Uh…heh…please…don't…kill…me. That's it…nice readers…you don't want to kill me…I- *dodges a spear* HOLYSHITMOTHEROFGODALMIGHTY INTHE SKYDON'THURTME! *runs away screaming, an angry mob of readers chasing her down with pitchforks.*

Woah…first time I've really cursed (here at least). That's how sorry I am… (Does that make sense?) I'm back from the dead, with an extremely angsty Leo-centric oneshot. I know, I know. AGAIN? My muse is horribly dark and mean to Leo, huh? I should probably also be writing SoN and Help, I'm just not…motivated. Right now, I'll probably be updating this like mad, because so much STUFF has popped into my mind while I was at camp. *grins devilishly* Also, sorry if I curse more than usual…living in the middle of nowhere for three and a half weeks cut off from technology and civilization does strange things to ya, man.

And now, for a slice of delightful teenage ANGST.

Slipping

Leo knows his place. The people around him make it clear enough.

He's he sidekick, the comic relief, the third wheel, the doormat. They use him, walk all over him, then expect him to jump up with a smile and be eager to help with what ever they need, as if it were his job, his obligation.

And in some ways, it is.

He's a prophecy child, destined to save the world and all that other bullshit that just makes him want to puke all over the floor. But then again, he is one of many, isn't he? He doesn't see Piper and Jason slaving away, working countless hours, losing sleep and yet, still being under appreciated! No, they frolic around camp, free to do whatever; getting praise for every breath they take. All the little campers worship them. They want to be just like them when they grow up to be big bad heroes! Could you really blame Leo for being jealous as he sits on the sidelines, completely unacknowledged? (Or at least, so he thinks)

Not to mention the thousand tons of pressure sitting on his chest. He doesn't know if he can do this. He isn't meant for the spotlight, and he hates having everyone depending on him. One screw up and it's all over.

Not that he doesn't love working on the ship, because he does. That thing is his freaking baby, the one thing that's truly his, his whole destiny. Believe it or not, he actually enjoys himself for once, as he pours over blueprints night after night. To be honest, the Bunker is his hideaway, the one place where he could forget about everything, and finally have some control over something. (Because he sure as hell didn't have any when it came to his life)

And thus, he buries himself in work, hardly coming out of the Bunker for anything, even meals. He tells himself that he can handle the pressure. And, oddly enough, the only one who seems to notice anything wrong is Nyssa. She watches in muted horror as the happy-go-lucky guy Leo had once been begins to disappear under mounds of blueprints and scrap metal. And when she does see him out and about, he carries on as if nothing is wrong, cracking jokes and generally annoying the crap out of everyone, just like he normally does.

She often wonders if she's the only one who sees right through his façade.

But she's afraid that if she presses him, he'll snap, and she'll lose him forever.

She doesn't want that,

Nyssa still remembers how he had been on that first day, cheerful and unbreakable, cracking jokes and messing around. What the hell ever happened to that kid? Nyssa had respect for that kid. Nyssa knew that kid (or at least, knew him better than most). Nyssa loved that kid (He was the annoying little brother she never had)

But, most of all, Nyssa misses, that kid.

That kid was the real Leo Valdez.

Who had sucked all the color out of him? Who dared to make Leo feel so unhappy and unimportant?

She knew who it was, and she had no words to defend herself, or the rest of camp.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o

It was almost diner time, and the majority of the Hephaestus can had already closed up shop, going off to enjoy the rest of her evening. All except for one.

As usual, Leo Valdez sat at a desk in the far corner of the bunker, still scribbling away.

Nyssa stared at him for a moment, torn. After a few moments of self-pep talk, Nyssa gathered all the courage she could possibly muster, and made her way over to Leo.

She imagined as if she were approaching some dangerous animal, which could eat her head at any moment. Warning: Proceed with caution.

