The Valdez Legacy (A Heroes of Olympus Fanfic)

Chapter 10: Missing

After Leo and Sofia returned home, a few days passed, before Leo announced he was going to New York for a business trip, which prompted Sofia to worry. Leo didn't take many business trips, but Sofia brushed it off. It was probably nothing, he did own a business after all? However, when Leo sat her down, Sofia didn't know what to think.

"Sofia, just remember, if anything happens to Nyssa, call me. If I don't answer, call Hazel or Frank. Their numbers will be on the fridge." Leo advised her calmly.

Sofia simply nodded, not knowing what to say. She didn't think anything would happen, in the few days her father would be gone. What was the worst that could happen? There was nothing to worry about- she would spend the next few days alone with Aunt Nyssa.

  Boy was she wrong.

  One day, after the shop closed, Aunt Nyssa looked rather tired. However, when she saw Sofia, her tiredness turned into a watery smile, something her father told her she had a talent for doing.

"Get to bed, Sofia, I'll be fine." But little did she know, it wasn't fine.

  When Sofia woke up in the morning, Aunt Nyssa was gone, without a note. The Open sign to the shop hadn't been put up, and at first, Sofia assumed she had gone to the store for something. Then morning turned to afternoon...then afternoon to evening...and then it was dark. Sofia was now shaking with fear. Where was she?

  Sofia got up, and grabbed the phone and dialed her father's cell phone number. She listened, as the phone on the other end rang, and Sofia's nervousness was causing her to shake, once again. Something wasn't right, but Sofia didn't know what.

  "It's Leo Valdez, Bad Boy Supreme, I'm too busy doing awesome stuff, so leave a message and I'll get back to you." 

  Normally, Sofia would roll her eyes at her father's stupid voice mail, given the circumstances, she yanked at her hair in worry, and proceeded to call him six more times. What was going on? Why isn't he picking up.

  Sofia sighed. She really didn't want to bother Hazel and Frank, but at this point she had no other choice. She went to the refrigerator, and dialed the number her father had taped to it, listed Hazel.

  Sofia took a deep breath and pressed "send."

  As it rang, Sofia caught her self whispering , "Please pick up, please pick up."

  Around the third ring, she heard a familiar woman's voice say, "Hello?"

  Sofia sighed in relief, "Hazel!"

  It took a moment for Hazel to finally say something, "Sofia? Is that you?"

  "Yes, it's me!" Sofia exclaimed, relieved. "Look, my father went out on a business trip, and I don't know where he went! I haven't seen Aunt Nyssa since yesterday, I don't know what to do! Pl-"

"Sofia, please calm down." Hazel soothed, and Sofia's nerves began shaking a little less. "We have some friends over by where you live, they are coming to help. Now listen, Sofia, they are going to give you information about yourself and your father you've never heard about before, and it's not going to sound real, but it is."

  What was Hazel talking about? Her father told her everything! Or did he.....? He never told her what he was talking about with Hazel...or what "business" he was doing in New York.

  "I understand." Sofia promised.

  Hazel told Sofia to pack a bag, and be ready to leave, before she hung up, so she went and did so. She packed a small back, with clothes, toiletries and a picture of her, her dad, and Aunt Nyssa, and another picture from when she was younger, of Thanksgiving, which was the only time she met her grandfather.

  Before she could stop it, Sofia felt a tear come out of her eye, and down her face. She hardly ever cried, so the fact she was crying right now meant that she had a lot of held back emotions, but then again, who wouldn't? Everyone who mattered most to her was god-knows-where, and for all she knew, they could be dead. Sofia had a lot of withheld emotions.

When she came downstairs, a guest was looking around the shop, which annoyed Sofia with her already awful mood, "Excuse me, sir, we're closed."

The man just smiled, unemotionally, "Oh I know."

Sofia's insides began to burn with even more anger, as this man was standing here, "Okay, but I'm expecting guests, so leave."

The man just proceeded to smile like the joker, as if amused by Sofia's annoyance, "Oh, I know that two, I just thought I'd come and get the first hit at the demigod who's also the spawn of a demigod?"

Demigod? Sofia was now convinced this man was insane. She glared at him, "If you don't leave right now, I am going to call the cops."

  The crazy man began to laugh, a cold, icy laugh, "I don't think we've met. I work for the god who kidnapped your father and aunt."

  Sofia's anger returned, and never before had she felt such powerful anger. On instinct, she grabbed the nearest thing she could- a hammer. She surged at him, but something was holding her back- some sort of force.

  The man laughed, humorlessly, "Just like your father. He was a great hero, it's a shame he has to die."

  After that, her anger was at its peak, and Sofia threw the hammer, and surged after him. As she did, she felt stinging, and it wasn't until her hand was pinned against the crazy man that she realized her body was engulfed in flames, but she was perfectly fine.

  The last thing she heard was humorless laughter, before she passed out.

***
   "This is Valdez's daughter?" Was the first voice Sofia heard when she woke up, it was as smooth as honey, and Sofia felt warm inside just hearing it.

  "Yes, her name is Sofia Esperanza Valdez, according to a birth certificate we found in a safe." Another female said, but this one had a more stern and straightforward voice.

  "Guys I think she's waking up." A male voice said.

  When Sofia opened her eyes, she was surrounded by a group of people he did not know. There was a tall blonde man, that reminded Sofia of Superman, only blonde. Another was a blonde woman, who did not look like blondes normally do- this one looked scary and ready to kill someone. There was a Native American woman with choppy brown hair and a worried face.

  "Hello, Sofia." The Native American girl said, "My name is Piper McLean, and this is Annabeth Chase and Jason Grace, we're old friends of your father.