AN: Not as long a break as last time, OK, so here we go.

Nszorua- I love that moment! Merlin's awesome. "I'm in disguise." Best bit is he actually is!

Yep from now on, that teacher is going to be very suspicious of Valdez. Fun.

GFish59- well done, you were right, please review me your character (::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O).

This chapters a little different. The end bit, after the double line is from Olympus and Apollo's P.O.V, which will give more of a background to a later event. ( ten plus chapters later, but still.)

Enjoy the reading.

In Which Leo meets trouble on the way home...

Now Leo didn't think he was dramatic. Well, no, that was a lie, he was very dramatic, but not all the time- well, he could be down to earth if he wanted. Never mind. Point was he felt he was justified to groan and yell "Schist" at the sky- he had just had- if he said so himself, an extremely difficult day at school; and now, on his way home to try and relax from the personal Tartarus he was putting himself through (as he could go to camp any time) there was a freaking trio of Basilisks trailing a kid further down the sidewalk.

The kid looked like he had been living on his own a while, his hoodie had slash marks in the back, and was stained with something Leo was ready to bet wasn't ketchup. He also appeared to be limping, and unaware of the three evil snakes stalking him. Leo frowned. He so didn't want to deal with this now.

He had already had an argument at school- he had three of his five lessons with Piper, and the ones he didn't have with her, were P.E (which he really didn't like; less to do with the lesson, more to do with the teacher, who was like Coach Hedge, just taller and more violent). And P.D (physical development) during which he, a sixteen year old stuck in a twelve year olds body, had to sit through two hours a fortnight of twelve year old boys learning what 'changes are going to happen to their bodies' (as the teacher put it).

The lessons he did have with Piper, Biology, English and Math, were almost as bad. Though the company was far better- every teacher seemed to have decided that since he and Piper were both new, they could be together in everything! It was really testing hiss resolve to stay away from her. He liked her too- though she was younger and more prone to 'aww' and 'eww' at a lot of things, she was in character his best friend, and it almost felt like having his Piper back. His problem was that, even when he had only known her about six hours, he was almost always ready to turn to her with a joke she wouldn't get. Or a "do you remember..." which she wouldn't remember. It was almost like when he and Piper had gotten mist memories of Jason being with them at the Wilderness school- only he didn't remember. Only this time, he was the only one that remembered, and everyone else would think he was crazy if he said them out-loud.

He constantly had to watch his tongue around Piper- and he was certain she had noticed his guarded attitude. If he knew Piper like he did (which he did). It wouldn't be too long before she called him out on it- and he didn't want to lose this new Piper, who was so much like his old one.

Besides, at lunch, Piper had dragged him to the cafeteria, and stuck him down by one of the high tables with stools, before running off to grab two of the school's lunches. Before she got back two older girls came over and demanded he move. He explained he was new and he was saving the seat for someone- to which girl one (who Leo was referring to as Drew- for obvious reasons) replied "Sweetie, I don't care" and proceeded to call her boyfriend over to 'encourage' him to hand over the table. Then Leo got irritated. When he was actually twelve, he would have probably handed the seat over by now- not wanting to get beaten up- but being internally sixteen, these fourteen year olds who were pushing around were about as scary as a pink fluffy unicorn- so not much; so he stood up, picked up the two stools, and said, in a mocking voice, "sure sweetie, table's all yours".

Piper had laughed over that when she got back with the meals, and while they had a lot of trouble trying to eat with chairs that were higher up than the small table- they both agreed it was worth it.

OK, so the day wasn't all bad.

Still, Leo was all ready to go home and chill now. He didn't want to fight evil snakes and end up injured. But, that kid was only about ten, and looked ready to drop. What kind of guy would he be if he didn't help out a fellow demigod? He sighed and trudged after the hoodie kid, checking his tool belt for ambrosia. While he could pull tools out of his belt no problem, any ambrosia or nectar he pulled out had to be put in first- and he was pretty sure he had put some in earlier, yep, there.

Leo really wanted to be in a less crowded area before he started attacking the snakes, because he knew if he started attacking them in a crowd, the mist would get in the way, and he'd have some irritating, well- meaning mortal calling the police about an insane teenager who was beating three little dogs with a sledgehammer. Or maybe not- this was New York after all.

