LABYRINTH ↬ leo valdez x reader, book three

8. WIDE AWAKE

I hate this plan," Frank said.
"I despise it," Hazel said.
"It makes me physically violent." I added.
"Think how I feel," Leo said. "But you know it's our best shot."
None of us argued.
"Let's get back to the ship," Leo finally said after some momentary silence. "We have a healer god to find."

"Oh, that's beautiful.'" I proclaimed as Leo manoeuvred the ship over the ruins of Epidaurus.

The Argo II really wasn't in good shape to fly, but Leo had got her airborne after only one night of work.

We hovered over the ancient temple complex of the healing god Asclepius, where we could hopefully find the physician's cure and maybe also some ambrosia, nectar and Fonzies, because my supplies were running low and I couldn't last a day without a handful of those delicious treats. Ambrosia or Fonzies, they tasted the same at this point.

I sat on the main deck, getting up every few seconds to peer between the railing and see what was beneath us. Leo was doing something on the quarterdeck and next to him, Percy peered over the railing.
"Looks like more rubble," he noted.
His face was still green from his underwater poisoning, but at least he wasn't running to the bathroom to upchuck quite so often. Between him and Hazel's seasickness, there was only so much ginger ale and fresh air to share.

Annabeth pointed to the disc-shaped structure about fifty yards off their port side. "There."
Leo smiled. "Exactly. See, the architect knows her stuff."
The rest of the crew gathered around.
"What are we looking at?" Frank asked.

"Ah, Señor Zhang," Leo said, "you know how you're always saying, "Leo, you are the only true genius among demigods"?"
"I'm pretty sure I never said that."
"Well, turns out there are other true geniuses! Because one of them must have made that work of art down there."
"It's a stone circle," Frank said. "Probably the foundation of an old shrine."

I shook my head, standing up again to get a better look and rejoin the group. "No, it's more than that. Look at the ridges and grooves carved around the rim."
"Like the teeth of a gear," Jason offered.

"And those concentric rings." Hazel pointed to the centre of the structure, where curved stones formed a sort of bull's-eye. "The pattern reminds me of Pasiphaë's pendant: the symbol of the Labyrinth."
"Huh." Leo scowled. "Well, I hadn't thought of that. But think mechanical. Frank, Hazel ... where did we see concentric circles like that before?"

"The laboratory under Rome," Frank said. I winced at the recollection.
"The Archimedes lock on the door," Hazel recalled. "It had rings within rings."
Percy snorted. "You're telling me that's a massive stone lock? It's, like, fifty feet in diameter."

"Leo might be right," Annabeth said. "In ancient times, the temple of Asclepius was like the General Hospital of Greece. Everybody came here for the best healing. Aboveground, it was the size of a major city, but supposedly the real action happened belowground. That's where the high priests had their intensive- care super-magical-type compound, accessed by a secret passage."

Percy scratched his ear. "So, if that big round thing is the lock, how do we get the key?"
"Way ahead of you, Aquaman," Leo said.
"Okay, do not call me Aquaman. That's even worse than water boy."
Leo turned to Jason and Piper, his eyes passing me in acknowledgement. "You guys remember the giant Archimedes grabber arm I told you I was building?"

Jason raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were kidding."
"Oh, my friend, I never kid about giant grabber arms!" Leo rubbed his hands in anticipation. "It's time to go fishing for prizes!"

He opened the hull's forward access vent and extended the arm, guided by the console monitor and Jason, who flew outside, yelling directions.
"Left!" Jason called. "A couple of inches – yeah! Okay, down. Keep it coming. You're good."