Just Keep Moving (Leo Valdez x reader)

Chapter 1

Your POV

The forest was painted blood red in the evening light as I trudged determinedly through the woods. "Just keep moving." I mumbled quietly to myself. I had been on the run for four years now and I still have vivid nightmares of the day I had to leave everything I knew behind.

"Mom! I'm home!" I shouted happily. There was no response. I walked into the kitchen where I saw a cake on the table. It read Happy 10th Birthday Y/N! "Mom? Where are you?" I shouted. A horrible shriek was suddenly let loose making me jump in surprise and then bolt towards the sound. Then I saw her. She was cornered by a massive black dog with blazing red eyes. It whipped around and let out a glass shattering howl. "Y/N! Go grab your present and the special backpack I keep in the closet! Grab them and get to the Camp we talked about! No matter what don't look back and know I love you!" She shouted at me with tears in her eyes. "I don't know where the camp is! I can't leave you here! Mom Please! Come with me!" I begged, tears blurring my vision. In response she threw a vase at the beast and it attacked her. She screamed "Just keep moving!" I ran to the closet, grabbed the backpack and my present, and started to sprint away with the sound of bloodcurdling screams in my wake.

I stopped at a large cave. "This should do for the night." I said to myself as the cool autumn breeze blew my h/c hair across my face. Once I was in the cave I grabbed my worn out bag, the same one from four years ago. I pulled out my imperial gold dagger. It was the very last gift my mom had given me and it has served me well as I struggled to survive alone. I set up the small tent I had "surprise borrowed" from a hunting store awhile back and my sleeping bag. Soon I was fast asleep under the stars.

Unknown POV

Find the demigod in the middle of the woods they said, it'll be fun they said. I thought as I slipped quietly through the woods where I was told she was located in. I used my hand to light a flame to use for a light source as the sky darkened. "I can't afford to set up camp. I haven't found her and it's already been two days. Chiron's gonna kill me if I don't get back soon." I grumbled to myself. I let out a loud sigh and continued to walk forward using my fiery hand as a torch.

(Time-skip)

Dawn was breaking as I stumbled through the woods with hazy vision. I saw something huge in front of me so I crept towards it. Suddenly it leapt up and howled. It was a hellhound. Its demonic red eyes focus in on me as I tried to back away. Turning around I realized I was surrounded. "Come on big smelly doggies! Why don't we leave me alone ok? I don't taste very good!" I shouted. They growled and started to close in on me. I grabbed a hammer out of my tool belt and let my hands burst into flames "Bring it on you over sized mutts!" I shouted not noticing the rustling in the bushes nearby.

Your POV

I woke up instantly after hearing that terrifyingly familiar howl. I packed up everything and prepared to run when I heard a voice in the midst of the beasts' bloodthirsty cries. I couldn't let someone else fall victim to them, especially now that I was sort of an expert at killing all kinds of strange, hideous creatures that had chased after me over the years. I quickly dashed through the woods towards the voice. I hid in a bush and froze, staring at the creatures that killed my mother. I snapped out of it when I saw a Latino boy around me age grab a large hammer out of a tool belt, light his hands on fire, and yell "Bring it on you over sized mutts!" Then they attacked leaving the flaming boy in the middle. What the heck just happened?! I thought to myself, stunned for a couple seconds. Then I heard him let out a small scream and leapt into action. My imperial gold dagger glistened in the sunlight as I began fighting. Slash! I quickly danced out of range and came in again for another attack. Slash! Stab! Jump! Roll! Repeat! Within a matter of minutes we were covered in golden dust. The boy was half collapsed on the ground with his mouth hanging open in shock. "Listen kid I've been on the run for a long time. Take that hammer of yours and whatever weird flame stuff you got going on there and just keep moving. Don't look back." And with that I spun on my heel, shouldered my tattered backpack and headed forward once more. "W-wait!" he shouted. "What?" I turned around and stared at him coldly. Any compassion I had once had had been cut away by the need to survive. "I'm Leo Valdez, also known as the bad boy supreme." He said, unflinching under my hard gaze. "Good for you." I responded and started to leave again. "I'm supposed to take you to Camp Half-Blood!" Leo shouted. I froze, vague memories of my mother saying something important about that place. Something about sending me there when I turned 12. "I'll give you time to explain yourself later, but first..." I said approaching him. He was on the ground, a huge gash on his leg. "But first wh-" Leo started to ask before I pinched down on the pressure point in his shoulder making him fully slump to the ground, unconscious. I set up my tent back at the cave where I had spent the night before and tended to Leo's wound. All I could do was take some spare medical supplies which I had also "surprise borrowed" and use the little healing knowledge I had. After treating him he started to cry in his sleep. Not knowing what else to do I stroked his soft, curly hair until the tears stopped. Then I checked out his stuff in case I needed to loot and run. Better to be safe than sorry.