Thank you to everyone for being patient, I've finished my exams so hopefully I'll be able to update more regularly. And, warning for this chapter. There will be another suicidal memory so please look out for the warnings on that. Thanks to everyone who faved and followed.
IraTamashi99AmyliaZanpakuto : Teehee, my demigod power must be manipulating people's emotions.
Awesomesauce90 : Thank you, especially for your patience :)
Kittehx1 : Especially if you are an ADHD demigod with awesome powers.
Sidda : Awesome, and I'll try and fit that idea in next chapter for you. And I love the Imp within.
The Steaming Cactus : Then I might have to change around my ideas a little.
Guest : Nope, it wasn't. And I liked Age of Ultron, but not as much as The Avengers.
Bris38 : You're lucky, because that was who's P.O.V that I was planning to do this chapter.
Bearah cubecars : Lea's a sweetie ;)
FlamingLeoValdez : Thank you so much, I'm glad that you think my story's the best.
Catsrawesome : I wish that Leo was my friend as well. And it won't be Frank ;)
Our Mismatched Socks : Thanks, and It's not easy but you all take the time to review so I think that you deserve a reply.
Melancholy's Sunshine : I'm happy that you enjoyed the fluff, and if you truly want me to put that in, then I'm sure that it can make it into the sequel.
FracturedSanity419 : Hey Sophie. I'll put that in later. And thanks for the sympathy, and I hope you have luck in your exams.
Kaylee : That will be happening this chapter.
Pacenya347 : Sure I'll put that in for you in chapter 30. And thanks :)
ObsessedwReading : Thank you, and I love your fanfictions as well.
MarissaTodd : Instead of having an epilogue, I'm going to have some sequels and I'm thinking of maybe extending my original idea into a full reunion fic (though Jadon and Leo wouldn't get together, sorry).
Iluvbooks : Thanks, and you will have some more.
Readingaddict24 : I'm glad that you like it, and there will definitely be more angst this chapter.
HoOisawesome : Exams are definitely the worst, so thanks for allowing me to take my time. And Leo is a brilliant friend :)
Mondmaedchen : Ah, sisters can be so cruel. And of course I'll put that in for you.
Willowleaf : Thank you and I agree that exams are worse than writers block as I have so much that I want to write but not enough time to write it. And no matter how it ends, there will be the sequels :)
QueenofLothlorien : I'm happy that you found it touching. And I'll put both ideas into chapter 30 for you.
Neon Wish : Leo's awesome.
MakaylaCO : I'm glad that you like it, but I'm sorry that the kissing made you uncomfortable :(
Connwaer Heap : Thanks, and although my fave in TT is Robin, Leo and Beast Boy are actually very similar characters.
Zoethezany III : Thank you for all of your reviews, and your story is cute. And my story's not over yet, I'm ending on chapter 30. Nice dam reference by the way :)
Alvin6299 : I'm sorry that I'm taking so long.
Willowleaf : Thank you for being one of those wonderful reviewers.
SiddaLIE : Are you by any chance Sidda? And I'll try and put that in for you.
MollyMW : I'm glad you liked it, and I will keep writing. And tell your brain that I'll put it's idea in chapter 29.
FlinxBbraeCaleo : Sure, but it's placement is going to be a little weird.
Lilac : Thank you for wishing me luck and for your kindness towards my wacky update schedule. It's lovely that you aren't just pressuring me into writing faster, and I really appreciate it :)
Ybbilicious : You're very welcome, and I will.
Disclaimer : If Leo was mine then this story would be canon. Anything else recognisable is also not mine.
Percy's P.O.V
Percy had found that last set of images kind of adorable. He wondered if it was possible for anyone to not find little Leo snuggling up to things in his sleep cute.
Percy then remembered the issue of Leo believing that Percy saw him as an enemy. He turned towards the short Latino. He was about to bring up the issue when he noticed the joy on Leo's face as Jason and Piper teased him gently over his sleeping habits (though Percy noted that Piper's eyes looked a little misty). Percy couldn't bring himself to say anything that might ruin Leo's mood.
