The Forbidden Child

Chapter 15: Time for a Plan, Sort of

Leo POV

Piper, Leo, and Percy were all in Bunker 9 trying to decipher the prophecy. Normally, he liked to keep Bunker 9 for himself but he wanted to be able to roam about while thinking in a comfortable place.

"West... does that mean California?" Piper asked. Leo wished Annabeth was here but was too afraid to ask for her help. That girl was so intimidating sometimes.

Percy sat on top of a table, messing with his sword Riptide. "Sounds like it. But is there a city of revival in California? Maybe New Rome? It's a revival for demigods."

"Maybe we have to make our way to Camp Jupiter. The prophecy said unlikely heroes join hands to protect lands blah blah" Leo said. He kept pacing back and forth because this was the last thing he wanted to do.

Piper grabbed Leo's hand. "Leo, what's up? You're gonna make a dent in the floor at this rate."

"Why us? Why did we have to get chosen for this quest, Beauty Queen? I don't even know what we're looking for." Leo was frustrated. He didn't mean to lash out at his best friend but he couldn't hold it in.

"I understand. We all don't want to do this. But it must be done. At least we're in this together," Piper squeezed his hand as reassurance. Leo smiled, glad to have her by his side.

Percy got up. "Okay so it seems like travelling to California is our answer? We can talk to Annabeth and Rachel later. But seems like there's nothing else to discuss right now. Let's make sure to pack what we need and continue training. We can have another meeting tomorrow."

Piper and Leo were about to agree when Percy noticed something on a worktable. He got up and grabbed the scrolls Leo had been working on. "What are these?" he questioned.

Leo walked over to Percy and sighed. "Honestly, I don't know. I've been getting visions about making these. I don't even know anyone who uses these nowadays."

Piper joined them. She started eyeing the scrolls, books, and quills present. "Did you also make ink for the quill?" she asked Leo.

Leo nodded and walked over to a drawer. He pulled out a small pot of ink. "I made it so that it will not dry out. Pretty useful stuff. I think I added other elements to it but I haven't had time or energy to test it out."

"Let's take one of these on the quest. The prophecy said that words will be put to test. Maybe these will come in handy," Percy said and proceeded to take one of each item. "Do you have extra ink, Leo?"

Leo nodded and handed him the pot they were examining. "Well looks like we got some things figured out. Let's go get some rest. We're gonna need it."

As they were making their way out, Piper hooked her arms through Leo's and rested her head on his shoulder. "We got this, Leo. We're a team. Together we can do anything."

Leo smiled. He was appreciative of her support. But when will this madness end? He missed Calypso, who was away on Mount Olympus to help organize the chaos after the war. He just wanted to relax with his friends.

At that moment, he heard a loud commotion outside the woods, back towards the campgrounds. He heard campers cheer but not in a good way. The three of them looked at each other and ran back.