CHAPTER EIGHT:
ATONEMENT

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OUT OF ALL THE ways a monster like Kit Dempsey could die, falling hundreds of feet through the air off the back of a giant malfunctioning dragon was not the way he thought he would go. At some point after Jason and Piper fell asleep, Kit had followed. What seemed like mere seconds passed by, and the next time he opened his eyes, Festus the dragon was shuddering to a stop, letting out one final wheeze before the four demigods dropped like weighted bricks. Somewhere to his right, Leo's scream was careening up to the stars, worsening the ringing that echoed in Kit's disorientated ears.

"Not cool," he managed to make out, the final syllable dragged out as the wind took hold of him.

Kit was afraid, and for once, he couldn't hide it. Fear crawled across his face as his mouth tore open in a scream that rivalled Leo's. The ground got closer and closer, the Underworld seeming to open up below him, a sneak preview into the torture that awaited Kit Dempsey. He'd crash through the cement, one almighty blow that shattered his bones and smeared blood and brain through the dirt. The only grave someone like him would get was a shallow one, a mere afterthought for a boy who would spend the rest of his life repaying an endless list of sins.

Above him, he heard Piper and Jason screaming. He couldn't make out what they were saying at first, but the answer came to him in the slam of two bodies against his taunt back. Kit screamed again, a fierce hand wrapped around Jason's neck in warning. The blonde boy just huffed, face red from the strain of holding up not just one person, but two. And if they got there in time, a third would be added on.

"Can you stop struggling?" Jason snapped as Kit's legs flailed around, failing to steady out when he knew just what domain he was in. He was surprised Zeus hadn't taken this as an opportunity to scald him with a good lightning bolt, his son's presence be damned. "I'm trying to help you here."

"Why?"

"Is this really the time to be fighting?" Piper retorted before Jason could reply. She had her arms wrapped around his waist like the classic damsel in distress saved by the resident hero. Kit simply rolled his eyes at her, but bit his tongue as they collided with a cursing Leo.

"Stop fighting," Jason repeated then, frustration boiling over. "Leo, it's me!"

With one arm around Piper's waist and the other trying to keep up both Kit and Leo, Kit had no choice but to grip onto the other boy for himself, Leo's trembling arms circling his waist and clinging on tight. The group were way too close for comfort, but Jason had managed to slow their fall -- or, at least, he had for the moment. Kit was seriously doubting the extent of the blonde boy's strength.

"My dragon," Leo wailed as the group hovered awkwardly. "You've gotta save Festus."

"Are you crazy, Valdez?" Kit scoffed. "Fuck Festus! There's no saving him!"

But Leo wasn't having it. He started struggling again, the toe of his shoe kicking Kit hard in the shin and sending a stabbing ache up his leg. Kit contemplated letting him go so he could crash and burn with the bloody dragon, but after a knowing glower from Jason, he sighed and yanked the boy back towards him, his fingers burrowing into the sleeves of his army jacket.

"Leo, just stop," he grumbled. Below them, fire raged as Festus crashed through the roof of a warehouse complex, the air sizzling with red hot embers. "He's gone, man."

"No," Leo sobbed, tear tracks cutting through the dirt on his skin. "Festus, come back..."

He turned to Kit then, burying his face into the boy's neck despite the boy's obviously affronted expression. At their close proximity, Jason managed to fit his arm around them both properly, but they were already beginning to drop again. Kit's stomach swooped with the bouncing motion, vision doubling. They were still too high. If Jason was to give out now, they'd splatter across the floor just like Kit envisioned.

"Jason--"

The boy cut him off with an apologetic groan. "I can't--"

And with one last horrified scream, they dropped like stones.

Before Kit could really comprehend it, he was falling feet first through a sheet of solid metal, an unbearable agony settling in his bones. Everything went black, his heart hammering then beginning to slow as Kit Dempsey toed the line between death and the land of the living. He fell a few more stories, accompanied by the terrified yelps of the others, then collided one last time with a surface that knocked his final breaths from his lungs.

