Broken || A Riordan Universe Story

Piper POV~ "Do You Think We're In A Book Or Something?"

     Those creeps just came on screen and gave us a Hunger Games lecture. Leo would be proud of my pop culture reference. I missed him so much, and I could've prevented him from dying. I kept on seeing my failure over and over and over again. What's next in this terror landscape? I couldn't remember what reality felt like anymore.

Gods help me.

I was in a secluded area. There were flower bushes surrounding me. They were too pretty in a place like this. Their vibrant colors blinded me. It was like a beautiful mist covering true evil. As a daughter of Aphrodite the look was familiar. I wanted to reach out and stroke their colorful petals, but a warning tingled in the back of my mind. I stood up. I needed a plan. Something that would help me survive this situation. I wish Annabeth was here with me. She'd know exactly what to do.

I could hear waves crashing against rocks in the distance. Maybe if I walked towards the sea I could find a way off of this wretched place, and get back to my friends. I had hope this time. For some reason that dream-like feeling that captured me for so long was gone. Maybe, I was back in reality. Maybe, just maybe, my nightmare was over.

I started walking through the bushes towards the sea. I was looking at the ground with caution. I didn't want to step into anything poisonous, or dangerous. Winding vines decorated in thorns were splattered all over the ground. My beaten up Nikes looked out of place in this landscape. I let my mind wander, until I heard a sound.

"Son of a mother!" A familiar voice moaned, with a voice crack.

"Show yourself." I stated strongly, putting charmspeak into my voice. Just in case.

"I'm a little busy at the moment Beauty Queen." He sighed.

Wait.

Out of the bushes hopped none other then Leo Valdez. He was cradling his foot in his hands. Leo was grinning his trademark elfish smile.

That can't be possible. I was wrong wasn't I? I'm not in reality. The reality I live in doesn't have Leo Valdez in it.

"How?" I asked, that was all I was able to muster.

"It's a long story." He started, "but I'm alive, and better then ever!"

Leo lowered himself onto a grass patch.

"Is this real?" I asked him.

"Do you think we're in a book or something?" He grinned.

"I watched you die Leo." I whispered, tears started to form in my eyes. "Over and over and over again, and it was all my fault."

"It's not your fault Piper. I should've told you guys my plan." He sighed. "I'm sorry I let you believe I was dead."

I knelt down in front of him.

And I slapped him hard across the face.

"You better be Valdez." I stated, glaring at him.

"Ouch." He brought his hand to his cheek. "I'm an injured soldier."

"You'll be more then that if you do that again." I threatened.

Then I pulled him into a hug.

"I missed you Leo." I cried.

"I missed you too Piper." He hugged me back.

I pulled away and looked at his foot. Stuck in his shoe's sole was a red thorn.

"That doesn't look good." I grimaced. "Does it hurt?"

"I can barely feel it." He painfully grinned.

"You're lying. Your shoes suck at their job." I stated. "You're a true idiot Leo Valdez."

"Thanks, I get that a lot." He bowed his head.

I laughed. I looked around and located a long, thin, green leaf on the grass floor. I walked over to pick it up. It looked safe enough to touch.

"Try to take off your shoe." I called out to Leo.

"Gods help me." He prayed, as he yanked off his shoe. "Ow!"

I wrapped the leaf around his injured foot. I fastened the end of it to the rest of the leaf with a little bit of tree sap I found. Hopefully the blood would clot soon.

"That should do it." I said.

"Thanks." He smiled at me.

"No problem." I smiled back. "Grab your shoe, we should get going."

"Yeah, let's find the others." He suggested.

"Others?" I questioned.

"We're not the only ones here." He replied.

"You have a lot of explaining to do." I looked pointedly at Leo.

He put an arm around my shoulder. We slowly started to move towards the sea.

"Yup." He sighed.