Nine year old Leo was sitting inside a toy car, the kind that you put your feet through and walk around with.
Except Leo wasn't using his feet to operate the car. Instead, a tiny engine was helping the car to chug along the street.
A man was walking along beside him, ushering a small group of kids along in front of him (Percy assumed that he was a foster home worker and that he was trying to keep the younger kids safe on the way to school). Every now and then the man would glance at Leo, and then look away, shaking his head. The other kids were also giving Leo a wide berth.
"I can't believe that you actually motorised a toy car." Percy was watching the screen approvingly, little Leo was awesome as well as adorable. He heard Leo chuckle.
"I told you that I did."
They eventually reached what seemed to be the school's gates and Leo just drove in calmly. Groups of teachers and students all turned in disbelief as Leo casually steered his miniature car into the bike area and chained it up as if it were a bike.
After the bike was secure, Leo sidled over to one of the clusters of children, and stood in front of the teacher that was apparently assigned to his group.
"Morning miss." He chirped brightly.
"I can't believe that you just did that. Did you get in trouble at all?" Percy was laughing at the sheer nerve displayed by Leo, he drove a toy car to school.
"Nope." Leo grinned goofily as the others laughed.
"NO! No way." Twelve year old Leo looked beyond petrified, his eyes were as wide as saucers.
"What's going on?" Hazel looked terrified for Leo. Leo looked a strange mix of ashamed and amused.
"You'll see." He stated, ominously.
"I'm sorry Leo but the decision is final. This is the first time in years in which someone has been allowed to come and interview a group of Amish people. And you have to come with me." The lady speaking was young with light brown hair and muddy brown eyes.
"You had to stay with an Amish community?" Annabeth inquired. Leo nodded, and Percy whistled.
"How did you of all people make it in a place with next to no technology?" Percy asked, and Leo simply gestured to the telly.
"Please Bridget!" Leo pleaded further but Bridget remained unmoved.
One week later.
Leo and Bridget were sitting in a traditional Amish buggy (which Annabeth explained to everyone). Bridget looked fascinated by the explanation being provided by the Amish man who was driving their buggy. Leo looked inclined to chuck himself off of the buggy and to flee.
They pulled up outside of a traditional Amish settlement, and the guide informed them that someone was going to come and show them around the settlement. Bridget was gazing around, barely constrained excitement visible in her eyes. Leo was staring at the floor as if questioning what he had done to deserve this Tartarus.
"No phone. No TV. No computer." His hands were fiddling manically with a piece of paper.
"Kill me now." He muttered darkly.
"The Amish have a fascinating culture, you should have jumped at a chance to study it." Percy saw the gleam in his girlfriend's eyes, and he knew that she was going through her head reciting facts about the Amish culture to share with the group.
"An ADHD son of Hephaestus stuck with no electronics for two weeks. I was dreading it." Realisation caught in Annabeth's eyes.
"So did you hate it?" Frank broke in.
"They had cool horses." Leo shrugged.
"Seriously, the horses stopped you from going stir crazy?" Jason didn't look convinced, and Leo eventually capitulated.
"There was an incident on the third day." The screen sprang to life at that moment, as if it was just waiting for Leo to mention the incident before showing it.
Leo and Bridget were arguing, loudly but they were quite far away from the settlement so no one should have been able to hear them.
"Can't you be a little more enthusiastic, this is a whole new way of life." Bridget sounded a little fed up, as if this request had been made numerous times in the past.
"I didn't even want to come here, remember." Leo growled. Bridget frowned.
"Can't you just try to broaden your horizons, this is an amazing opportunity for me?" Leo's shoulders hunched over.
"I can't handle being away from technology." He moaned and Bridget snapped.