Everything was a blur. His surroundings, himself. For a second, Kit thought he was on The Princess Andromeda, the water rocking the boat from side-to-side. A blonde-haired figure towered above him, brows pulled into a concerned frown. Kit's arm raised towards his face, fingers hovering inches away from the stress lines that marred his forehead.

"Luke?" he breathed out, and there was so much sadness that Jason Grace felt himself freeze. "It's you..."

But it wasn't, and Jason had no choice but to disappoint him as he shook his shoulders impatiently. "Kit, man, you've gotta get up."

"Luke, I'm sorry."

"Kit--"

"I should've done something..."

Jason was surprised to find tears clouding Kit's dazed eyes. He looked to Leo with evident confusion, but Leo just shrugged, his presence entirely lost as Kit's pained gaze focused on the blonde shadow of Jason's hair. With a sigh, the boy turned back to him, one hand slapping the side of Kit's face as he said, "Kit, it's Jason."

And just like that, everything sharpened into focus, like the unblurred lens of a camera. The pointed features of Luke Castellan's face morphed into the hard lines of Jason Grace's jaw, the blue of his eyes changing. Kit finally noticed Leo, and the awkward and -- dare he say it... sympathetic... wave the boy sent him had Kit sitting up with a gasp.

"What are you doing?" he exclaimed, hurriedly wiping at the damp skin beneath his eyes. Jason and Leo shared a look, the former's hand still settled on his shoulder. Kit was quick to push it away. "Get away from me!"

"Man, you were out of it," Leo defended with a frown. "Kept calling Jason Luke--"

"Don't," Kit snapped. "Say his name."

"Okay, okay," Leo sighed in surrender. "But can you get up? We have to find Piper."

Everything just hurt, from his back to the balls of his feet. Each breath felt like a knife had been stabbed between the crevices of his ribcage, and his whole head seemed to spin as he forced himself to follow the shouting boys through the weaving levels of what looked to be a mechanic's warehouse. Finally, after a few minutes of searching, they found Piper laid out on the metal catwalk that ringed the warehouse interior. The boys had to take a flight of stairs up to help her, and each upward movement took every bit of Kit's strength. It didn't help that Leo kept looking back at him sceptically, Luke's name echoing over and over in his brain like demons of Hades' domain were whispering in each of his ears.

"How could you be so stupid?" he murmured to himself. Now they'd keep asking questions, and Kit couldn't afford that.

Fortunately, with their focus entirely on Piper's pale face and the abnormal angle of her foot, he was allowed a moment of weakness. A singular tear trailed down his face, silenced by the firm purse of his lips before he stood back up to full height and forced his face into cool indifference. They needed to get out of there. Gods only knew what waited for them on the ground.

"Leo, you got any first aid supplies?" Jason was in the middle of asking when Kit dropped down at his side.

"Uh... yeah, sure," Leo stammered, nervous eyes darting from Kit's eerily blank face to the seemingly empty tool belt that hung loosely around his hips. But as he'd proven back at Boreas' place, the tool belt was anything but normal. He produced some duct tape and a roll of gauze with a proud smile, Jason and Piper gaping at him in shock.

"How did you--" Piper cut herself off with a wince, a sheen of sweat beading on her forehead as she looked anywhere but at her injury. "How did you pull that stuff from an empty belt?"

"Magic," Leo snickered. "I haven't figured it out completely, but I can summon just about any regular tool out of the pockets, plus some other helpful stuff." Kit rolled his eyes as Leo offered them a tiny metallic green tin. "Breath mint?"

Jason snatched away the mints with a scowl. "That's great, Leo. Now, can you fix her foot?"

Leo sighed. "I'm a mechanic, man. Maybe if she was a car..." Realisation dawned on his face, prompting him to turn to Kit expectantly. "I know! How about that stuff you guys had back at Camp? Rambo food? You got any of that?"

"Rambo food?" Kit repeated incredulously. "Seriously?"

"It's ambrosia, dummy," Piper sighed when Leo just shrugged at him. "There should be some in my bag if it isn't crushed."

