[Cover art drawn by Viria on tumblr.]

"When you are guilty, it is not your sins you hate but yourself."
― Anthony de Mello

"It's all your fault, Leo."

"They will never forgive you for opening that cookie."

"Percy and Annabeth are dead because of you."

"Stop it!" Leo shouted, Gaea's sickly-sweet, eerie voice enough to drive him mad. He would do anything to stop it, even cut his ears off. But he knew that her voice was all in his head—a telepathic connection to his greatest adversary. If he could just get one single minute of blissful silence he'd be able to think for himself. Her words were horrid, cloying.

But they were true. In every sense, they were. He'd been the one to open Nemesis' cookie, and sacrifice their strongest allies—he couldn't even call them friends, because what kind of friend is he to cause their fall?

"Leo?" Piper said from his left, watching him cautiously. The remaining members of the original crew—along with Nico—were just finishing dinner. Everyone was looking at Leo, varying expressions of worry and concern on their faces. "Is everything alright."

"Yeah," he answered curtly, standing up. "I'm done." He grabbed his paper plate and soda can, rushing toward the trashcan. He couldn't stand the feeling of them all watching his every move, most likely wondering about his sanity. Hell, so was he.

They didn't know about Gaea's voice. He didn't tell anyone, and tried his best to ignore it, because what was the point in worrying everyone, and adding another thing to the list of why Leo Valdez was a basket case, and a murderer. But sometimes—like now—it became too overpowering to hide. It had been his second outburst this week. He hardly ate, knowing he wouldn't be able to hold down his food as Gaea continued to murmur callous truths in his ears.

Finally, he was back inside of the engine room, which he'd adopted as his new abode. He didn't sleep much, seeing as Gaea took it upon herself to haunt his dreams with images of the Argo II in flames, taking all of his friends with it; images of Percy and Annabeth, bloodied and broken, clutching each other as if the darkness would separate them; and images of Leo, standing beside a large throne made of dirt. On the throne, there was always a girl, with eyes that shifted from a forest green to a pitch black. Her hair was black, with gold and silver weaved into the elaborate braid she wore. And Leo always saw himself, his hand on a bronze sword, murdering at her will.

"You aren't the hero of this story, Leo Valdez. But you can be the hero of my story."

"Pfft, I find it hard to believe your some sort of damsel in distress," Leo muttered, tinkering with the wires below the control board.

The future can be changed.

"As if."

It can. If only you do as I say. A vision of Leo and the throne flashed through his mind again courtesy of Gaea. After it, however, was a different vision. It was of the Argo II, of Percy and Annabeth reuniting with everyone. Everyone was smiling—no one was sad.

Leo froze in his fiddling with the wires, not knowing what to make of the new vision. His curiosity was peaked, even if he didn't want to admit it. He wished he could have said that he didn't even consider her words and images as truth. But, he'd gotten everyone into this mess; if he could fix it, no matter what he had to do, he should at least think about it. "I'm listening."

Leave your friends. Find a girl, the girl who was prophesied to host my spirit. I am waking, Leo, and I will need a body to possess.

"You want me to find an innocent girl and let you take control of her body?" Leo accused, keeping his voice low so that no one else on the ship would hear him supposedly talking to himself. "Like I'd damn the poor girl into hosting you."

It is her destiny, just as it is yours to damn your friends and the quest. But you don't have to be the downfall of your friends. If only you join me, and do as I say, Percy and Annabeth will be reunited with their friends, and your mistakes will be forgiven.

"They'd never forgive me if I joined you," Leo mumbled.

You wouldn't have to deal with their pity, though. And it's not like I'm telling you to kill them—that's my job.

"No."

Gaea seemed to sigh in his head. What if I told you that you won't be the seventh wheel anymore? That you can become the leader of armies, the hero of our people. Your name will forever be remembered; Leo Valdez, the fire bringer, and vanquisher of the Seven. You will be heralded as a champion, as the victor and successor of the gods. You can even become a god yourself, and rule over the world. But only if we win.

Leo paused, hating himself for even considering the offer. "I-I…"

Or, you can stay here, with the people who blame you for everything that has gone wrong ever since you came here.

"They don't blame me," Leo whispered, trying to reassure himself that this was a lie.

Really? The sound of Gaea laughing cruelly filled his mind. Go to the hallway near the living area and just listen to them.

Leo's breathing became shallow, his heart racing in fear that maybe Gaea was right. He stood up, his legs moving on their own accord, toward the hallway that Gaea had told him to go. He didn't want to go, he didn't want to be proven wrong. A small part of him still held onto the hope that Gaea was just saying that to break him, but the bigger, more logical part of him already knew they blamed him, and had known for a while.

"I wonder what's wrong with him," Jason voiced to the others. Leo crouched near the doorway, praying they wouldn't notice him eavesdropping.