"You know they didn't even have technology a few hundred years ago. I'm sure that you can last two weeks without it." She fumed before flouncing off. Leo trudged after her once she had gotten a decent distance away.
"You don't understand..." He intoned quietly.
All of the demigods sympathised with Leo's plight, as demigods they all had unusual quirks. Percy knew that when he was away from water for too long, he could be more irritable than Lord Zeus himself.
It skipped to Leo sitting in a deserted barn, swaying back and forth on the floor. His hands didn't still for a second.
"I just want to build something..." He whispered. Then the barn door creaked open on rusty hinges.
Leo tensed, his hands slowing down but not stopping their intricate movements around a coloured piece of paper.
"Leo?" A voice called, tentatively. Leo sighed and stepped forwards. An older lady stood front of the barns humungous doors, face concerned.
Leo walked towards her, shoulders slumped. The lady seemed to scrutinise him for a few moments, before she smiled softly.
"Bridget tells me that you used to be a horse rider." Leo nodded.
"I could use some help with the horses..." She trailed off, and Leo's head whipped up excitedly.
"Really? I can help with the horses?" The lady nodded, and Leo's face lit up.
"You know, Bridget was very upset when she returned." Leo's smile faded as rapidly as it had appeared.
"I'll apologise later." He mumbled, shame lacing his tone. The lady nodded approvingly.
"Did she forgive you?" Piper asked.
"After I took part in a few Amish traditions." Leo smiled gently.
"It wasn't all as bad as I thought it would be. Ruth, the lady on screen then, was lovely and she always tried to help me out." His expression was fond as he continued drawing. Percy was bursting with the need to know what exactly Leo was drawing, but he knew that with this it was probably be prudent to be patient. Percy smirked as he used one of Annabeth's favourite words, prudent. Guess the Wise girl really was rubbing of on him.
The older gang Leo, the one from the drinking video, flickered on screen. He was cornered by a group of three older boys who were all pretty muscular.
"You're from Beast's gang, aren't you?" One leant forwards menacingly.
"His name was Beast. Did you take him for walkies and feed him treats." Percy snickered at the ridiculous name, and the others also cracked up despite the tense atmosphere on screen.
"He only got a treat if he was a good boy." Leo flashed him a cheeky grin, but Percy sobered up at the subtle flash of worry on Leo's face.
"Maybe." Leo drawled confidently, leaning back against the wall of the empty hall where he was trapped by the bigger boys.
"Well, you see kid, we don't particularly like Beast, and we'd like you to deliver a message to him for us." He cracked his knuckles as an obvious prelude to the beating about to take place, but Leo's grin grew wider.
"If it's about his awful taste in shirts then he already got the memo." The three thugs looked momentarily confused, as if they were asking themselves why this tiny boy was joking around instead of running for his life.
"No, we're going to beat you black and blue and then wait till Beats finds you." One of the lackeys spoke up. Leo made a tch noise.
"Now that was some God awful poetry right there gentlemen. Now, I feel obliged to inform you that I have a had a terrible day today, and that if you lay a finger on me, I will rip you to shreds." The two lackeys mimed being scared whilst the boy in front simply laughed.
"You sure about that little brat?" Leo's smirk oozed superiority, and the first boy lunged at him. Stupidly though, he had left Leo enough room to manoeuvre. Leo rolled underneath the taller boys legs and then cut them out from under him with one sweep of his leg. The boy toppled forwards and head butted the wall, sliding down it, dazed momentarily. The other two leapt forwards to try and punch Leo who simply grabbed one of their fists and used their momentum against them by launching them into one another.
By this point, the first boy was standing back up, snarling at the small Latino who was still wearing a huge smirk.
"You've just signed your death warrant."
"But I don't have a pen." Again the teen threw himself at Leo, who cart wheeled out the way. The others hauled themselves up, and one managed to grab Leo's hands pulling them behind him.
"Oh no." Hazel gasped, as if Leo wasn't safely sitting on the couch with them. To be honest, Percy was also worried for his little bro.