"Don't worry, I've got some," Kit offered, much to the surprise of the other three. They watched in disbelief as Kit shrugged his own bag off his pack, rummaging through the sections until he found a container with several pieces of crushed lemon bars inside. With the care of someone that Kit Dempsey could never really be again, he fed the piece to Piper, who smiled at him like she was finally seeing him in a new light.

"More," she requested after a moment, eyes glazed.

"If I give you any more, you'll die," Kit deadpanned, to which her frown returned.

Jason sighed and squeezed her hand. "I hate to say it, but Kit's right, Piper. We shouldn't risk it. They said too much could burn you up."

"Literally," Kit added unhelpfully.

Jason scowled at him, but did his best to smile for Piper when she whimpered. "I think I should try to set your foot," he told her.

"Have you ever done that before?" Kit rolled his eyes at the giddy look on her face. Gods, there was rarely ever a time for romance, but lying on the dingy floor of a warehouse covered in cuts and bruises definitely wasn't it. His disgust was evidently shared by Leo, who looked at him with a wrinkled nose, the two shaking their heads at the oblivious pair before them.

"Yeah... I think so," Jason was saying, eyes lingering on Piper's.

It took them a minute, but Leo eventually found an old piece of wood on the ground floor and broke it in two. He passed one side to a focused Jason, kneeling down beside Kit as he handed over the waiting gauze and duct tape.

"Hold her leg still," Jason told them, but only Leo moved forward to assist him. Kit watched on in interest, surprised to see the familiarity that crossed over Jason's expression. In whatever life he'd lead before this, fixing up injuries was the norm. The way he held Piper's ankle steady, biting off a piece of tape, spoke of experience that even Kit didn't have. As much as he hated it, he found it rather impressive. "Piper, this is going to hurt, okay? Since he doesn't want to help, maybe you can hold Kit's hand."

Piper looked to him hopefully, causing Kit to sigh and reluctantly lace his fingers with hers. Jason grinned devilishly before looking back at her ankle. In a blink, the pressure on Kit's hand was increasing by tenfold, causing his eyes to widen. With her other fist, Piper lashed out and punched Leo in the arm, prompting the boy to almost yell as much as she did. It got so bad that Kit forcefully yanked his hand away, massaging his red palm and grumbling to himself.

"Are you sure you're not a child of Ares?" he asked once Jason was finished and the girl was finally silent. When Piper shook her head, he added, "Well, you sure do punch like one."

"No kidding," Leo piped up, pouting. "I'm glad my face wasn't there, Beauty Queen, you would've messed me up."

"Don't call me Beauty Queen, or I'll punch you again," she snapped, her hand forming a fist to show she wasn't kidding.

"Do it," Kit egged her on with a smirk. "Aim for the nose."

"Kit," Leo gaped at him. "You're a horrible influence."

"You're only just figuring that out?"

"Anyways," Piper cut in pointedly. With Jason's assistance, she managed to sit up, her back leaned up against the metal gate that surrounded the edge of the catwalk. "Do we know what happened to the dragon? Or where we are?"

Any amusement on Leo's face bloomed into sadness. For a second, he'd forgotten about Festus, but Piper's reminder was like pouring salt into an open wound. His eyes watered as he said, "I don't know with Festus. He just jerked sideways like he hit an invisible wall and started to fall. And as far as where we are..."

For the first time since he regained consciousness, Kit spotted the logo that loomed above them on the wall. A singular red eye with the words 'Monocle Motors, Assembly Plant One' printed across it peered down at them, like Hades himself assessing them on judgement day. It struck Kit as familiar, too familiar, but the answer wouldn't quite come. He knew what that eye meant, and boy did it fill him with wariness.

"Well, that's not creepy at all," he murmured, but his words were drowned out by Leo.

"It's a closed car plant," he said, obviously thinking nothing of it. "I'm guessing we crash-landed in Detroit."

Piper frowned at him. "And how far is that from Chicago?"

Jason let out a sigh. "Maybe three-fourths of the way from Quebec? The thing is, without the dragon, we're stuck travelling overland."

