Different (Leo Valdez X Male OC)

Chapter 3

This world just ends up getting stranger the more I'm around it. Leo forgot to mention that Argus was covered in actual eyes, like even on his hands. Which is why he was in charge of security, and I bet nobody ever snuck up on him. The drive to my shitty apartment was nerve wracking, I just hoped Maria was alright and that I hadn't been gone that long. She's all I have left.

The car weaved through afternoon traffic as I gave directions. Leo sat beside me, with a massive hammer in his hands. Which he pulled out of his tool belt.

"How the heck did that fit in there?" I asked rubbing my eyes to make sure I saw correctly, my eyes always played tricks on me. Although now I'm starting to believe they weren't tricks.

"The tool belt is magic. A gift from my dad Hephaestus, he's the god of forges. So anything forge related, like weapons and what not," he explained setting the hammer beside him.

"And why do you need that if we're just getting my sister?" He looked at me dumbfounded by the question that left my lips.

"I don't know handsome, maybe because we left camp, a place were kids like us are safe and now every monster in the tri-state area can smell us from states away," he retorted raising his hands for better effect. Just as Argus parked the van in front of my building.

"Of course out of all the places you had to live in Brooklyn," Leo mumbled hopping out of the van, hammer in hand.

"What's wrong with Brooklyn?" I asked punching in the code for the door. It opened and we rushed up to the third floor, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

"It's where those from Egyptian mythology live, while we stay in Manhattan and the Romans stay in San Francisco," he replied peeking around a corner, being careful. However I didn't have time to be careful.

I rushed toward the apartment door, signing in relief that it was unlocked. Inside was just as I left it. Nothing out of place. Walking into my room my heart rate decreased as I saw her sleeping peacefully in her crib, however the door opening caused her to stir. Her blue eyes lit up as she saw me standing before her. Her golden hair fanned out around her head like a halo of curls.

"Den den," she cooed flailing her arms towards me, and I smiled bending down to pick her up.

"Morning princess," I said hugging her close to me. Then began changing her, I put her into a flowery dress with leggings underneath. After brushing out her hair, I put it in pig tails then began packing our things. Sad we couldn't stay here no longer.

"The mist probably protected her, or you dad seeing as he's definitely hers too," Leo spoke for the first time sense entering, grabbing on of the duffle bags I'd packed.

"My Dad died when I was young so I grew up with just my mom. I'd always thought she got pregnant with Maria through a donor. However she died in child birth. I always thought it strange I was allowed to look after her, as I was 14 at the time, I dropped out of school to care for her," I replied wishing I knew what was going on.

"It sounds like Apollo pulled things to keep you out of the foster system. Wish my dad had done that for me," Leo said a hint of sadness in his voice, which made me place a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," I state not knowing what came over me. Like I just met this guy today and was already comforting him as if I knew him my whole life.

"Thanks amigo," he replied with a tiny smile. "Let's get out of here before monsters show up. Three demigods in one place is suicide," and with that we left the building. I'm glad Maria was alright.

~~~
As soon as we arrived back at the camp, someone told us to meet up with Chiron in the big house. That's the horse man's name, and I just learned that he's the one to actually start this camp, eons ago with my dad. Crazy, I know.

As we entered there were people gathered around a ping pong table, eating various snacks. Some of the campers I recognized from when I awoke on the beach. Like Will, who I guess is now my brother. They all gave me strange looks at seeing Maria in my arms, she was snuggled into my shoulder. Her curious eyes taking everything in.

"Well I'm glad your sweet sister is alright Kayden, the gods must be with her. Although since I haven't had to give her special permission, to enter, it seems she's Apollo's child as well. It's very rare for god's to have more than one child with a mortal," Chiron says motioning us to sit in the two remaining seats.

It was then I noticed that he looked like an ordinary man in a wheelchair. A blanket covered his legs, like he was cold. But my only thought was 'where did the horse half of him go?'

"Yeah I stated that awhile ago, I mean she looks like all of Apollo's children," Leo states tinkering with something, which he seemed to pull out of nowhere. The various parts became many things, from a tiny mechanical dragon that actually flew and breathed fire, to a boat that flew and then lastly a mechanical butterfly that flew around Maria.

"Bug bug bug!" She exclaimed as it landed on her finger, gently flapping it's tiny wings. The design was beautiful with intricate patterns throughout the structure of the wings. Everyone smiled at her before the butterfly went back to Leo who dismantled it in a few seconds. What a beautiful talent.

"Alright let us discuss what Miss Rachel prophesied. I've decided to let Leo and Kayden go along with Will and Nico. Jason will be expecting them at Camp Jupiter in two days so use today to prepare for departure after breakfast tomorrow," Chiron says getting the bases for a plan going.

"I can't leave my sister," I replied scare about how terrible my life was turning out to be. "She's all I have," I pleaded as Maria played with the necklace around my neck. It was our mother's wedding ring.

"I can promise you that she'll be well looked after, Meg will get along nicely with her and some of the older camps would happily watch over her," Chiron reassured which made me feel slightly better.

"But I've never even been here that long, why send me. I'll mess up," I admit, not use to this world seeing as it's been hours since coming here. I'm definitely not prepared for what is too come.

"Don't sweat it, your battle reflexes will kick in. If I can save the world at 12 with hardly any training then you can too," a tall boy with the bluest eyes and disheveled black hair chimed in. He was sitting next to the blonde girl from the beach. The one with grey eyes.

"See Percy's very optimistic when he wants to be. Plus the rest of use are trained and Will makes a wicked glow stick," Leo says nudging my shoulder, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Is he ever serious?" I wondered looking around at everyone, they all laughed shaking their heads. "Right," I sighed watching as Maria pulled at the ring once more. So I took it off the chain, which I never did and handed it to her. Eyes widening when it turned into a bow with moons on it.

"Isn't that one of the hunteress's bows? Artemis's archers usually have them," Will asked look at the bow in wonder.

"It's truely a work of art is it not. But yes my sweet child it is a hunteress's bow. It belonged to Kayden's mom, and will be passed onto my sweet Maria when she's of age," a voice says from behind me, causing me to jump. Behind me was a teenage boy who resembled me which was scary.

I'm not sure how I knew, but standing behind me was my father...