Anyway, Leo's wish was granted when the boy, and by extension the three Basilisks, turned into a less crowded side street, the kid slumping over even more and letting out a gasp. Leo was really glad he followed the kid now- there was no way he would have been able to defeat the three snakes in that condition. The kid, who Leo was now going to call Newbie, for lack of a better name, peeled off his hoodie, and Leo almost gasped when he saw what state Newbie was in.

Beside the three gashes in his back, which were still oozing blood, Newbie also had a claw mark across his face and a load of bruising up and down both arms and, if Leo wasn't mistaken, bruises in the shape of fingers around him neck. That had better be from a monster that had human-ish hands. Because if a mortal had done that... Leo had a problem with abusive people. Decent people generally do.

Leo slipped into the shadow of the opposite wall, as he saw Newbie stiffen at one of the snakes hissing; he turned slowly and seemed to cave in on himself when he saw the snakes. Leo heard his almost- whimper. "No more, please no more. Please dad, if you really are a god, please send someone to help me out, I can't fight anymore dad."

Leo felt a twinge of sympathy- Newbie sounded like Leo had in some of his worse day's before camp- when he was all but ready to give up. But he sounded almost worse. Leo had been ready to give up, and some nights he fell asleep out in an alleyway and couldn't help but wish he wouldn't wake up the next day; but this kid had given up. He wasn't even raising his hand's to fight, just slumped agaist the wall and waited.

Leo fished a fifteen pound sledge hammer out of his tool belt and lobbed it with deadly accuracy at the three snakes. It landed directly on top on the head of the central basilisk, the handle swinging around to catch the right one in the gut. Or at least, where the gut would be, if it was humanoid. It was kinda hard to tell where a snake's gut would be. Leo took a moment to appreciate that the tool belt had given him a hammer coated in celestial bronze, as the squished snake turned to gold dust. He really loved this tool belt.

The other two snakes left their prey at the wall, and turned on Leo. What alarmed him the most though, was not the snakes advancing on him, but the complete lack of reaction on Newbie's part. He really hoped the kid wasn't dying.

Leo wasn't too worried about the Basilisk's, on his list of most evil monsters, they were near the bottom- although with the giant war, his list might be somewhat skewered. It was easier for him, because, while they could spit fire, that really had no effect on him at all. He just had to make sure that he stayed out of the way of their poison. Simple enough- just don't let them get near him.

Leo drew another hammer out of his tool belt, and a bowie knife out of another pocket. Why the belt thought he might need a Bowie knife in a workshop was anyone's guess- he had certainly never needed one before. But a celestial bronze Bowie knife was worth having, so he grinned, and lobbed to at one of the snakes, the one who had been clobbered with the handle of the hammer, and it cut diagonally across his body, severing it in two and demoting it to dust.

The third snake hissed in anger- or what Leo thought was anger, surprisingly enough he didn't speak snake. Though he expected the translation wouldn't be very flattering toward hammer and Bowie knife wielding demigods. He ignored the jet of fire from the snakes' mouth, and grinned as it washed over him. It felt kinda like being hosed down- just with fire not water. He lunged forward and brained the snake against the wall. Rather anti-climatic.

Leo wiped the hammer on some wet cardboard in the alley, and then dropped it back into his belt. He rushed to Newbie's side, picking up his other hammer. "Hey, kid, you alright? You awake?" Newbie groaned and sunk to the floor, careful not to lean his back against the wall, even as he wrapped an arm around his ribs. Leo reached for his ambrosia, holding it out as he crouched before the kid. "Here, it'll help."

Leo had to lean close to hear the whispered reply, "...poisoned it."

"To be honest kid, I doubt you could get any worse- and in your state, you could be killed by the next monster that comes along. Besides, you asked for help didn't you?"

Leo ignored the shocked glance sent his way by the boy, and pushed the ambrosia square into his hand, watching as Newbie reluctantly ate it. He heard the boys gasp as his pain eased and injuries began to clear up. He looked at Leo in astonishment- "What is that?"

Leo grinned at him as he helped him to his feet. "Ambrosia, food of the gods, little amounts heals us, too much burns us to ashes, you know- ultimate version of too much of a good thing is bad."