Tentatively, she tapped his shoulder, as he appeared to have not noticed her standing there. His pencil froze, and he turned to look at Nyssa over his shoulder. His face cracked into a grin, but it was tired and void of warmth.

"Hey, 'sis. What's up?" He sounded so…normal. Nyssa almost thought twice.

Almost.

"Nothing' much," she replied, as casually as she could. "But, uh…are you planning to go to dinner, or you just going to stay here…again?"

His face fell for a millisecond (he obviously believed no one had noticed), before zipping straight back into a lopsided smile. "Oh, that? Pfft, yeah, I was just wrapping up here." He stood abruptly from his chair, making the metal legs shriek as they scraped against the floor. He hastily rolled the paper up, shoving it onto one of the shelves. He turned back to her, still grinning, but Nyssa's face was grim.

"Were you really planning on it, Leo?" She pursed her lips. His smile melted.

"Whadda ya mean?" He seemed genuinely confused.

Damn, this guy is a good actor.

Sighing, Nyssa pulled up a chair, and sank down in it.

"Leo, I'm worried about you," She blurted, blunt as can be. "You've been skipping meals, activities, hardly coming out of this stupid bunker. You hardly talk to us anymore. I just want to know what the hell is going on with you. It's just…not healthy."

He blinked, looking like a corned animal.

"I don't know what you—"

"Don't give me that shit, Valdez. I'm not blind. I can see that you're hurting."

Silence.

For a moment, Nyssa wondered if she had blown it. Leo raked a hand through his unruly black curls, leaning against a wall, his eyes dark and far-away.

"I've uh…just been kinda stressed lately, with the whole 'you–must-be-done-in-an-impossibly-short-amount-of time-and-save-us-or-we-die' thing,"

"That's not all, I can tell," Nyssa whispered. She can tell by the look on his face that she was entering dangerous territory, but she didn't care. She was gonna get through to him, even if it meant getting him angry.

"You…wouldn't understand…" he muttered, turning away from her. He seemed to have aged ten years, shoulders slumped, hands in his pockets. Nyssa got up from her chair, turning him around.

"I would, Leo. I don't see why you don't get that. You act like I don't get what you're going through."

Leo stood there for a moment, silence dragging on painfully. Suddenly, with a great shout of frustration, he kicked the metal chair he had been sitting in across the room, landing with a metallic clang. He wanted to hit something. He wanted to punch, scream kick, cry, just let himself go wild, and have a temper tantrum like some five-year-old who didn't get a cookie. She thought she knew? She wasn't the one who everyone was counting on, day in and day out! It was driving him insane!

"You think you—" he stopped himself before he let anything slip. "Y'know what…I'll…I'll see you later." And with that, he ran off into the woods, intent on blowing some serious steam, reading to chop the living crap out of whatever monster can into his path.

And Nyssa let him go.

He needs this. She thought as she walked to dinner. He needs some time to just go nuts.

"Where's Leo?" Jake asked as Nyssa took a seat at the Hephaestus table. The rest of the kids looked at her expectantly, their eyes full of concern.

"He's…" she struggled for the right words.

"Skipping again." Jake muttered, his eyes dark. It wasn't a question. Everyone's faces fell as Nyssa nodded sadly.

"Yeah," Jake raised his eyebrows.

"You let him?" he questioned. "I thought for sure you were going to whoop his ass until he came out and ate a proper meal."

"I was gonna…but…" she lowered her voice, not wanting to alarm the other campers. "He needs this, Jake. He's…under a lot of pressure. He's not at the Bunker right now, I'll tell you that."

At this point, they both knew one thing: Leo Valdez was slipping, and it was their job to keep him from falling over the edge.

Well, that was delightfully dark and slightly cliché wasn't it? Eh, oh well. It's four freaking pages on word. WOW. This took a long time, so I hope it's good. The next TTDU will not be as angsty as the first. Maybe some light, mushy, Percebeth Fluff? I dunno.

Till next time,

The ULTIMATE Catchphrase.