Collateral Damage | Jason Grace Fan Fiction

Chapter 3: The son of Hephaestus...

Christina's POV

"I'm Leo Valdez and you are?" he said with a smile as he offered his hand filled with oil and grime. 

Leo Valdez? Christina considered the name carefully and once she remembered where she had heard it from, she couldn't help but smirk on the inside. Everything is falling into place. It's like these people are foolishly handing her everything she needs to fulfil her quest. 

"Tina Duncan, I'm new here." Christina introduced herself, taking his hand and beaming at him. 

"And what? Nobody claimed you yet?" he grinned. "Is that why you're sleeping out here in the beach?"

After spending an ample amount of time with her siblings last night, Christina found out what "claiming" really meant. Apparently, it's the simple act of your "godly" parent acknowledging that you are their child. On the outside it appears like a mystical symbol floating on top of your head to indicate which parent is yours but on the inside it simply means your other parent finally realizes your existence. 

Despite Christina knowing who her mother really is, she still got "claimed" before dinner. It was ironic because she was already sitting with the rest of the cabin 20 kids when her mother claimed her. 

"No, I have been claimed, last night in the dining pavilion," Christina said, standing up to be on the same eye level as him. "Weren't you there?" 

Leo's cheerful grin turned into a frown as he averted his gaze, but it was only for a second, when he started talking he was perky again. Christina wondered what could've possibly caused his sudden change of mood but she didn't linger in those thoughts any longer than five seconds because she knows she has more pressing matters to attend to. 

Like checking out this supposed "ship" that this guy is building which will serve as their transportation to fulfill the Prophecy of the Seven. 

The Prophecy of the Seven. Christina dreaded those words but at the same time she has a deep regard for them because they can both be her salvation and downfall. 

"--so that's why I wasn't at dinner last night." Leo said which snapped Christina back to reality, realizing that she had drifted off from it. She simply nodded, pretending she heard everything he had said prior. But she did get a gist of it since being a trained Roman soldier unconsciously she is still observant with her surroundings; it was something about the foremast not being as sturdy as he wanted it to be and a lack of supply of Tobasco sauce for someone named Festus. 

"So you were stuck on the ship making repairs?" 

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call it repairs since it's not entirely done yet. It's not easy building a massive ship all by yourself plus a dragon head and a sphere." 

"A what?" Christina asked in confusion. "Wait, why are you doing it all by yourself?" 

Once again, his grin turned into a frown and he averted his eyes, Christina took this as a sign that he's either not really good in working with a team or he doesn't like ordering people around because from what Annabeth had said yesterday, it seems like the ship is purely Leo's idea. 

"My siblings would help me from time to time but there are just times where I wouldn't need their help." he gleefully answered again before letting out a nervous chuckle. 

"Would it be alright if I take a look at your work?" Christina said which made Leo furrowed his eyebrows. 

"Are you a Hephaestus kid, too? Are you supposed to be my new sibling? Nobody told me that--" he said in a guarded tone, Christina thought back what she said and realized how stupid she sounded like.