Second chapter today! It's late and I'm bored, so I thought why not get some of these chapters posted and off of the Notes app I use for writing? On with the story!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Anything in bold belongs to NBrokenShacklesN.
"Chapter 8: In which Leo evaporates a fountain... but it was Nancy's fault!" Connor read.
'Time Skip- Mr Brunner's field trip.
Leo was sitting in the front of the minibus, well not exactly the front. He, Percy and Grover were sitting in the row of three just behind the driver, where Mr Brunner and Mrs Dodds could 'keep their eyes on them'. Leo had always been prepared to have the fury hate him, and watch his every move, but having Chiron distrust him so much that he wouldn't let Leo out of his sight. That hurt.'
Chiron looked so apologetic, Leo felt bad.
"I am very sorry, Leo."
"It's okay, Chiron, I promise."
'Sure Leo was used to teachers, heck any adult, looking at him in suspicion, after the amount of schools he'd been expelled from, what sane teacher wouldn't keep a look out. But Chiron had always been different. In the past future, Chiron had always listened to Leo, always trusted him, even when what he was saying sounded insane. To have Chiron doubt his every word, even after he swore on the Styx... It freaking hurt.
Leo looked out the window, and angrily swiped away a tear.'
If you haven't figured it out, Chiron felt even worse at this point and Leo hid his face at the sympathetic looks with a weak glare. He was too embarrassed to really put any effort into it.
'He wasn't going to cry. He was Leo Valdez, the boy who didn't care what people thought about him, unless that person happened to be a girl. He turned his gaze back to Percy, who was sitting next to him. He was looking out of the window as well, but he had a wistful look on his face.
"Hey man, any reason you look like you want to jump out of the bus..." He looked behind him, at where Nancy and her friends were acting more idiotic than usual. "Well, beside the obvious."
Percy looked at him, as if judging whether or not he thought Leo would laugh, then admitted "My mom lives not far from here, I miss her."
Leo frowned, which he knew was an odd look on his face, as it was something he rarely did. "I know what you mean Perce, but hey, at least you get to see yours in the holidays. I'll never see mine again." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Percy freeze, then turn to look at him. Leo had never mentioned his family before, if the topic ever came up, he'd avoid it. But the look of longing on Percy's face had made Leo think. Why not admit it; he knew Percy could be trusted... "Five years ago, and I still miss her."'
Hephaestus looked down at the mention of Esperanza. He loved all of his lovers and his children, but Esperanza and Leo had been something special.
'He finally turned to look at Percy, who was looking at him sadly. "Your mom's dead?" Then he seemed to notice how blunt he sounded and winced. "I mean, I never knew my dad, but mom's always been there for me, I can't imagine life without her. I'm digging a hole aren't I?"
Leo grinned, which seemed to relive Percy, "Keep digging mate, you're almost at Australia. "
Percy almost fell out of his seat laughing. He finally sat up, with tears in his eyes, and looked at Leo's affronted face. "That was... The worst... Australian accent... I have ever heard."
"It wasn't that bad..."
Grover's voice sounded from the other side of Percy, a tinge of amusement also heard in his voice, "It really was that bad. Stick to being American Leo, It suits you more."
Leo huffed as he fell back agaist his seat, and resumed staring out the window. Surely they were there by now...
The group of them were on a field trip, led by Mr Brunner (Aka Chiron) to a museum, to look at old Greek and Roman stuff. Leo was no good in museums. He always ended up irreparably damaging something or other, generally the most expensive display in the entire museum. In fact though Leo, since the breakages had happened in the past future, yep, it was this museum. He would have to try and avoid that jar this time..."
"You broke a priceless artifact!" Annabeth sounded scandalized.
Leo held his hands up. "I'm sorry. Brad pushed me; it was not my fault!"
She humphed and crossed her arms anyway.
'"Everyone out, we've arrived."
Mrs Dodds sent Chiron a look, then screeched "Stand in two orderly lines outside, and keep talking to a minimum while we pay for entry. If any of you break anything, you will have to pay for it! Are we clear?" There was a murmured accent from a few people. "I said. Are we clear?"
"Yes Mrs Dodds" chanted the class. Then they all trouped outside.
