FanFiction - Mark of Athena

Chapter 5

I DO NOT OWN THE HEROES OF OLYMPUS OR PERCY JACKSON SERIES, THEY BELONG TO RICK RIORDAN! (THIS COUNTS FOR THE WHOLE CHAPTER) - Do I seriously always have to say this? everyone knows I don't. I wish, but I don't.

LEO

WHEN LEO GOT TO HIS BED, he fell asleep instantly. He absentmindedly thought his sleep might actually be dreamless, but of course being who he was, he jinxed it. There was suddenly a cold, creepy laugh somewhere and Leo found himself in a room of mud, no doors, and no escape.

The only thing that was in the room with him was a glowing jewel - Amber, Leo thought. Leo didn’t know how he knew, but he was sure the Amber was Hazel Levesque. Leo heard an all too familiar cackle.

“Leo Valdez, mighty son of Hephaestus,” he cringed at Gaea’s voice. “That jewel there would’ve been your grandmother, if she hadn’t betrayed her friends.” Leo gaped, what? Gaea laughed softly. “Yes, your grandfather, Samuel Valdez was in love with Hazel Levesque. She left him, and with her mother, she moved to Alaska, to help me resurrect my Eldest son, Alcyoneus, using her curse of riches. She failed, of course, and killed her mother and herself in the process. She was brought back alive by that bothersome son of Hades.”

Leo stared at the jewel. That’s where he knew her from! Leo’s mom once told him about their love story once, but never like this. Leo couldn’t help but feel a bit angry with Hazel, had she really not cared about granddad Sam? Not cared about how much it hurt him that she left? But surely Hazel wouldn’t do that, right? Gaea was just messing with his mind… Gaea laughed evilly, and let him wake up.

When Leo woke up, he jumped out of bed instantly. He had to ask someone if Gaea was telling him the truth. His first instinct was Frank, Hazel’s boyfriend was bound to know, but he might take it the wrong way and use his muscly arms to beat Leo to a pulp. Then he wondered if Percy would know. If Leo had Percy as a friend, he would tell him anything. You can just trust Percy, Leo could tell by the way his friends cared about him. But would Hazel tell Percy everything? Leo was taking a risky chance, if Percy knew, he might take offence. But if Percy didn’t know, well, that could turn out wrong too. Leo decided. He could trust Percy.

Leo found Percy, on his own, by the Aqueduct. He had actually meant to go to the Barracks, but Leo, not knowing the Roman Camp all too well, went the exact opposite way, when he saw a guy sitting against the destroyed building.

Leo had known instantly that it was Percy because the guy was randomly slashing at the air with a glowing sword. Leo ran to Percy. Percy looked up, and smiled.

“Hey Leo, what are you doing up this early?” Leo looked around and saw pink streaks in the sky, dawn.

“Nightmare…” Leo plopped onto the ground next to Percy.

“Right.” Percy understood. Every demigod had that problem. Leo looked at Percy, so calm and at peace, and mustered up the courage to ask what’s been pestering him.

“Percy… did Hazel really help Gaea?” Leo asked as calmly as he could. Percy perked up, flashed Leo an uncertain look and then sighed, relaxing.

“Gaea told you?” He just asked. Leo was bewildered.

“How did you know?”

Percy sighed again, “She’s been showing me bad things about you guys too, trying to get me to go to her side. That’s why I’m here; I had to escape from my dreams for once… But yeah, Hazel wouldn't like me to say this, but I guess not knowing would just help Gaea turn you against her, so I'll give you the quick version, she can tell you the rest when she is ready. Hazel was forced to help Gaea, because her mother was being possessed by Gaea,” Leo gasped. “But then Hazel put an end to it when she found out her mother was fighting Gaea out of her mind, Hazel caused the cave they were in to collapse, killing her mother and herself. But she delayed the rising of Gaea and her sons, she is a true hero.” Percy finished.

 Leo was amazed. Hazel had basically gone through the same as he had, just for a cause. They had both killed their mother, so Leo knew how Hazel felt. The guilt, and the pain. Leo felt ashamed for thinking Hazel was Gaea’s ally, of course she wouldn’t do something like that.

“Sorry, I just had to know, because…” Why did he need to know? So he could trust her? So he felt safer?

“Nah, don’t worry about it. Gaea showed me some of that too, like the way you lost your mom.” Percy whispered. “I’m so sorry you had to lose her like that, Leo. But we’ll avenge her, we’ll stop Gaea”

Leo felt grateful for Percy. He had never seen that side of stopping Gaea. What Percy said somehow managed to ease the pain a bit. Percy knew the cost of losing someone close.

“Percy?” Leo hesitated, wondering if it was safe to ask.

“Hmm?”

“What happened before Piper woke you? What did Gaea show you?” Leo asked

Percy’s face darkened, he looked much older. Leo regretted asking.

“She told me that my friends weren’t safe,and that they would be if I went to her side. She showed me what would happen if I didn’t…” Percy’s voice cracked. “I never saw my mom so helpless, or Annabeth. She showed me people that risked their lives for me, told me they died in vain. She also showed you, Jason and Piper, how easily you and Jason turned on each other at Medea's place, and how Piper nearly lost her dad. She said that it was all my fault, I was causing all that misery because I wanted to play hero.” Percy glanced at Leo, “I never wanted to be a hero you know, I hate being the leader all the time. I never look for trouble, trouble finds me. I didn’t ask people to die for me, I would rather die myself than letting them…” Percy stopped, and hung his head, breathing heavily.

Leo didn’t know what to do. He felt a surge of anger towards Gaea and a surge of protectiveness towards Percy, every hero is a human after all. Gaea was more than evil; there wasn’t a word to describe Gaea. Percy’s friends are the most important thing in the world to him, and she used that against him. Leo put an arm around Percy, and kept patting his back until Percy stopped shaking. Percy smiled and got over his sadness quickly. For my sake, Leo supposed.

“Come on, little buddy. Can you give me a tour of the ship?” Percy asked, cheerful again. Leo smiled. Here he was, friends with the famous Percy Jackson, who had just called him ‘little buddy’.

“I’m not little” Leo stated, playfully punching Percy in the arm. Percy mocked pain, holding his arm.

Leo secretly didn’t mind Percy calling him little buddy, it was like having an older brother, even though they were about the same age. They set off, Percy gawking at Leo’s design, and calling him awesome when Leo told Percy that the ship was based off of some design he made when he was little.

Percy seemed to have a new habit of calling Leo ‘little buddy’. At least it was better than being called Repair Boy.

“Did you know that we are opposites?” Percy said suddenly.

“Oh yeah! Fire and water!” Leo realised. Percy nodded.There was a silence in which they both paused, then looked at each other, and then started a war with fireballs and water spheres, laughing their heads off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fifth chapter! You like? Sorry, it was a tad boring and mushy, but I had to strengthen some relationships! Whose POV should I do next? (Someone I didn’t do yet), and any ideas for the next chapter?