DAYLIGHT ↬ leo valdez x reader

29. DAYLIGHT

"We have to get her out," he said.
"Well, yeah," Leo agreed. "But, uh..." He looked like he wanted to say, What if we're too late? Wisely, he changed tack. "There's a parking lot in the way."
Percy looked at Coach Hedge. "Bacchus said something about breaking through. Coach, you still have ammo for those ballistae?"
The satyr grinned like a wild goat. "I thought you'd never ask.

Coach Hedge practically hopped in excitement (scratch that, he literally hopped like a mountain goat on a mission). Honestly, it was the first time I've found myself scared of Coach, since his height toned down his aggression. But no, he was way too trigger happy and it was seriously concerning.

Chunks of asphalt as big as garage doors tumbled down to the creepy lair, along with six or seven Italian cars. The spider woman fell, faintly screaming.
"Annabeth!" Percy shouted from above.
"Here!" she sobbed. The Argo II descended somewhat deeper towards the cavern, lowering a rope ladder, but Annabeth stood in a daze, staring into the darkness. Percy climbed down to her first and we followed in pursuit.

Annabeth buried her face in his chest and broke down in tears.
"It's okay," he said. "We're together."
"Your leg." I knelt next to her and examined the Bubble Wrap cast. It was such an intelligent idea but I wasn't surprised since it was Annabeth. "Oh, Annabeth, what happened?"
She started to explain. She had endured what anyone could easily consider torture.

"Gods of Olympus," Jason said. "You did all that alone. With a broken ankle."
"Well...some of it with a broken ankle." Percy grinned. "You made Arachne weave her own trap? I knew you were good, but Holy Hera—Annabeth, you did it. Generations of Athena kids tried and failed. You found the Athena Parthenos!"
Everyone gazed at the statue. 

"What do we do with her?" Frank asked. "She's huge."
"We'll have to take her with us to Greece," Annabeth said. "The statue is powerful. Something about it will help us stop the giants."
"The giants' bane stands gold and pale," Hazel quoted. "Won with pain from a woven jail." She looked at Annabeth with admiration. "It was Arachne's jail. You tricked her into weaving it."

Leo raised his hands. He made a finger picture frame around the Athena Parthenos like he was taking measurements. "Well, it might take some rearranging, but I think we can fit her through the bay doors in the stable. If she sticks out the end, I might have to wrap a flag around her feet or something."
"What about you guys?" she asked. "What happened with the giants?"
Percy told her about rescuing Nico, the appearance of Bacchus, and the fight with the twins in the Colosseum. Nico didn't say much. The poor guy looked like he'd been wandering through a wasteland for six weeks. Percy explained what Nico had found out about the Doors of Death, and how they had to be closed on both sides. Even with sunlight streaming in from above, Percy's news made the cavern seem dark again.

"So the mortal side is in Epirus," she said. "At least that's somewhere we can reach."
Nico grimaced. "But the other side is the problem. Tartarus." The word seemed to echo through the chamber. The pit behind them exhaled a cold blast of air.
Percy took a breath in to speak. "Bacchus mentioned something about my voyage being harder than I expected. Not sure why—" The chamber groaned. The Athena Parthenos tilted to one side. Its head caught on one of Arachne's support cables, but the marble foundation under the pedestal was crumbling. 

"Secure it!" Annabeth cried. We understood immediately.
"Zhang!" Leo cried. "Get me to the helm, quick! The coach is up there alone." Frank transformed into a giant eagle, and the two of them soared toward the ship.
Jason wrapped his arm around Piper. He turned to Percy. "Back for you guys in a sec." He summoned the wind and shot into the air.

"This floor won't last!" Hazel warned.
"The rest of us should get to the ladder." I suggested urgently.
Plumes of dust and cobwebs blasted from holes in the floor. The spider's silk support cables trembled like massive guitar strings and began to snap. Hazel lunged for the bottom of the rope ladder and gestured for Nico to follow, but Nico was in no condition to sprint.