Leo Valdez- Learning to Live

Chapter 7

So... for the few of you who have actually been waiting for an update, I'm sorry. I'm a very busy person, and this story isn't very high on my priority list.

But hey, here's a chapter. So that's cool.

Just about as much depressing stuff as usual. Prepare yourself.

Rights go to Rick Riordan.

Hazel sat in Bunker 9, trying to understand.

She had finally worked up the courage to go in there, but just being there made her want to cry. That was surprising. She had thought she was out of tears.

Distressed tears when she first heard about Jason, and she and Frank had to quickly travel to Camp Half-Blood to make sure he was okay.

Anguished tears when she had, had... She shuddered, remembering Leo's blood all over her skin.

Desperate tears when Annabeth and Percy had told them about Leo's newest attempt. It was absolutely heartbreaking.

So, yes, Hazel had thought she had cried herself out. Still, tears pricked in her eyes, threatening to fall.

This is where it all started.

Almost no one had entered the bunker since the accident that set off this sickening chain of events, other than Percy and Annabeth when the demigods had frantically been searching for Leo before. Blood still stained the floor, though it was Jason's, not Leo's. Hazel still shivered at the sight.

Even the gun, Leo's gun, still lay on the floor where it had been carelessly dropped just a week or two before. For all Hazel knew, it still had bullets in it. Someone should probably do something about that.

Hazel slowly stood and headed toward a back corner of the bunker. Though all the children of Hephaestus used the bunker, Leo made much more regular use of the place than anyone else, and he had a whole area exclusively for himself.

Hazel arrived at Leo's work desk. Several half-completed projects littered the area, most of which Hazel didn't understand. Was that really a chicken nugget smoke screen in the making?

Hazel let out a sound that was mixed between a laugh and a sob. How could that silly, ridiculous Leo have been hiding so much pain from them?

She examined the desk more closely, and was discouraged to see several notes Leo had written to himself.

Don't forget to recalibrate the air compressor, moron

Stock up on compression springs, you freak

Stop being so useless

WORK FASTER!!!

The last one had been underlined several times with angry lines. 

A few tears finally escaped Hazel's eyes. Was this really what Leo thought of himself?

Several of the metal machines in the near proximity started to vibrate, reacting to Hazel's distress.

Hazel suddenly jumped when someone placed a hand on her shoulder. She spun around, only to see a pale, skinny boy that she knew quite well.

"Nico, you scared me!"

Her brother examined her worriedly with his dark eyes. 

"Sorry. We weren't sure where you were. Frank's been worried sick."

"Oh." Hazel hung her head. "I'm sorry. I just thought that, if I came here, maybe I could, I could... understand."

Nico sighed. "I know. Just don't run off, okay? And don't hang around in here, either. Trust me, it won't help." He eyed the bloody floor and the notes with distaste.