Better As A Team (Heroes of Olympus/Lorien Legacies Crossover Fanfic)

Chapter 6

Max's POV:

I wake up in the morning, the sun shining brightly through the window, and the first thought that flashes through my head is, 'Today's the day'.

Today's the day the seven demigods and I go on this dangerous quest everyone's talking about. Percy said that everyone was okay with me joining them, but I'm not exactly sure. What if I bother them? What if I make them lose their focus?

I put these thoughts to the back of my head. I've grown good at doing that. I can't let thoughts like these bother me. I won't bother the seven, I'll help them, so they can help me.

But the problem is, if they're going to help me on my quest, won't they have to know why I'm on it and what it's for? I'll have to explain everything to them, which won't be fun. I bet they won't believe a word I say, starting with 'I'm from another planet called Lorien that has life on it.'

I push these thoughts to the back of my head again. I'll think about that when I have to.

I grab my backpack Percy lent me full of clothes, which is just jeans and orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirts and I get ready, eat a small breakfast, and find Percy in the Poseidon cabin. He's talking to Annabeth about something. I don't dare eavesdrop, but it's hard not to with my enhanced hearing.

"Percy. Ready to go?" I ask him. He and Annabeth look at me and smile.

"Yeah," Percy breathes. Annabeth nods her head yes. We all head to the lake, where a huge warship designed by Leo stands, a bronze dragon head hanging on it. Piper told me that the dragon, Festus, used to be a whole bronze dragon until an incident she didn't want to describe for some reason in Omaha, Nebraska.

I inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. I don't know what to think as I board the ship, the Argo ll, Leo named it. I got to give him credit, he's really good.

I board the Argo ll, ready to change my life forever. Again. After what seems like hours, I feel the ship lift off the ground. I'm used to this feeling, I've been flying on planes many times, I just never had this much space before. I don't plan on using too much of it. And I've also never been on a flying warship before. I've been a spaceship, though, and that's pretty freaking cool.

After the ship is sailing to wherever, Leo gives me a tour of the ship. There are cabins for everyone and the basic rooms for a regular ship. Leo apologizes that he wasn't able to get me a bed, but I tell him to forget about it, he didn't know I was coming. It was a last-minute change.

For some reason, Percy's room smells like sea water. I don't know how Leo got that to happen. He must be a miracle worker. Can he make me a miracle that can fix my life? That'd be great. After the tour, I just hang in Percy's room while the others discuss things in the mess hall. I realize that Leo isn't there when I enter it, he must be in his room. I did hear clanking as I was passing it.

"Max, I need to ask you something. Come sit." Percy waves me over and pats an empty seat next to him. I sit down next to him.

"Alright, so you said you had a quest to complete last night. What's that quest you have to do?" Percy asks.

I was hoping that would wait until the end of this quest, but, no such luck, I guess.

"Um, I have to find someone. Eight others, actually. They're going to help me with something, and you guys don't know about it. It's something only us nine know." I explain. I hope they don't ask what that thing they're going to help me do is. 'Kill an alien leader named Setrákus Ra and his evil army of Mogadorians?'. No, they would never believe me. They'd think I'm crazy and throw me overboard.

Annabeth must notice my nervousness cause she quickly changes the subject. "So, do we have everyone here?"

"Leo's not here," Piper points out. Annabeth nods her head in agreement.

"Max, can you call Leo over here?" Annabeth asks me.

"Sure," I reply, getting up from my seat, walking away and stopping in front of Leo's door. I hear more things, like clanking and moving around, and then it all stops. I knock on the door when it's quiet.

"Leo, the others want you in the mess hall," I call out to him. There's just silence. I try the doorknob, but it's locked.

"Leo?" I try again. This time is different. This time I get an answer, but I flinch as I realize there was obvious concern in my voice. I have to learn to hide my emotions when I talk.

"Yeah?" He calls back.

"The others want you in the mess hall," I repeat. I listen closely, even though I don't have to. I hear Leo get up from a chair, grab something with a small 'clink,' unlock the door, and open it. We're face-to-face again.

"Oh, um, hi Max." Leo chuckles nervously as he scratches the back of his head.

"Hi," I respond.

"Uh, here, turn around. I want to do something," Leo orders. I look at him, confused.

"Don't worry, I won't stab you or anything. Just turn around," Leo repeats. I roll my eyes, chuckling, and turn around as he said.

I don't hear anything, I feel something. Something cold yet warm at the same time being placed around my neck. I realize it's the object that's cold, it's Leo's hands that are warm.

When he's done, I take a look at the necklace he clipped around my neck. It's completely blue, and in the very middle is a perfect blue trident dangling there lifelessly, yet it's giving the necklace life.

I don't love it only because it's beautiful and cause Leo gave it to me, I also love it because it reminds me of my pendant that was stolen from me.

This will be my new treasured pendant, and I'll make sure no one takes it this time.

I look at Leo, and we're both smiling.

"Thanks, Leo," I say, and give him a hug. He hugs back, filling my body up with fiery warmth that I don't feel even on the best days of summer.

This is a moment I won't forget, and that's a fact.

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