𝙼𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚒𝚊 (𝙇𝙚𝙤 𝙑𝙖𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙯 𝙓 𝙊𝙘)

τριάντα ένα

**********

Leo wished he wasn't so good.

Really, sometimes it was just embarrassing. If he hadn't had such an eye for mechanical stuff, they might never have found the secret chute, gotten lost in the underground, and been attacked by metal dudes. But he just couldn't help himself.

Part of it was Hazel's fault. For a girl with super underground senses, she wasn't much good in Rome. She kept leading them around and around the city, getting dizzy, and doubling back.

"Sorry," she said. "It's just...there's so much underground here, so many layers, it's overwhelming. Like standing in the middle of an orchestra and trying to concentrate on a single instrument. I'm going deaf."

As a result, they got a tour of Rome. Frank seemed happy to plod along like a big sheepdog (hmm, Leo wondered if he could turn into one of those, or even better: a horse that Leo could ride). But Leo started to get impatient. His feet were sore, the day was sunny and hot, and the streets were choked with tourists.

Elena, who had been looking around in cute wide eyed excitement, was beginning to get irritated. Her eyes had grown sharpish and was beginning to answer in shorter and shorter sentences. Despite this, she hadn't snapped at anyone, instead her smile had grown wider and wider every time they asked her a question. Even Ere wasn't exempt from the sour mood, the babbling baby was now frowning as much as his baby feature would allow and every time Leo tried to make him smile, Ere would fuss and bury himself in Elena's shirt.

The Forum was okay, but it was mostly ruins overgrown with bushes and trees. It took a lot of imagination to see it as the bustling centre of Ancient Rome. Leo could only manage it because he'd seen New Rome in California.

They passed big churches, freestanding arches, clothing stores, and fast-food restaurants. One statue of some Ancient Roman dude seemed to be pointing to a nearby McDonald's.

On the wider streets, the car traffic was absolutely nuts—man, Leo thought people in Houston drove crazy—but they spent most of their time weaving through small alleys, coming across fountains and little cafés where Leo was not allowed to rest.

"I never thought I'd get to see Rome," Hazel said. "When I was alive, I mean the first time, Mussolini was in charge. We were at war."

"Mussolini?" Leo frowned. "Wasn't he like BFFs with Hitler?"

Hazel stared at him like he was an alien. "BFFs?"

"Never mind."

"I'd love to see the Trevi Fountain," she said.

"There's a fountain on every block," Leo grumbled.

"Or the Spanish Steps," Hazel said.

"Why would you come to Italy to see Spanish steps?" Leo asked. "That's like going to China for Mexican food, isn't it?"

"You're hopeless," Hazel complained.

"So I've been told."

She turned to Frank and grabbed his hand, as if Leo had ceased to exist. "Come on. I think we should go this way."

An idea popped into Leo's head, "How about we split up? Me, Ere and Ellie will go this way and you guys go that way." He pointed towards a random path. Elena nodded in agreement.

"Fine with me," Frank agreed. Perhaps he wanted alone time with his girl too. The two walked off.

"Oh thank gods." Elena sighed out sitting on a chair at the Cafe they'd disappeared into, "I was getting dizzy."