck chassis and slammed it over Sump's head. Sump crumpled to his knees. He managed to push the chassis off his head. Then he staggered to his feet and ran off to fetch the salsa. 

Apollonia almost punched the person who suddenly appeared behind her. It was Leo. Leo pointed to his tool kit and Apollonia knew immediately what he was going to do and gave him a curt nod.

While they separated, Apollonia quickly climbed to get higher ground knocking her arrow, ready to kill. Leo dashed between robotic arms, the Cyclopes didn't see them, but Piper did. Her expression turned from terror to disbelief, and she gasped.

Ma Gasket turned to her, "What's the matter, girl? So fragile I broke you?" 

Thankfully, Piper was a quick thinker. She looked away from Leo and Apollonia and said, "I think it's my ribs, ma'am. If I'm busted up inside, I'll taste terrible." 

Ma Gasket bellowed with laughter, "Good one. The last hero we ate—remember him, Torque? Son of Mercury, wasn't he?" 

"Yes, Ma," Torque said, "Tasty. Little bit stringy." 

"He tried a trick like that. Said he was on medication. But he tasted fine!" 

"Tasted like mutton," Torque recalled, "Purple shirt. Talked in Latin. Yes, a bit stringy, but good." 

Piper's eyes widen, "Purple shirt? Latin?" 

"Good eating," Ma Gasket said fondly, "Point is, girl, we're not as dumb as people think! We're not falling for those stupid tricks and riddles, not us northern Cyclopes." 

Leo stopped working for a second.  A kid who spoke Latin had been caught here— in a purple shirt like Jason's? He didn't know what that meant, but he left the interrogation to Piper. 

"Oh, I've heard about the northern Cyclopes!"  Which Apollonia figured was bullshit, but she still sounded convincing, "I never knew you were so big and clever!" 

"Flattery won't work either," Ma Gasket said, though she sounded pleased, "It's true, you'll be breakfast for the best Cyclopes around." 

"But aren't Cyclopes good?" Piper asked, "I thought you made weapons for the gods." 

"Bah! I'm very good. Good at eating people. Good at smashing. And good at building things, yes, but not for the gods. Our cousins, the elder Cyclopes, they do this, yes. Thinking they're so high and mighty 'cause they're a few thousand years older. Then there's our southern cousins, living on islands and tending sheep. Morons! But we Hyperborean Cyclopes, the northern clan, we're the best! Founded Monocle Motors in this old factory— the best weapons, armor, chariots, fuel-efficient SUVs! And yet— bah! Forced to shut down. Laid off most of our tribe. The war was too quick. Titans lost. No good! No more need for Cyclops weapons." 

"Oh, no," Piper sympathized. "I'm sure you made some amazing weapons." 

Torque grinned, "Squeaky war hammer!"  He picked up a large pole with an accordion-looking metal box on the end. He slammed it against the floor and the cement cracked, but there was also a sound like the world's largest rubber ducky getting stomped. 

"Terrifying," Piper said.  Torque looked pleased. "Not as good as the exploding ax, but this one can be used more than once." 

"Can I see it?" Piper asked. "If you could just free my hands—" 

Torque stepped forward eagerly, but Ma Gasket said, "Stupid! She's tricking you again. Enough talk! Slay the boy first before he dies on his own. I like my meat fresh." 

"Hey, wait—" Piper said, trying to get the Cyclopes' attention. "Hey, can I just ask—" 

The wires sparked in Leo's hand. The Cyclopes froze and turned in Leo direction.  "Hello, remember me?," Apollonia asked the Cyclops from above.  Then Torque picked up a truck and threw it at Leo first. Leo got to his feet, and Ma Gasket spotted her. 

She yelled, "Torque, you pathetic excuse for a Cyclops, get them!" Then Ma Gasket let out a snarl at the immortal, "And YOU— I can't wait to eat you dear Champion! Ma Gasket remembers all!"

Torque barreled toward him. A three-ton yellow metal claw slammed the Cyclops in the side so hard, he landed flat on his face.  Before Torque could recover, the robotic hand grabbed him by one leg and hurled him straight up.

"AHHHHH!"  Torque rocketed into the gloom. The ceiling was too dark and too high up to see exactly what happened, but judging from the harsh metal clang. Torque never came down. Instead, yellow dust rained to the floor. Torque had disintegrated.  Ma Gasket stared at Leo in shock.

"My son... You... You..."  As if on cue, Sump lumbered into the firelight with a case of salsa. "Ma, I got the extra-spicy—" 

He never finished his sentence. Apollonia shot three arrows that landed in Sump's heart and chest. The salsa case exploded like a piñata when it landed on the floor and Sump disintegrated. Two Cyclopes down.  Ma Gasket locked her eye on Leo first. She grabbed the nearest crane arm and ripped it off its pedestal with a savage roar.  "You busted my boys! Only I get to bust my boys! And you, Champion— You're next!" 

