SWEET SORROWS│p. jackson

[ 21. ]

II xxi. her spoiled majesty... II

"ALIVE," The giant bellowed. "Praise to Gaea!"

Jason whimpered, making Andromeda's head snap to him teasingly. His mouth shut and he coughed. "Er, Leo."

"Huh?" Leo's mouth was wide open.

"You guys keep working," Jason said. "Get Hera free."

"What are you going to do?" Piper asked. "You can't seriously-"

"Entertain a giant?" Jason said. "I've got no choice."

Alabaster moved forward. "Jason," Alabaster started, gesturing to himself and his sister. "We can help-"

"No, I need to do this alone."

"Oh, cut the hero complex, Grace." Andromeda frowned. "We've all been there. There's seriously no problem with having a little backup."

Jason gulped, looking back up to the giant as it bared its vicious, ugly teeth looking for its first meal. "Okay, maybe a little backup-"

"Hey, Andie!" Leo called, making them all turn back. "I think we may need your help!"

She looked at Jason and Alabaster, lips pursing. "Oh, well I guess I'll be busy. But you two can figure this out without me, yeah?"

"Uh, actually-"

"Great," She clapped Jason and her brother's back. "You guys got this!"

She ran back to Leo and Piper. The girl was whispering words frantically at the cage, and Leo had placed in earplugs. So that's why he was yelling.

"I think you may actually need to get Hera into her pissy-fit."

The goddess in the cage squinted at his choice of words, mouth open. "Excuse you?"

"If you get her angry enough and the cage gets tired enough it'll be easier to break her out." Leo explained. "I know it sounds stupid, but we don't exactly have time to figure out another solution." Andromeda immediately started to doubt his quickly-thought but flawed plan.

"Uh," She nervously looked at Hera's daring beady eyes. "Yeah, I think I would prefer to walk out of this place not scorched into a pile of gloop if you don't mind."

Hera raised her head. "Wise thinking for once in your life, Andromeda-"

"Do you want to get out of this cage or not?" Leo snapped, interrupting the goddess.

Hera sighed. "Well, now that I know what she's doing, why would I get angry?"

A giant roar from behind them made them all pause. Looking back, Alabaster and Jason were freaking talking to the giant. Were they still on introductions? They haven't even gotten to the fighting yet?

Andromeda sighed. "I have to agree with the woman on this...I'm not exactly mad at her right now."

Piper groaned frustratingly, eyeing the annoyed goddess and confused girl as they both analyzed each other. Then, a lightbulb went off in her head. She remembered what Rachel had told her that day in the Big House. The red-head had said: "The one thing that can really boil Hera's blood to the point of no return would be Andie. There's just something about the girl that always tipped her off. They never were on the same page-no, not even the book."

Then Rachel had gone into an exaggerated story involving Andromeda and one of Hera's peacocks fighting over a slice of pizza.

"Really, Andie? You out of all people have nothing to hold against Hera?" Piper asked, nudging Leo who nodded along. "Remember when we were in her cabin and you were talking about-"