The lackey that wasn't holding Leo moved in to get Leo with a right hook, but Leo leant back on his captured arms with barely a wince and used that base to kick straight up, catching the boy who was about to hit him in the chin. The boy went down, and Leo smashed his head back into the other lackeys nose. The boy released him with a yelp, just in time for Leo to flip over the leader who was charging him like a bull. Just to add insult to injury, Leo placed his hand on the boy's back and used it to springboard himself even higher in the air.
The thug observed the way one of his friends was rolling on the floor, clutching his nose to try to stem the blood flow and the other was crumpled on the floor. His face twisted into a fearsome scowl. However, he apparently wasn't as stupid as he looked as he held up his hands slowly in surrender, moving closer to the side wall defensively.
Leo spun on his heel and swaggered away, yet just before he reached the doors, the thug whipped out a knife and chucked it at Leo with near deadly aim.
"DUCK!" Percy screamed at the TV, and Leo gave him a strange look.
"You know that shouting at the screen will do nothing as..."
"Shush." Percy felt heat rise in his cheeks as Leo laughed at him and Annabeth shook her head amusedly.
Without turning around, Leo flipped away from the knife. He then ran towards the older boy who raised his arms defensively. But instead of tackling the older boy like his movements suggested, Leo instead changed course, running up the wall slightly before kicking off of it, twisting his body and kicking the thug in the face.
He joined his comrades on the floor and Leo strolled away. When he reached the doors, he looked over his shoulder and all hints of amusement were wiped from his face.
"Take that as a warning from me. Don't mess with the beasts because our bite is way worse than our bark."
"How did you fight them like that? Why have you never used those moves against any of the monsters that we've fought?" Jason sounded as perplexed as Percy felt over the matter.
"Because fighting stupid gang members is very different to fighting monsters. Plus, a lot of those moves depend on certain situations that don't usually occur when monsters are trying to have you as a snack. And during most fights on the Argo, it's usually more important for me to stop the ship from either sinking or falling from the sky. We don't need a Chicken Little re-enactment." Percy smiled at the reference, and then at Annabeth's attempt to explain the film to a befuddled Hazel.
"Yeah, we have a sweet life on the Argo if you ignore the near constant monster attacks. We don't want to mess it up by destroying the ship." Percy smiled but then Leo turned towards him with an almost unholy look on his face.
"So you could say that we have a sweet life on deck." Percy, Frank and Piper all laughed whilst the others all looked confused. Then it was Leo's turn to explain the reference to the kid's show.
After everyone had been brought up to speed, the screen came on, showing Leo in his room on the Argo, tears streaming down his face and his hands balled into fists.
"No, no puedes mostrar esta memoria (no, no you can't show this memory)!" Leo bolted up, and both Percy and Jason tried to bring him back onto the couch.
"I'm sorry Leo, but this is necessary for them to see." Hera's voice was probably the closest to apologetic that it had ever gotten, but Leo remained standing, fiery tendrils swaying around his body.
"Why, haven't they seen enough?" Leo's voice was simultaneously fed up and pleading.
"There are not too many memories to go, be patient young demigod."
"Please can we skip this one, Lady Hera?" Percy was shocked at Leo's use of one of Hera's more formal titles, it really brought the gravity of the situation to light. This memory was one of the crux's to understanding Leo's personality. And therefore, Hera was not going to allow Leo to skip this.
Leo also seemed to draw this conclusions as he plonked himself down between Jason and Percy again. Percy reached out to put his arm around his friend, but Leo shied away. Percy was admittedly hurt, but then Leo looked up at him with saddened eyes.
"There's no point in trying to touch me right now as my temperatures way too hot for you to handle." Percy nodded mournfully, he recognised the logic in Leo's words even if it hurt to not be able to reach out to Leo right now. The same pain was reflected on Jason's face when Percy looked over to the son of Zeus. In fact, all of the demigods held the look to some degree.
