Arsonist's Lullabye ──── Leo Valdez

𝟐𝟖: 𝐕𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐛

(full disclosure, I've never watched or read twilight so the only thing ik about Jacob is that he's Taylor Lautner as a wolf or smth)

─────𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐕𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫. Leo handed out the food. 

"We need to talk." Piper said suddenly, sitting up. She looked at Vincent, "I don't want to hide anything from you guys anymore."

They all looked at her with their mouths full of burger. Her dad. 

"Three nights before the Grand Canyon trip," she said, "I had a dream vision—a giant, telling me my father had been taken hostage. He told me I had to cooperate, or my dad would be killed."

The flames crackled.

Finally Jason said, "Enceladus? You mentioned that name before."

Coach Hedge whistled. "Big giant. Breathes fire. Not somebody I'd want barbecuing my daddy goat."

Vincent gave him a shut up look. "Piper, go on. What happened next?"

"I—I tried to reach my dad, but all I got was his personal assistant, and she told me not to worry."

"Jane?" Leo remembered. "Didn't Medea say something about controlling her?"

Piper nodded. "To get my dad back, I had to sabotage this quest. I didn't realize it would be the four of us. Then after we started the quest, Enceladus sent me another warning: He told me he wanted you guys dead. He wants me to lead you to a mountain. I don't know exactly which one, but it's in the Bay Area—I could see the Golden Gate Bridge from the summit. I have to be there by noon on the solstice, tomorrow. An exchange."

She ducked her head, shame scrawled on her features. 

Vincent, Leo and Jason shared a look. No matter what happened, they couldn't start doubting each other now. Piper had been through a lot. Just admitting this must have taken courage. She could have stayed quiet and said nothing. But she told them. 

Jason scooted next to her and put his arm around her again. "God, Piper. I'm so sorry."

Leo nodded. "No kidding. You've been carrying this around for a week? Piper, we could help you."

"Kinda makes me want to kick giant butt even more," Vincent frowned, "Or maybe I'm projecting my daddy issues."

She glared at them. "Why don't you yell at me or something? I was ordered to kill you!"

"Aw, come on," Jason said. "You've saved us all on this quest. I'd put my life in your hands any day."

"Same," Vincent said. "Can I have a hug too?"

"You don't get it!" Piper said. "I've probably just killed my dad, telling you this."

"I doubt it." Coach Hedge belched. He was eating his tofu burger folded inside the paper plate, chewing it all like a taco. "Giant hasn't gotten what he wants yet, so he still needs your dad for leverage. He'll wait until the deadline passes, see if you show up. He wants you to divert the quest to this mountain, right?"

Piper nodded uncertainly.

"So that means Hera is being kept somewhere else," Hedge reasoned. "And she has to be saved by the same day. So you have to choose—rescue your dad, or rescue Hera. If you go after Hera, then Enceladus takes care of your dad. Besides, Enceladus would never let you go even if you cooperated. You're obviously one of the eight in the Great Prophecy."