11 YEARS AGO
When Leo was five, his mother took him to the beach for the first time. They packed their car with beach balls and picnic baskets and set out just as light was stretching over the horizon. "Are you excited, mijo?" Esperanza asked her son, and Leo nodded, even though the only things he knew about the beach were that there were sharks and sand.
And monsters. Tía used to tell him about the monsters that would stumble onto the shore, hunting for foolish people to drag into the ocean. But despite this, Leo was looking forward to the trip because he wasn't foolish, his mom said he was smart and his tía said he was brave, so it must be true, right? Plus his mom packed apple pie.
"Look," Esperanza pointed out the window. The five-year-old could just see the water peeking out through the trees, "we're almost there!"
When they arrived, the sand was already littered with people setting up chairs and umbrellas, trying to get a good spot. Hauling everything out of the car, mother and son weaved through the crowd, settling on a secluded corner of the shore. Leo ran barefoot on the scorching sand, and while most would be scrambling to cool their feet off in the ocean, he merely buried his toes deeper, relishing in its warmth. Esperanza shook her head fondly. At least she never had to worry about her son getting sunburned.
Leo saw seashells on the edge of the water and began building a small tower. "Mommy, look! The sand is holding the seashells together!" He kept adding seashells and piling on sand until the structure started to fall apart, his expression crumbling with it. "Mommy…" Esperanza came over to assess the damage.
"It's ok, mijo. Let's go find some more seashells." But Leo just sat there, watching as the waves slowly eroded what he worked so hard on. It wasn't fair. He frantically tried adding more sand, more seashells, but nothing worked.
Esperanza frowned in worry. "Leo? Sweetie? It's alright, honey, we can build another one." But he needed to make this castle work. He needed it to work. Tears sprang to his eyes. He just needed to keep thinking about what his tía said.
"Heroes have to learn how to make things work." Leo didn't really understand what she meant by that, but she had a knife to his favorite stuffed turtle's throat, and mommy said knives could hurt. He didn't want it to get hurt. So, with tears in his eyes, he listened to tía Callida, hoping that if he was good, she'd give him back Mr. Snappy. "When you're out there, hard choices will have to be made. Sacrifices and compromises are inevitable." The knife dug deeper into the fabric, a bit of stuffing slipping out, and Leo started to cry in earnest.
"Tía! You're hurting Mr. Snappy!"
The woman glowered, her frustration bleeding through. "So? How will you convince me to stop? Think, Leonidas, think!" Leo looked around, spotting something in the corner of his room. It was the wheel to a train set he never used anymore. Snatching the dusty piece, he desperately held it out to the older woman while simultaneously trying to reach his favorite toy.
"This for that!"
"Oh, a trade? Well, you're certainly on the right track. But unfortunately, I'm going to need something more. Of equal value. What else do you have, child?" He glanced around and froze, spotting the blue rabbit his mommy got him for his birthday last year. He remembered standing next to her workbench as she engraved his name on its left paw. Tia Callida followed his gaze, "Ah, that'll do."
However, instead of getting it herself, she merely held her hand out. Leo needed to do it himself, to trade one treasure for another, and even at the age of 5, he could feel the significance of the moment, the betrayal.
But even so, he gave her the bunny, saving Mr. Snappy. And a Callida handed back the stuffed turtle, she ruffled his hair in pride, Leo flinched, "Every problem has a solution, little one," she said, smiling softly and placing the knife against the stuffed rabbit, "As long as you're willing to do what it takes." And Tia Callida made him watch as she slit the stuffed rabbit's throat.
That wasn't the first time she taught him that lesson, and it wouldn't be the last.
He looked around for something that would work. Maybe he just had to think harder, but it was hard when he was so frustrated. He thought about his slain bunny and more tears escaped down his cheeks. Maybe he was foolish. Why won't his sandcastle stay up?
Esperanza picked up her son and rocked him back and forth. Worry contorting her face, she glanced at the waves and apple pie and wondered if this was really a good idea. She was hoping the trip would raise his spirits a bit.