The video started up again as Hera obviously decided that they were mentally prepared.
Warnings : Mentions of suicidal intentions.
Leo was now attempting to choke back the sobs, or even just to stifle them, but evidently the attempt was futile as the tears flowed down Leo's cheeks, marking his face with their treacherous descent.
"Of course I'll always be the seventh wheel. I'm the most useless member of the team. I can't control my powers properly, I've messed up the most and I basically just endanger everyone on board. "
Annabeth brow furrowed even more then everyone else's and Percy looked to his girlfriend for explanation. She leaned in.
"I think that Leo's fatal flaw is inferiority." She whispered, and Percy was stunned at how that horrifying conclusion made so much sense. It would explain why Leo always doubted himself and his abilities despite the fact that he was amazing.
Percy felt his own frown deepen, and he turned to watch the video with a new understanding.
Leo scrubbed his face furiously before standing up and stalking out of his room. He made his way down the quiet hallways, somehow damaging to avoid all of the others.
When he reached the deck, their was no trace of tears, no sign of a problem. Percy was watching over the ship. Leo took a steadying breath before walking up to Percy.
"Hey, I'll take over." He said calmly. Percy gave him an almost suspicious look.
"Don't you have repairs to do?" Percy's voice sounded judgemental, and Leo flinched almost imperceptibly.
Everyone except Leo turned towards him.
"I was thinking about camp." Percy admitted before turning towards Leo.
"I didn't mean to sound that harsh, I was just a little out of it. I'm sorry." Leo simply curled up tighter.
"I've got everything done that I can get done today. Besides, I want to give Festus a little check up, and he prefers check ups at night." Percy's gaze was again suspicious, but finally he shrugged.
"Whatever dude." Percy left the deck, and Leo stood in the middle of the deck, alone.
"You believed that excuse!" Piper seemed beyond disbelief at that, and Percy bridled slightly.
"I believe Leo completely when it comes to technical things. At that point, he could have told me that the ship could also turn into a giant rabbit and poop out Easter eggs I would have believed him." Their were a few snorts at his analogy, but Leo (the resident prankster/comedian) didn't even chortle.
Leo made his way over to the mast, and shinned up it with finesse. He paused briefly at the Crows nest, but then he continued climbing.
A sick feeling welled up in Percy's stomach as he began piecing information together. This couldn't be the night that Leo was going to... going to jump. His eyes instantly locked onto Leo's, and the sick feeling intensified at the swirling cesspit of hurt, anger and shame that was currently hiding in Leo's eyes.
Leo reached the very top of the mast and pulled himself on top of it, standing on it Assassin's Creed style., one foot on the mast and the other crossed over it. He raised his arms.
Percy heard gulps as the others seemingly caught on to what was happening.
"I wonder what would happen if I just jumped." Leo's voice and face were perfectly content, almost serene as the wind whistled around him, playing with his hair and making him rock gently back and forth.
"They could claim that it was an accident. Poor little clumsy Leo fell over the side of the ship and met his watery doom." His tone over the words "poor little clumsy Leo" was jaded and dark.
He tipped forwards slightly (causing numerous gasps and cries from the seven), but caught himself at last minute. He laughed freely, all hints of his previous bitterness expelled by the wind and the height.
He jumped, hovering for a moment or two.
Everyone (minus Leo) screamed fearfully.
Before pulling of a flawless front flip and landing on the pillar (if a tad shakily).
He clambered down to the crows nest, and buried his head in his palms and chuckling hysterically.
"Oh Gods I'm so screwed."
Leo was crying softly of screen and Percy decided to throw caution to the wind, and just hugged the smaller boy.
"If you jumped then I would be taking a nice trip to the Underworld to force Hades into giving you back. And I wouldn't leave without you."
So, once again I'm sorry for the lateness of this chapter but thank you all for being so patient. See you all in chapter 29.