description: the seven return to a place Leo's been missing for a while. Old friends just make a demigods life mire confusing.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The Heroes of Olympus and The Percy Jackson Series belong to Rick Riordan, who I am not.
Authors Note: this is AU from pretty much the end of Son Of Neptune on. Time gaps will be filled in as the story progresses. Some characters may be slightly OOC, but I try to make them as close to themselves as I can.
Land of The Lost
Chapter One
Leo looked around carefully at his surroundings. He knew this city much better than his companions. He had spent several months here about two years ago, a little before he had been sent to the Wilderness School. He had liked it here. Not enough to stay, obviously, but enough that he was okay that they were here. Maybe he would drop in on the friends he had made while here. He thought that would be fun if they had the time. Of course, the concept of having the time was doubtful. They were in fact, on a time scheduled mission.
Not much had changed here. The buildings were as grimy as ever, and the people were just as loud. The only real difference was the sheer mass of gray cloud covering the city, as if it were warning the mortals of the impending apocalypse. Which, was quite possibly the reason the clouds were there. That or to make them afraid. That was also likely.
He glanced at his companions, wondering, only a little, what there thoughts of this place were. Piper looked as if she was completely zoning out, but that didn't really surprise Leo after the blow she had taken to the head a few miles back. Jason didn't seem to care about anything except Piper at the moment, if the concerned glances he was giving her were any indication. Leo wasn't very worried. Beauty Queen was tough. She'd be fine within a few hours. Annabeth didn't seem impressed at all. She looked more as if she was analyzing the structures of the city and determining the best places yo fight and or escape. Which was both possible and probably. Percy, like he almost always did when Leo saw him, looked on edge. He seemed nervous, but the guy always seemed nervous. For as many stories Leo had heard back at camp about how strong he was, and how he was such a laugh, he wasn't seeing much of either.
Hazel and Frank were standing close together, and Hazel's eyes were directed towards the ground. Franks were, as Leo was positive the were at all times, directed towards Hazel.
Finally, Leo realized that they had all been standing there in the street silently for more than two minutes.
"Why're we just standing here?" He asked incredulously, forcing a grin on his face. "This place is chill, and I wanna check out the game shop. " he pointed towards a Game Stop a few yards away.
That brought everyone back to earth.
"We're not here to look at games Leo. " Annabeth said sounding irritated "We're here because you said that Festus needs oil, and this was the closet city."
That was true. Festus had needed more oil. Of course, he could've waited a day or two, but Leo knew where to go here, and he had figured Pipes could use a break from traveling. Plus Leo really did want to see how the others here were doing.
"Yeah," he admitted "but I don't think Pipes should be traveling much with her head, so I figured maybe we'd stay the night here. Therefor, Leo gets to go to Game Stop."
Annabeth bit her lip. She like plans, Leo knew, which wasn't surprising since her mother was the goddess of wisdom and battle strategy, and Leo could see her struggling with approving this on the spot made up plan.
"Well, you are right about Piper," she said hesitantly, " But where would we stay, we don't have enough money for a hotel room." She frowned at him as if he must have eaten all of their money in the dead of night.
Leo grinned this was working out better than he had thought. "Leave the accommodations to me. I've got a few connections in this city."
He could practically see the gears turning in the daughter of Athena's brain, as she contemplated this.
"Alright." She announce after a few moments. "I suppose one night couldn't hurt. But you do need to show us these accommodations, because if Piper shouldn't be traveling with her head, then I don't want her sleeping in a sewer." She said this sternly, as if Leo had suggested the spend the night in a sewer.
Instead of taking offense Leo just kept grinning
"Of course, let your deaf captain Leo lead the way." And he began walking in the direction of the the Runaways Place.
That was what the had called it. It was sort of a rest stop for kids who had no where to go. Some kids lived there, others just stayed for however long they planned to be in the city, no questions asked. It was a safe place. They had a system of jobs, and the older kids got money and food, and they kept things running. They took care of each other there, and Leo had made numerous friend in the few months he had stayed.
Of course, they were careful too, for instance, when you first showed up, they didn't tell you how many kids were there, or how long they had been there, as a precaution. Protecting themselves and others from the threats of the state finding them.
As the walked, Leo found himself giving his friends a tour.
As they passed a McDonalds, he found himself describing an instance in which he had been inside.
"And they started freaking out, like, dude, wheres the ghost! Why as the French Fries floating?, and they didn't even notice me filling four cups of soda."
He pointed out places that had good food, and the places that smelt like old sewage, and lost himself in memories of being fourteen, and really not caring about anything but making the kids that had taken him in laugh.
He missed that.
In all his talking, he was surprised to find himself stopped at a cement building covered in graffiti, facing a small metal door spray painted with the letters RAP. Most people assumed that the person that had took a spray pianist can to the building really liked rap music. But Leo knew what it really meant.
Runaways Place.