Save Me From Myself (Leo Valdez)

1

Leo Valdez was on the edge of death.

He looked like his insides had been turned out-he was covered in red. Red, red. Leo loved the color. He loved the metallic taste of blood on his fingers.

He also loved the fact that he could focus on something other than the pain.

The pain was always following him everywhere, like an annoying best friend that you can't say no to because that would get some hurt feelings. But pain was the hurt feelings. He couldn't even think straight when pain was around. And pain was around a lot.

It wasn't that Leo hated himself. Pain did.

So pain made Leo hate himself.

Now the fact that pain made Leo hate himself, Leo was led to a last resort.

Promise me that you won't ever use your fire again, Leo.

Okie, Mami!

The pain gave Leo all kinds of flashbacks.

His mom.

The promise.

When he broke the promise.

And the obvious consequences.

Leo sort of found it weird that if he had made one different decision, then he wouldn't be here right now, his flesh covered with blood, cuts everywhere... The word FREAK wouldn't be written on his back...

His mom wouldn't have died.

Leo tried to get up, but he felt dizzy. It took a few minutes to realize why, and then a few more to realize that someone was calling out for him.

Uh-oh, Leo thought. Whoever it is has to go to the Underworld to talk to me.

Because Leo Valdez was dying.

In a pool of his own blood.

And oh, wow, Leo had been waiting for this moment. When he would finally earn up the courage to say goodbye to Calypso and his "friends" that probably didn't care about him.

Ever since Leo had met Gaea on that fateful day, he had felt... Unwhole. Like his soul was dead but his body was alive.

Now he was going to reunite both.

And Leo would finally.

Finally.

Be whole.