It took about half an hour for the class to start the tour, and Leo suspected it would have taken longer, but he had seen Chiron snap his fingers in front of the ticket lady's face, and after that they were in. Tut tut Chiron thought Leo, manipulating the mist to rip off innocent mortals, how dare you. Leo got a big grin on his face after that, no longer could Chiron tell him off for doing that. Not when he did it himself. His grin faded, that was if they ever got to the point where he could joke with Chiron again. Judging by the way things were, that wouldn't be happening any time soon.
Leo got to a corner, where a jug stood. It was that jug, the evil jug of doom that jumped out at him, then shattered on the floor, and got Leo blamed for destruction of a priceless artefact. Well ok, maybe he ran into it slightly, but it was still the jug's fault. He edged round it, ignoring the odd looks he was getting from his classmates.
After they had passed the evil jug, Percy stopped Leo and said "What was that about?"
"That jug, is the most expensive in the entire museum, and knowing me, that would be the one I'd break."
Percy gave a nod. "I have to admit Leo; Murphy's Law does seem to like you. And me too now I think about it."
Their walk went relatively unhindered, through the Roman section, and onto the Greek. Leo ignored the tour guide, and looked around the large room, at all the pictures and statues of various gods. He didn't really understand why they had hardly any cloths on. Would it have killed the artists to add a little more? He didn't think the gods would mind. Leo saw a statue of Lord Poseidon. It looked nothing like the Percy friendly short wearing dad. More like a wrestler in a loincloth holding a giant fork. Had that artist never seen a trident or something?'
Suprisingly, Poseidon laughed along with everyone else. "Very true," he agreed.
'He looked round for his father, and saw him in a picture, standing by a smelting place. He looked a lot better in the picture than in reality. Sorry dad, thought Leo, but it's true. The group moved on from there till they came to a room that had a stele, a grave marker in it. It was for a girl about Leo's age. Judging by the designs, a demigod. He glanced over at Chiron, who was looking at the stele sadly. He had probably known the girl, before she died.
Leo lent down and saw writing in ancient Greek, carved into the stone. Andria Smelting, it said. Daughter of Hephaestus.
Hephaestus looked down, frowning deeply. Poor Andria, a sweet girl who had died a very tragic death.
'Leo gulped, that made it all the more real. This girl had been his sister. Sure a sister who had probably died a thousand plus years ago, but still a child of Hephaestus, still a member of his family he would never met.
Chiron's talk pasted in a blur for Leo, and the next thing he knew they were being headed outside by Mrs Dodds. Leo, Percy and Grover sat by the fountain, eating their lunch. Leo snorted as he watched Nancy try to pickpocket someone, only to be hit in the face by a handbag. He pointed it out to the others, and they watched as she tried again, and got the same results.
"You'd think she'd stop trying." Grover said, as the same thing happened for a third time.
"Nah Grover" added Percy. "She would actually have to have a brain to do that. But that's one thing she seems to be lacking."
Unfortunately Nancy saw them laughing at her, made her way over, and dumped her half eaten lunch right in Grover's lap. Leo saw red. No- one picked on his friends like that and got away with it. He barely registered Nancy being dragged into the water fountain, and that the water had started to heat up. By the time Leo's anger was under control, Nancy was dripping wet, and the now dry stones at the bottom of the fountain were steaming slightly.
Mrs Dodds came over. "Mr Jackson, Mr Valdez, come with me"
"It was me, I pushed her."
"I don't think so Mr Underwood." Then she grabbed Percy and Leo, and began dragging them toward the museum. But the thing that scared Leo the most wasn't her unnatural strength. But the light of harsh triumph in her eyes.'
"HADES!"
"Yes, brother? Yes, nephew?"
"You sent a fury after our children?"
"Just your's, Poseidon, but keep in mind that I thought he had stolen my helm at the time."
"Okay," Leo laughed, shakily. "Before World War III breaks out, we should probably keep reading."
"Who reads next?"
"Me, please," Hestia said, smiling, as Connor stood and handed her the book with a grin.
Tada! I promise the chapters will start getting better. Now, the chapters are short, but around the time the quest begins, the story gets really interesting.
