DEJA VU || Leo Valdez

seven

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Brooke took Leo on the tour, she had shown him the arts and crafts cabin and the volleyball courts and was currently explaining the sparkly thing that kept grabbing his attention when she was trying to speak earlier.

"And up there is Half-Blood Hill and Thalia's pine tree." Brooke says pointing up toward the tree. "You see that glittery thing on it."

Leo nods. "That's the Golden Fleece. Me, Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson my other 'brother', brought it back when we saved Grover. That was quite the adventure. Thalia, another demigod, daughter of Zeus actually, was in the tree but the Fleece was able to bring her back. So now it just protects the tree and the camp."

"How many mystery brothers do you have?" Leo looks at her.

"Just the two. Promise. Grover's just another friend." Brooke looks at the ground. "I'm sorry."

"For not telling me about your secret brothers and life?"

"No actually for being so rude back on the skywalk. But that too."

"It's fine. I assumed that there was stuff I didn't know." He gives a look of reassurance. "I mean I kept stuff too, I just didn't realize it was this much. Kinda feel like I don't know you at all."

"Well then I think introductions are in order. Hi, Brooke Hart-Jackson. Daughter of Amphitrite and Elijah Hart, granddaughter of Apollo and great granddaughter of Aphrodite, adoptive daughter of Sally Jackson, and sister of Percy Jackson. It's nice to meet you." The girl says putting a hand out to shake causing the boy to chuckle and shake her hand.

"But regardless of all that, you're still my best friend." She links an arm with the boy.

"Great." He smiles. "Now rewind. Did you say there was a girl in a tree but a fleece brought her out?"

"Mhmm."

"How?"

"Magic." she shrugs.

He stares at her for a second to see if she's been serious then nods. "Okay."

She then showed him the cabins, the dining pavilion, and the sword arena.

"Do I get a sword?" Leo asked.

Brooke glances at him. "As much as I don't trust you with sharp objects, yeah. You'll probably make your own though, seeing as how you're in Cabin Nine."

"Yeah, what's up with that? Vulcan?"

"Usually we don't call the gods by their Roman names," The girl explains. "The original names are Greek. Your dad is Hephaestus."

"Festus?" Leo had heard somebody say that before, but he was still dismayed. "Sounds like the god of cowboys."

"He-phaestus," she corrected. "God of blacksmiths and fire."

Leo had heard that too, but he was trying not to think about it. The god of fire ... seriously? Considering what had happened to his mom, that seemed like a sick joke.

"So the flaming hammer over my head," Leo said. "Good thing, or bad thing?"

Brooke took a while to answer. "You were claimed almost immediately. That's usually good."

"But that Rainbow Pony dude, Butch—he mentioned a curse."

"Look, it's nothing. Since Cabin Nine's last head counselor died—"

"Died? Like, painfully?"

Brooke winces reliving bad memories and sad feelings.

"I ought to let your bunkmates tell you about it."