Leo punched a button, and the two remaining arms swung into action. Ma Gasket caught the first one and tore it in half. The second arm smacked her in the head, but that only seemed to make her mad. She grabbed it by the clamps, ripped it free, and swung it like a baseball bat.  It missed Piper and Jason by an inch. Then Ma Gasket let it go— spinning it toward Apollonia. She rolled to one side as it flew through the ceiling above her previous spot.  Her fists were clenched, her teeth bared. She looked ridiculous in her chainmail muumuu and her greasy pigtails— but given the murderous glare in her huge red eye and the fact that she was twelve feet tall, neither were laughing. 

"Any more tricks, demigods?" Ma Gasket demanded. 

"Hell, yeah, we got tricks!" Apollonia yelled, Leo then raised his remote control, "Take one more step, and I'll destroy you with fire!" 

Ma Gasket laughed, "Would you? Cyclopes are immune to fire, you idiot. But if you wish to play with flames, let me help!"  She scooped red-hot coals into her bare hands and flung them at Leo. They landed all around his feet. 

"You missed," he said incredulously.  Then Ma Gasket grinned and picked up a barrel next to the truck. 

Piper screamed, "No!" 

Apollonia shot an arrow to Ma Gasket's chest which only made her stumble back, almost toppling into the cooking pot. Then she remembered that Leo could control fire.  The kerosene burned off, dying down to small fiery patches on the floor. 

Piper gasped, "Leo?" 

Ma Gasket looked astonished. "You live?"  Then she took that extra step forward. "What are you?" 

"The son of Hephaestus," Leo said. "And I warned you I'd destroy you with fire."  He pointed one finger in the air and he shot a bolt of white-hot flames at the chain suspending the engine block above the Cyclops's head. The flames died. Nothing happened.

Ma Gasket laughed, "An impressive try, son of Hephaestus. It's been many centuries since I saw a fire user. You'll make a spicy appetizer!"  The chain snapped— that single link heated beyond its tolerance point— and the engine block fell, deadly and silent.  "I don't think so," Leo said.  Ma Gasket didn't even have time to look up. No more Cyclops— just a pile of dust under a ten ton engine block. 

"Not immune to engines, huh?" Leo said. "Boo-yah!"  Then he fell to his knees, his head buzzing. 

Apollonia jumped down from her spot and quickly ran to Leo's side, "Leo! Are you alright? Can you move? You must be drained." 

He stumbled to his feet while Apollonia got Piper down from her chains. They lowered Jason, who was still unconscious. Apollonia tapped her charm for some nectar and handed it to Piper who managed to trickle a little nectar into his mouth, and he groaned. The welt on his head started to shrink. His color came back a little. 

"Yeah, he's got a nice thick skull," Leo said. "I think he's gonna be fine." 

"Of course he will, he just needs some rest. Time to go," Apollonia said.

"Thank god," Piper sighed.  Then she looked at Leo with something similar to wonder, "How did you— the fire...have you always... ?" 

Leo looked down,  "Always," he said, "I'm a freaking menace. Sorry, I should've told you guys sooner but—" 

"Sorry?" Piper punched his arm. "That was amazing, Valdez! You saved our lives. What are you sorry about?" 

Apollonia looked at the ground. The powdered remains of the Cyclopes were shifting across the floor like an invisible wind was pushing it back together. 

"Guys, they're forming again," Apollonia said alarmed.

Piper stepped away from the dust, "That's not possible. Annabeth said monsters dissipate when they're killed. They go back to Tartarus and can't return for a long time." 

Apollonia nodded, "They do. Well— they're supposed to..."

"Well, nobody told the dust that," Leo said.

They watched as it collected into a pile, then very slowly spread out, forming a shape with arms and legs. 

"Oh, gods," Apollonia turned pale, "Boreas said something about this— the earth yielding up horrors. 'When monsters no longer stay in Tartarus, and souls are no longer confined to Hades.' Not even I understand this yet but we need to leave now!"

Apollonia carried Jason in her arms and they all ran to Festus.

Apollonia let them all get on first and hopped on last to hold Jason from behind to make sure he doesn't have another skydiving trip.

Then off to Chicago they went.

~💌~
Hello! I'm finally back to writing! This was 5.1K words I hoped you liked it!
As we can see— Apollonia's relationship with Gaea is definitely not the greatest, I wonder what other stunt Gaea is going to pull during this Prophecy...