"No way," Kit and Leo immediately protested in unison. The two just looked at each other for a moment, Kit with a glower and Leo smirking like he was just itching to say jinx, but he seemingly thought better of it and instead said, "It isn't safe!"

Jason went to retort, but was interrupted by Piper. "No, they're right. Besides, I don't know if I can walk. And four people... Jason, you can't fly that many across the country on your own. We'd never make it in time."

Jason sighed again, though he knew she was right. "Leo, are you sure the dragon didn't malfunction? I mean, Festus is old, and--"

"And I might not have repaired him right?"

Kit was surprised to hear genuine anger in his voice. However, just as quickly as it came, it faded into disappointment, like Leo was waiting for the other boy to scold him for letting them down. Kit was even more shocked to find that he hated it, wanted to snap at Jason for his thoughtlessness. He didn't, though. He just watched on impassively as Jason rushed to defend himself against Leo's expectant stare.

"I didn't say that," he protested. "It's just... maybe you could fix it?"

"I don't know," Leo mumbled. "I'd have to find where he landed, if he's even in one piece."

"We can help you," Kit offered, just wanting to see light return to Leo's eyes again. It was weird when he was depressed, like the routine had been thrown out of whack. "Just follow the smell of burning dragon and you'll be good to go."

Leo glared at him, but at least he was bright again. "Kit, that's not helpful at--"

"It's my fault," Piper cut in, three pairs of eyes snapping to her in disbelief.

"Piper, you were asleep when Festus conked out," Jason pointed out. "It couldn't be your fault." Suddenly, Kit had the distinct feeling he was being singled out. The blonde boy looked up at him with a raised brow, like he was waiting for Kit to drop to his knees and confess his deepest, darkest thoughts. But this wasn't his time for atonement, and Kit Dempsey would never look to someone like Jason Grace as his God.

"You have something to say, Jason?"

Piper sighed at the two of them. "Guys, come on--"

"I'm not accusing you of anything," Jason started, to which Kit just laughed. "Hey, I'm just trying to figure out how this happened!"

"You're so quick to rule out Piper but not me?" Kit chuckled. It was an empty, harrowing kind of sound. "I was asleep too, Grace. Sorry to disappoint, but I didn't miraculously tamper with Valdez' child. I was too busy with my nightmares."

"Leo, is this true?"

Kit laughed again, jaw visibly clenching. Leo quickly cut in before he could reach out and close his fists around Jason's throat, and this time, he wouldn't let go. "It is. So let's stop accusing each other, please? It doesn't change anything."

"You're right," Jason muttered, at least having the decency to look ashamed of himself. "I'm sorry, Kit..."

Kit just shrugged, neither accepting or denying it. Instead, he stood up, dusting dirt off the knees of his jeans as he turned to Leo. "Let's go find your dragon, man."

"Kit--"

"Don't even try and argue with me," he cut him off. "I need air."

"And there isn't air inside?" he raised an eyebrow at him.

Kit corrected himself with an all-too condescending smile. "Air that I don't have to share with Superman here."

Before Jason could even think to defend himself, Leo was stepping between them, doing his best to placate the blonde boy as he pushed him gently back down beside Piper. "Look, Jason, why don't you stay here with her? Kit and I can scout around for Festus. I think he fell outside the warehouse somewhere. If I can find him, maybe I can figure out what happened and fix him."

"It's too dangerous," he protested. "You shouldn't go by yourself."

"I won't be by myself. I've got muscles here," Leo said, then pointed to Kit, who's arms flexed at the perfect time as he crossed them over his chest impatiently. Leo followed the movement then quickly turned to grin at Jason. "Just don't run off without us, okay?"

"Okay," he sighed, though he definitely didn't seem happy about it.

And so the group separated. Kit followed Leo back downstairs to the ground level, head bowed to the glare of the flashlight he had pulled out of his belt, sending Jason one last glare as he went. Luke Castellan smiled back at him using features that weren't his own, but Kit refused to let another tear fall for the lost boy. Instead, he pushed ahead as he always did, just with Leo Valdez at his side this time. Maybe it wouldn't hurt quite as bad, when he wasn't alone...