"If I was the reason two of my friends were in Hell, I'd be messed up too," Nico muttered. Leo had expected that; Nico didn't seem to like him very much, and Percy had been like an older brother to him.

What he hadn't expected was for everyone—even Piper, who was the closest friend he had on the ship—to agree.

"If only he hadn't opened that cookie," Hazel said, her expression strangely angry, a look that didn't suit her innocent, soft face and kind personality.

"No," Leo whispered, denying the evidence that was replaying inside of his mind. "No, this is just a mirage; y-you're making this up. They wouldn't…"

But they are. Gaea's voice almost sounded sympathetic, which made Leo's heart break more than it already had. Even Gaea, the violent, evil Dirt Lady pitied him.

"How could he do this?" Piper's words sent Leo over the edge, and he plunged into an ocean of sadness and grief. Even she blamed him.

As he stood up, prepared to go straight back to the engine room and sulk, his arm hit the door, causing it to creak loudly. He watched as everyone in the living area stood, each stuttering out apology after apology. But Leo knew the truth—it was all his fault. They were right about that. If only he hadn't ever been born; none of this would have happened. None of it.

He took off down the hallway, running toward his sleeping chambers. He didn't pause, even as Piper yelled after him, telling him they hadn't meant it. But they had meant it, hadn't they?

Join me, Leo. Join me, and you won't be blamed anymore.

Leo stopped, catching his breath. Making sure they weren't following, he ducked into a bedroom—Percy's. The rumbled sheets reminded Leo that he was in Tartarus because of him and that stupid fortune cookie.

"Gaea?" Leo murmured into the air.

I am here, Leo.

"If I…" He gulped, revolted by the next words that left his lips. "If I join you… do you promise to bring them back?"

Well, I hoped to keep them down there and out of the way…

"Then no," Leo said firmly.

But, I guess it's a small price to pay for the fire bringer.

"… Do you promise?"

I promise.

"Swear it," Leo demanded. "Swear upon the River Styx, or no deal."

I swear upon the River Styx, Gaea grit out, that I will bring Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase back, so long as Leo joins me and serves in my army.

A tear fell from Leo's eye, and he reached up a hand to wipe it away. "Alright," he said, his voice shaky. "Fine. I'll join you."

Wise choice, my child. Now leave them.

"Fine," Leo repeated. He grabbed the handmade manual from its place in a drawer, and put it on the captain's chair. He considered leaving them a note, but he had nothing to say. Nothing he wrote could make up for what he was doing, but it was more than a fair share—they'd get along just fine without him, so long as they had Percy and Annabeth. Besides; he wasn't sure he wanted to leave them with a piece of paper outlining his betrayal.

"Where is she?" Leo muttered. "Where can I find the girl?" They were currently flying toward Epirus, Greece, where the House of Hades was said to be. He didn't bother to stop the ship—someone would figure out how to use it. And if the fall killed him—well, better than what he was going to do.

She lives in America, Gaea told him. I can transport you to the docks where some of my monsters and demigod soldiers are about to board a ship.

"How can you 'transport' me?" Leo snorted, making his way into the armory. If he was going to join an army, he might as well look the part. He looked over his choices, knowing a hammer wouldn't get him all too far. The spears were too long, which made them hard to hold and, consequently, throw or even use for anything. The daggers were for quick, skilled fighters, and Leo was way too clumsy to not impale himself in the chest. His accuracy for targets was horrible, which ruled out bows and other long distance weapons. Finally, his eyes landed on an axe.

The shaft of the axe was wooden, and spray painted—badly, if Leo was being honest—a deep red color. The metal axe part was bronze, seeing as it was made of Celestial Bronze metal. It was double sided, and fit in Leo's hand almost as well as his hammer. It was lighter than the hammer, of course, and Leo found it easy to swing. Despite everything horrible that had happened today, he couldn't help but smile. He'd found his weapon.

I control earth, Leo, Gaea said, answering his earlier question. Once you are on the ground, I can use my powers to swallow you up and transport you to the docks.

"That sounds like so much fun," Leo muttered sarcastically, not at all anticipating the experience. "Can't wait."

He made his way to the deck, looking down at the ground, which wasn't as far down as he'd hoped. It looked like he would survive the jump after all—there goes his last hope, down the garbage.

Leo glanced at the cabin, where everyone was probably getting into bed. The ship was on auto-pilot mode, so they would be fine for a while. Even after the awful things he'd overheard, he still felt guilty for leaving them, and joining the enemy. "I'm sorry," he whispered, knowing that the next time he saw them, he'd be fighting against them. But he also knew that, when he next saw them, Percy and Annabeth would be with them. And the thought comforted him, no matter how vulgar his actions were.

"Here goes nothing," he said to himself. And then, he jumped off of the ship, and away from his newest foes.

[Well, there it it—the first chapter in my new fanfiction. I hope you guys enjoyed it, because I definitely enjoyed writing it.]