𝕱𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖑𝖞 𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖊 - a Leo Valdez slowburn

Chapter ten

Chapter ten. 

[Hazel is actually not a cinnamon roll???]

"When you hit rock bottom, 

just look up."

"Hey, didn't we bury that guy a month ago?"

Lin looked over at Chris, who was pointing at someone outside. They raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, we buried them?" Chris's confused expression didn't fade. "As in, he died and we buried him. A descendant of St. Elijah like us, but his mom was Venus, his name was Al." Lin's eyebrows shot up. "You mean the guy who had a heart attack? He's walking around?" Chris let out a confused sound and Lin looked at where he was pointing. "See for yourself."

Lin blinked confusedly, then rubbed their eyes. "That can't be..." they said to themselves. Then they turned to Chris. "We have to check if it's him, Chrissie!" He sighed. "Whatever. I was hoping for a relaxing afternoon, but I guess dead people being resurrected are probably also important." Leah chuckled nervously, and they opened a door that led to a balcony, a zipline appearing on it. It led down to the ground, right where Al was standing. 

They landed graciously next to the poor guy, and Chris followed them soon after. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. "Is that you, Al?" The guy in question laughed. "What, do I have an evil doppelganger? Of course it's me!" Lin blinked stupidly. "But you're... But you're dead." They glanced at Chris worriedly. What the hell?

Chris directed his attention at Al again, catching the way Lin shifted uncomfortably on their feet. "What they mean is that you had a heart attack, remember?" Al nodded innocently. "Yeah, and I came back. What is it with you people?" "That was a month ago," Lin deadpanned. "You were dead. We buried you." They frowned. "This shouldn't be possible." They shared a look with Chris, and all at once they understood what the other was thinking, but Al just stood there.

"So what did I miss?"

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"So what you're telling me is that this guy, who has been buried and has a grave, is walking in this camp right now," Leah summed up. Lin and Chris both nodded. "His name is Al, he had a heart attack," Lin explained further. "His pulse wasn't there. He stopped breathing." Leah frowned. "That's really weird," she said. "Like, demigods-don't-get-this-in-their-normal-weird-lives weird," she repeated. "And you're sure he isn't anyone different?" 

Chris hummed. "Nope," he said. "He is completely convinced that he is Al, and the worst part is that he's right. Has the same DNA, same eyes, same hair, hell, even his blood pressure is the same!" Leah blinked tiredly. "You're not hallucinating, are you?" she asked skeptically. "Y'know what? I should ask someone at Camp. You think they're experiencing this too?" Lin shrugged. "Could be. I don't think we did something. Besides, Al is of Roman descent. I wouldn't be surprised." 

"Anything else weird you have to tell me?" Leah asked them, leaning back. Lin shook their head. "Nothing. Just a dead man walking." Leah closed her eyes lazily and grinned. "Yeah, I'll ask Annabeth. Maybe I can even contact Camp Jupiter. We have people from there, don't we? I'm sure there was a Latin teacher..."

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Percy was starting to remember. 

Based on the fact that things kept popping up in his mind, names and faces floating around in his thoughts, he was pretty sure he was remembering. He wasn't Roman, he knew that. And there were people looking for him. A satyr, and a cyclops? And Annabeth. He had to find her again. Just after this quest.