𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐄𝐓𝐇 》 LEO VALDEZ ¹

―twenty-nine. it would be classed as a planned date, but they're morons

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𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌?
◣                            ◢

PIPER FELT WARM. Not physically. Like the heat was coming from her insides. It was nice. Pleasant. And she suspected it to be her friends doing. She wanted to tell them how much they meant to her. They'd sacrificed everything, maybe even their quest, to help her. She couldn't replay them, couldn't even put her gratitude into words. But her friends' expressions told her they understood.

Then, right next to Jason, the air began to shimmer. At first, Charlie thought it was heat off the tarmac, or maybe gas fumes from the helicopter, but she'd seen something like this before. It was an iris message. An image appeared in the air — a dark-haired girl in silver winter camouflage, holding a bow.

Jason stumbled back in surprise. ''Thalia!''

''Move, Supes!'' Charlie pushed him away, palm on his face as she lunged for Thalia. She wrapped her arms around the girls form, hands hovering in mid-air in a pretend hug.

''Uhm. Charlie, you know you're not actually hugging me, right?''

''It's the thought that counts.''

Thalia chuckled ever so slightly, patting Charlie's head, her fingers going through the girls head slightly. ''Thank the gods I found you,'' Thalia mumbled as Charlie stepped away. The scene behind her was hard to make out, but they could hear yelling, metal clashing on metal, and explosions.

''We've found her,'' Thalia said, seriousness returning. ''Where are you?''

''Oakland,'' he said. ''Where are you?''

''The Wolf House! Oakland is good; you're not too far. We're holding off the giant's minions, but we can't hold them forever. Get here before sunset, or it's all over.''

''Then it's not too late?'' Piper cried. Hope surged through her, but Thalia's expression quickly supressed it.

''Not yet,'' Thalia said. ''But — it's worse than I realised. Porphyrion is rising. Hurry.''

''But where is the Wolf House?'' he pleaded.

''Our last trip,'' Thalia said, her image starting to flicker. 'The park. Jack London. Remember?''

This made no sense to Charlie, but before she could lecture Thalia on straight answers, her image faded away. She turned around. Jason looked like he had just been shot. He tottered, his face pale.

''Bro, you alright?'' Leo asked. ''You know where she is?''

''Yes,'' Jason said. ''Sonoma Valley. Nor far. Not by air.''

Piper turned to the ranger pilot, who'd been watching all this with an increasingly puzzled expression.

''Ma'am,'' Piper said with her best smile. ''You don't mind helping us one more time, do you?''

''I don't mind,'' the pilot agreed.

Charlie gripped Piper's upper arm lightly, facing the opposite way to her, lowering her voice to a whisper. ''We can't take a civvy into battle. It's too dangerous.''

Leo chuckled darkly. ''When did we stop being the civilians?''

Jason hummed, turning to him. ''You think you can fly this thing?''

''Um...'' Leo's expression didn't exactly reassure any of them. But then he put his hand on the side of the helicopter, concentrating hard, as if listening to the machine. ''Bell 412HP utility helicopter,'' Leo said. ''Composite four-blade main rotor, cruising speed twenty-two knots, service ceiling twenty-thousand feet. The tank is near full. Sure. I can fly it.''