Chapter 1

LEO POV

Leo was so tired of it all. Acting like some dumb innocent fool to hide the pain. The pain of knowing that he was a murderer. The pain of knowing that he was the 7th wheel and that everybody else hated him. He was just an important tool to be used. And what tool is paid attention to after their use is exhausted? This is what he hated in being him.

Leo wanted to give up. He was completely broken. All he was good at was running away from his problems. After the giant war, nobody actually had spared a chance to talk to him. Calypso had used him, and when Artemis approached her to join her stupid male-hunting group, Calypso had not even given Leo a second glance. She joined the hunters, leaving Leo heartbroken. But wasn't that expected of him? He was useless. He could not be loved.

After all, he was a murderer, wasn't he? When the nights filled the sky with darkness, Leo's head would be filled with nightmares of murdering people. That's what he deserved, didn't he? He had killed the only person that actually cared for him, and now, because of his stupidity of existing, his mom died. Sweet Esperenza Valdez, who experienced a cruel and torturous death of burning alive.

Leo, evil, evil, broken Leo, had a thought in his head. If he ran away, nobody would get hurt and he could escape from the pain once again. He could meet his mom again after some monster overpowers him. To tell her I am sorry. 'No wait, wait, wait, wait… what are you thinking Leo? You don't even deserve that.' Leo was sure of that. All he ever did was mess things up.

Why did he even bother fixing things when he did not deserve anything of them, and when his corrupted hands would spread their disease to something or someone else? That is all it did. Again and Again and Again. So it was decided. He was going to run away and save everybody else from the problems that he had with his life. He deserved to be treated like a homeless person; like a beggar. Because that was how despicable that is.

Leo packed his things. The bare necessities only, such as food, water, and Festus. He only reason why Festus came along was that he insisted on doing so. Then he wrote a letter to anybody who actually cared about him, although he doubted that anybody actually did. So Leo creeped out of camp borders, careful not to get caught.

A view of what the letter says:

Dear anybody who actually cares enough to read this,

I am Leo Valdez, a stupid idiot who killed the only person who cared about me. Don't mourn. I am not worth it. Although I doubt that you would even notice my loss enough to go looking for me.

Sincerely,

Leo Valdez