Running~A Leo Valdez Fanfiction

Chapter Four

Leos POV

My feet land hard on the floor and I quickly start speeding down the stairs.

"Leo?!" I hear Piper yell as she, not so awesomely, attempts to jump out the window.

Jason helps her down and tells her that they'll meet her, and Leo, at the bottom.

But by that time I'm practically already at the bottom, just one more turn to make then I'm home free.

Right when I put my foot on the cold, hard concrete the door to the apartment building opens.

The seven, with Sally and the dude comes stumbling out. Damned elevators.

"Leo stop!" I hear Piper shriek once more.

I turn away from all of them and run down my nearest home-- welcoming alleyway.

The problem is I don't know this part of New York.

Where I was yesterday, when I got beat up, I knew that place like I knew the back of people's hands...

Which isn't necessarily a good thing.

Anyway this entire area is all new to me.

"Leo!" I hear someone call about behind me, Hazel I think.

Ignoring her to keep running; making random turns.

Generally people slow down when they make turn but not me, I keep going. And when I go too fast I turn myself at such an angle so when I crash in the wall, it'll only hit my shoulder and I'll keep on running.

Though the others obviously, are slowing down. But I have to stop when I meet a deadend.

Because of course. Why not?

People are chasing me, I want to get away, and then I'll get trapped and they'll find me, right?

Wrong.

Usually in a dead-end, and the back of two buildings back the alley, there is a small, thin space I can squeeze through.

I put my hands on the wall and make my way in between the deadend wall and the side of the left (as in left or right) building.

I press my face against the wall feel the building on my back.

If you are claustrophobic... don't ever do this. Here, your being pressed up by two tall, unmoving walls.

Thank gods unmoving, an earthquake would be horrible right now.

"Leo where the heck did you go?!" I hear someone shout, not far from the small passageway.

I'm almost on the other side.. just... a little bit... more.

Then someone's face comes into view. Nico. With his usual scowl on his face.

He pulls his face back and says to the others,"He's in here."

Suddenly Percys face came into view as well.

"How do we get through. Leo's the only one small enough." Someone says...Frank, possibly.

Annabeths face comes into view now. "Leo don't do this." She sad softly.

"Come back to CHB. To your home. You have a family that cares about you there."

I scoff at her.

Just then Piper did something I never thought she would do.

"Leo stop!" She yells.

She's charmspeaking me. I freeze, mentally cursing Piper with every bad word I know.

I'm almost at the end. I was so close... I just had a few more steps.

Pipers face comes onto view and my eyes flicker to hers, and staying there. "I don't want to do this Leo." She says crying.

Why is she crying I'm the one being forced to come back. She doesn't say anything and I begin to regain control of my body.

Instantly I start talking steps to the side. But as instantly as I moved, Piper quickly charmspeaked me again.

"Stop." She said it with so much power I stopped everything.

My brain stopped think of an exit plan, my feet stopped moving, and I just stared at her with blank eyes.

"Don't move." She says and turns to talk over her shoulder.

"Go to the other alley next to this one. I'll bring him to you."

The next thing I hear is the pounding of feet against the floor.

I want to cry. So badly. I can't believe I have to go back just because Piper has cooler powers than me.

What do my powers do anyways?

Get people killed.

"Okay Leo work with me." Piper says, struggling to keep her voice light.

I try to glare at her, but my face physically won't.

Freaking charmspeak.

"Okay Leo," She says as if I'm in first grade. "Walk backwards slowly. Don't fight anyone."

My feet slowly move against my will.

I hear shuffling behind me and a voice yell,"Okay were here!"

"Okay! Piper calls back, without charmspeak.

Piper, who attention behind me, gives me a few seconds to regain control of myself.

My face scrunches up and my voice is bitter, "I hate you."

Piper looks at me with surprise, but mostly just hurt.

"Stop." Piper says and my mouth instantly closes.

She studies me, as if trying to see if I was serious or not.

I was. I totally was serious. I wish I couldn't do something anything. But Pipers charmspeak is keeping me still.

"Keep walking backwards Leo. Walk right into Jason."

My feet start moving again and can't do anything about it

Being forced to think a certain way or do something you don't want to do, is the worst feeling in the world.

And I've dealt with some pretty bad feelings. That's one of the worst.

And my so called "friend" I'd making me do it.

"Keep walking, that's right....right, into, Jason...."

Soon I feel a hand grab my arm and pull me out of the enclosed space.

Before I can even take another breath, Piper screams."Freeze! Don't move an inch I'm coming over."

Everyone goes still.

I am forced to take calm breaths, when in reality I want to hypervenilate.

Piper comes running towards me. "Sorry guys. Uh, unfreeze! Except Leo. Leo stop moving!"

I stand still once again, and Jason grabs my shoulder.

"Now-" Annabeth starts calmly.

"-What the hell was that?!" Piper shrieks, interrupting.

I open my mouth, but Piper says,"Freeze."

"Why did you leave? Really. The truth."

Mrs. Jackson gently touches Pipers arm and says,"Lets get inside. Where we have privacy and a better conversation area."

"Jason, carry him." Jason grabed me and swung me over his shoulder.

"Already done." He says.

Why me? Why couldn't they attempt to help some other homeless teenager?

I hate them so much, and that's never going to change.