Heart Aflame (Evil Leo Valdez AU)

Chapter 4: Romani Mihi vindicta

(Latin: The Romans, Vengeance belongeth unto me)

Leo's POV

Leo sat in chains on the porch of the big house, with Dakota and two other guards who had been shadow traveled over from Camp Jupiter by Nico. Hazel would've done so, but she was too distraught.

Leo tried not to think about how anguished she had sounded, but every time he moved his face, the kick she gave him stung. He deserved it. He didn't want to kill Frank, but he had no choice... The people he was working for would've called off their end of the deal if Leo had failed. At least now, with Apollo dead and Meg gone, the message would be delivered.

Leo could hear the shouting and arguing going on inside the big house. From the sound of it, it seemed as though Chiron had Iris Messaged the Olympians to notify them of Apollo's death. Arguing was now being done between Chiron and Reyna and Artemis and Zeus determining who got to kill Leo first it seemed.

Leo could barely care. Those olympians, when one of their own died, suddenly they give a damn, but when a demigod dies, just another random mortal life. The gods were hypocrites, and they needed a lesson in reality, and Leo was going to give it to them. One way or another...

After another thirty minutes passed, the doors of the big house opened. Reyna comes out first, followed by Jason and Chiron.

Reyna stops in front of him and stares down at him while she addresses Dakota. "The prisoner will be coming with us. The trial will be quick and decisive, he will then be executed and I have it on good authority that his punishment will be most severe in the underworld.

Leo doesn't even flinch or care. He had already endured his punishment watching the one he loved die because of the gods. The punishment had already come, and as it was too late to turn back, this was the payback.

The two guards hefted him to his feet and led him down the steps of the big house. A small crowd of demigods had gathered to watch him be taken away. He saw some familiar faces, a-lot looking at him in disgust, some however, with regret and sadness. He saw Harley, his little brother from the Hephaestus cabin with tears in his eyes as he stood off to the side with Festus.

Leo managed to give him a weak smile as he walks past. He wasn't a monster, he was still Leo. Just a version that was shown the truth, that the gods don't care.

They stop in front of Nico, Percy and Hazel. Reyna looks at Nico and Percy. "Don't try to stop us."

"We aren't. We're just coming with you. To the trial." Percy says matter of factly.

Reyna looks like she wants to deny their request but after a look from Jason she sighs, nodding.

Percy looks at Nico who grabs his hand and Hazel's the group links up as they shadow travel away.

As they arrive in Camp Jupiter, Leo is led to the prison. He sees Nico, Percy and Jason glance at him; Hazel refused to even look in his direction. Leo scoffs as he's lead away. He hadn't tried to appeal to his friends, because he knew they would never understand. Especially those three. Sons of the Big Three. The Big Three were a joke anyway. Brothers arguing, squabbling for millennia over what? Who rules. It doesn't matter they all are pretentious pricks.

Leo is thrown into a cell by the guards and they turn and leave him there. Its what you would expect, a square room, bars, a stone slab which he assumed functioned as a bed. He sits on it and looks at the ceiling. Seemingly calm for someone about to go on trial the next day. He sighs and closes his eyes as he drifts off to sleep.

He wakes in the middle of the night to the sound of footsteps. He opens his eyes and there, in the cell with him in a shadow is none other than Nico.

Leo sighs and sits up. "Nico? Come to visit me? I think visiting hours are over. Unless you signed some special sheet."

Nico rolls his eyes, "Enough with the jokes and the facade. Why did you do it?"

"Why'd I kill Frank or why'd I kill Apollo?"

"Listen, I've volunteered to represent you at the trial. Mainly because as a former member of the Sentate, I'll be allowed to speak. Seeing as Jason nor Percy wanted to, I'm your best option so you better start talking."

Leo looks down, he could've told Nico everything. About the three emperors, how Frank was going to tell and ruin his deal and everything. But he decides not to...

"It's all for her."

Nico's voice seems to lessen in it's anger. "Leo, this is not going to bring her back. I don't know what you're doing or why, but it has to stop! They're going to kill you tomorrow! If anything you owe it to Hazel for an explanation."

Leo shakes his head. "I don't owe anyone anything. If anything this world owes me." Leo gets up and punches the wall angrily. "I'm the one who sacrificed myself to save you, her and everyone from Gaea! I lost everything just because of the gods war with the giants! Well I'm done! I'm through with marching to their drum. Especially when they could care less about us. Apollo was only the first, the entire Olympian council will fall. Whether you like it or not."

Nico looks at Leo with a look not of hate, anger or even regret. It was a look of comprehension.

Leo looks at him, "I can see in your eyes you know I'm right."

"No. It's just you remind me of someone I knew. Luke Castellan. Son of Hermes he used to think that way too."

"Sounds like a smart guy", Leo smirks.

"He's dead. Just like you'll be by tomorrow if you don't start talking!"

Leo looks at Nico, sadly turning away and sitting back on his bed. "If I have to be a martyr so be it. But it won't come to that, I know it."

Nico groans, "So you're fine with dying? And murdering your friends?"

"Nico, all I'll tell you is this. Frank wasn't meant to die. I regret having to do it. He was my friend. But his sacrifice is part of something bigger. Much bigger."

"He wasn't a sacrifice, it was murder!"

"You're missing the big picture. The gods, Zeus, Hera all of them? Their time is over. In the same way Kronos took over from Ouranos and Zeus from Kronos, it's our turn to rule. Let the past die Nico, kill it if you have to. That's the only way we can become what we're meant to be."

Nico scoffs at him, "I don't know about the past, but it sounds like you're going to die." He then turns towards the wall and fades into shadow.

Leo lays back down on the stone slab. "I wish I was dead. But it's not over. Sorry Nico, everyone...it's just beginning..." Leo looks around his cell, but picturing New Rome. It was a beautiful place architecturally. Leo sighs, "I hope they remember you."

To Be Continued...