Heroes of Olympus Series. Annabeth Chase X Male Reader Story

Mustering Up Our Courage

"We both know what happens if we don't go into the burning building this time Leo. But don't worry about not being courageous, about being scared. Courage comes during, not before." There were a few minutes of silence.

Leo had been fidgeting this whole time, either with controls for the helicopter, or just in general, it was clear he wanted to say something, when (Y/N) raised an eyebrow to him, he couldn't hold it in any longer.

"I would have gone in, to the fire. I would have-" "-Exactly. You're much braver than you give yourself credit for Leo. Even back then." (Y/N) cut him off, needing no more explanation, he had already seen Leo's bravery, even if Leo hadn't seen it himself.

Leo's POV

"How did you know?" He asked the man, he was pretty sure that he hadn't explained the story to the man, and he doubted the others would have, the man just chuckled, "Unfortunately Valdez, we have a lot in common that I wish we didn't. I saw the look in your eyes."

With that, Leo also understood a little bit more about their friend, and all he could say was "I'm sorry." "Yeah, me too kid." The two of them shared a smile between them that only they really could have, a shared pain they had both felt.

"Is that how you really died?" Leo asked, the man shook his head, "Is it horrible that part of me wishes it was?" Leo knew that feeling, so he shook his head too, "So I guess it was a bathtub huh?"

"No, once the titan war ended, there was a lot of other troubles stirring in Olympus, I got injured during the battle with them, I died, but there was so much more left to do, I made a deal with the fates to give me more time."

"Do you remember everything now? Do you know who you are?" The man sighed, "I know who I'm meant to be, but I'm missing something that I haven't figured out yet. Anyway, after terms were set for the Olympians I guess, I just wanted to put it to bed."

"I had been fighting all my life, it was all I knew. And there was a part of me that would never want to stop...it's a long story, but in the end, I made a deal with the fates and the Olympians. I promised them I'd...get out of their hair...lets say, if they kept their promises."

"I figured...what's the world losing without me? A liar who hates the gods and kills everything he loves, trade that in for peace, I'd make that deal any day of the week. Until the end, when I started regretting it, I begged the fates for more time, but after a while, the fates told me time was up."

Leo tried to keep track of this story, and once he did he came to a conclusion, "But you came back. Maybe they are keeping their promise. Maybe they are giving you more time?" He said hopefully, the man laughed, "Somehow I don't think they're that generous."

There as another question bugging Leo "Why do you hate the gods so much?" Leo asked. "The same reason you hate Gaea so much." He said vaguely, but Leo had gathered enough to understand.

"Does it ever get easier?" Leo asked quietly, half hoping that the man wouldn't hear the question, he wasn#t that lucky. "It's always going to hurt, it will never be ok, but eventually you just won't think about it everyday." "

Unless you start  war, kill several gods and declare vengeance on the governing forces of the world over it, then it gets a little trickier, but what moron would do that?" The man smiled. Leo made a note not to do that.

"What's your name?" Was his final question. The man yawned, "Well, if I told you, I'd have to kill you...but we still need someone to fly us there. So it's best not to ask." With that, and a firm pat on Leo's shoulder, he closed his eyes, but Leo knew he wasn't sleeping.

"Thirty minutes out," he told his friends, though he wasn't sure how he knew. "If you want to get some rest, now's a good time." Jason strapped himself into the back of the helicopter and passed out almost immediately. Piper and Leo stayed wide-awake.