Lately, her son has had this nervous energy surrounding his every choice; it was only when she caught "Tia Callida" last week warming her hands against the burning picnic table her son was sitting in the middle of. She doesn't think anyone in the apartment complex is going to forget about that anytime soon.
She held her son tighter. That woman won't be coming anywhere near her son if she could help it.
A red-headed girl ran up to the pair and held out a small pile of sticks and leaves. "Hi! Do you want these?" She asked, bouncing on her toes. Leo peeked out over his mother's shoulder. His eyes widened and he scrambled to get down.
"Yes, yes! Can I have them, please? My tower keeps falling down…" He looked forlornly at his fallen masterpiece, only for his view to be blocked by the mysterious girl. She smiled kindly.
"It's OK! You can have them, but can I play too?"
Leo's smile returned wider than ever. "OK!" He then proceeded to point out each shell and its function. One was a door, a few were windows.
Esperanza watched in fond amusement as they both got to work and asked, "Hey Leo, who's your friend?"
"Hi, I'm Lily! I'm 6, today's my birthday!" Lily stood up on her toes and pointed towards a group of people setting up their own space on the sand. "That's my cousin and aunt and uncle and mom and dad!" The group of people waved and Esperanza waved back. The flaming red hair definitely ran in the family.
As the kids played Esperanza's smile reflected her son's. His life wasn't going to be easy, and there will always be trials and tribulations, but Leo had a tendency to attract some good people. As long as she was around, she wasn't going to let anything hurt him.
11 YEARS LATER
Leo's hands started shaking. He was trying to fix this stupid desk but he couldn't find the right screws for the side panels. How could he not find them? It's a magical tool belt for Pete's sake! He continued digging around, searching for something else to use. He needed to make this work.
Think, Leonidas, think!
Leo flinched as Hera's voice rang through his mind. Ok, alright, that's his cue to take a break. He got up and stumbled in the dark towards the kitchen. It was almost 6 in the morning; the sky was just starting to lighten with the first signs of dawn. Everyone must still be asleep, and probably will be for a few hours.
Opening the fridge, he searched for strawberry milk. He could've sworn he saw some while they were putting the groceries away-
Movement out the corner of his eye had him spinning around and slamming into the fridge. He hissed in pain. "Ow, ow," he gripped his side as he flipped on the light, "Holy Hades in a handbasket- Nico! You scared the McShizzle outta me!"
A brief smile escaped the boy's somber facade before disappearing like smoke. He shuffled his feet awkwardly, and Leo had the sudden urge to spontaneously dance with the boy, if only to try and make him laugh. He looked way too serious for so early in the morning, maybe he should offer him some strawberry milk?
Finding the beverages behind the juice, he held out a cartoon to the demigod, "Want one?" Nico shook his head, and Leo merely shrugged. His loss. Leo started humming some nonsensical tune, but Nico's frown only deepened, his gaze sharpening, and the taller boy had the distinct feeling that the son of Hades was studying him.
"Look man, I know I almost set the apartment on fire, but I promise it won't happen again. I'm not crazy."
Nico's eyes widened, and he started immediately shaking his head. "Leo, I know you're not crazy. It's just-" He huffed out a breath of frustration. After a few tension-filled moments, Nico pulled a small, white envelope from his pocket and held it out. "This is the real reason I came to New York."
Leo raised an eyebrow. "Dude, I know we don't exactly have a good track record with technology, but if you wanted to talk wouldn't an Iris message have been easier?"
If anything, Nico looked even more uncomfortable. "It's not from me…" Then he went quiet. Leo really wasn't in the mood for any more surprises, but regardless, he took the envelope, looking at its front, then its back. It was blank and cold to the touch. He glanced at Nico again, who was staring at him as if he might run at any moment. Though run from what is yet to be determined.
He took a deep breath and opened the seal. It was probably nothing to be concerned about.