Leo began leading the way out of the alley, "come on Newbie, I need to get you to camp."

Olympus

Apollo was lounging in his throne on Olympus-it wasn't a council meeting or anything, but the all- powerful Zeus had decided it would be good form to always have an Olympian present in the throne room just in case any daring hero came to visit and no-one was in. It was a law written a few millennia ago when there were still big heroes who dared to come to Olympus unannounced- and though no-one seemed to do it anymore, Zeus hadn't abolished it. So here he was taking his turn.

Well, technically it was Hermes' turn, but he had a load of urgent deliveries, which were top secret- which meant he had to deliver them himself, and not just delegate. So here Lord Apollo was- being a good friend and model brother, and helping out his mate. And if it meant Hermes owed him a favour and would be his wingman next time he was going out to pick up a chick- well that was just him being a good friend too, and nothing to do with any condition Apollo had demanded if he were to fill this, unendingly boring duty.

This chore demanded that the majority of a god's essence should be in the throne room to obey the law- which meant that his conciseness was stuck here too- oh joy. So here he was, lounging on his throne, strumming his lyre and not really thinking about anything in particular, when he sat up straight. It wasn't particularly unusual to get a prayer from one of his children; he did have one of the fullest cabins at camp half blood, but they normally only came through this strong if the child was in mortal danger.

He concentrated on the words of the prayer. It wasn't addressed to Lord Apollo, or even just Apollo, it was dad. "No more, please no more. Please dad, if you really are a god, please send someone to help me out, I can't fight anymore dad." Apollo frowned, a rare occurrence on his usually bright face. It was one of his unclaimed children, one who hadn't even made it to camp yet. He was barely ten for Olympus's sake!

Apollo was about to flash out when he remembered why he was there. Of all the days for his son to be in mortal danger and it was the day Apollo really couldn't go help. He'd not only be breaking the don't interfere with your demigod children rule, but also the never leave the throne room unoccupied rule. Normally he'd have no trouble breaking one to help his kid- and leaving the responsibility to later. But with Zeus all miffed over Poseidon's son, all the hold mess with one of Hephaestus's kids, that he'd probably kill Apollo's son even if he managed to save him.

Apollo sunk back on his throne in defeat. It wasn't fair, the kid hadn't even made it to camp yet- and if it were one of his daughters, he'd ask Artemis mentally to please go help her. But no, it was one of his sons, and all the other gods were busy and wouldn't have time, or inclination to go and save him. Sure, having a demi-god child killed before they made it to camp wasn't exactly rare, but it still hurt every time. Apollo had never really got into the, leave your kids alone and don't care for them vibe.

If he couldn't help his son, and no-one else would, then, sick torture it might be, he was going to watch his son's death, just so he wouldn't forget easily. At least this way, someone would remember the kid.

Apollo brought up a screen in front of him with a darkened alleyway, and his son slumped against the wall, with three Basilisks approaching him. His heart was it his throat, when he saw a thrown hammer come from off screen and one of the snakes got brained. Someone was there helping his son! Of course if it was just a mortal he'd only die too, but that hammer had to be at least partially celestial bronze to turn the monster to dust.

Apollo was almost ready to jump for joy when the other two Basilisks left the screen after the one who killed their companion- and Apollo changed the pan of the screen to see the last basilisk get brained against the wall with another hammer. Leo Valdez, Hephaestus's problem kid, came and stood next to his son, who was now slumped on the floor, and handed him ambrosia.

After Apollo saw his son eat it, he let out a sigh of relief. If that boy was anything like his father he'd make sure that Apollo's son got to camp. He vanished the screen and leant his head back on his throne. Seemed like he owed that Valdez boy a favour- which, judging by the situations that Hephaestus's son got into, he'd be paying pretty soon.

Ok, there we go. I'm a bit lost on what to call my O.C, son of Apollo, so a reward for this question will be to give him a name, and I promise, even if it's a really weird name, I will use it. (Unless it's rude.) I might shorten it though. So if you name him ketchup, it'll happen.

The question is...

What's the name of the ranch owner with three chests?

WHOO, See you next time, when MR, oc will be named.