A/N- I'm totally shocked, concerning the amount of Leo fics. He's my favorite character in this new series. So, now I have Nico and Leo. (Have you noticed both of their names end in O)
"Please Leo!" Harley whined. Nyssa watched the two, amusement clearly written on her face. Her eight year old brother was currently hanging off her fifteen year old brother's arm as he was trying to work. Leo had been charged wit the task of finding a way to get the boat in the air. It had to be one the trickiest tasks in the whole process, but Leo would get it done. He was insanely brilliant with mechanical mysteries. Jake and she had started calling him the Holmes of Hephaestus.
Ever since Leo had returned from his quest and became head counselor, Harley attached himself to the teen. She could tell Leo didn't mind, in fact, he seemed to like it. Leo's past was one huge mystery to almost everyone, except maybe Jason, but she had enough common sense to know he had had a hard life. The way his face lit up when he found out he brothers and sisters was proof enough. Then there was Harley. He definitively was Leo's favorite, and she was absolutely positive Harley felt the same way. It was obvious to her, mostly because she had never seen Harley so happy. When he arrived at camp it wasn't too long after the Battle of Olympus, and he was probably one of the shyest campers she had ever met.
Then when Leo came to camp it was like another person emerged from where her little brother used to be. Harley was all smiles, all the time. Those two acted like real siblings. They were all related of course, but being thrown into a cabin full of your new family, that you've never met before, wasn't the same as living with someone for years.
She was so engrossed in watching her brothers she almost didn't notice Jake walk up behind her.
"They're something aren't they?" Jake said, as he moved to stand by her side. She didn't answer him. They both already knew the answer. So they stood in a comfortable silence and watched as Harley and Leo continued their argument. Leo picked Harley up and sat him on his desk, and watched as Leo turned his attention from Harley and back to the schematics in front of him.
"Please Leo." Harley asked again. His voice instantly changing from a demigod's to a little kid's.
"OK, I'll meet you there in twenty minutes." Leo finally said, still not looking up from his work.
"Promise." Harley prodded.
"Promise." Leo replied with a firm shake of the head, and he looked up to stare at Harley. Then identical smiles lit up their faces, as if they had just shared a private joke, and Harley jumped off Leo's desk and hurried out of bunker.
"What did you promise him?" Jake asked, while they made their way to Leo.
"I promised to help him with his dragon automaton." He said and he looked at them. His brown eyes looked tired, but she knew Leo better than that, he had energy reserves out the wazoo. Which was a good thing. Harley had been looking for someone to help him with his dragon for weeks
"Well you better get going."She urged.
"I guess you're right." Leo said and he reached up and turned off his desk lamp. They watched Leo leave, being mindful of other's projects as he went. She loved her brothers. She raced out after Leo leaving Jake alone in the bunker.
"Hey Leo wait up." She called out, and he stopped to wait for her.
"Hey Nyssa. Are you coming to walk your little brother back to camp? I knew you cared!" He teased.
"Shut up, Valdez." She said as she punched his arm.
They walked in silence for a bit before she finally asked,
"Did you figure it out?"
"Not yet, but I'm close."
"Close is better than where we were."
"I know, but I feel like I'm missing something."
"I'm sure you'll find..." Nyssa began, but a yell cut her off. They ran out of the woods to see someone being pinned to the ground. The kid on the ground almost looked like... Harley!
Jason watched as one of Leo's younger brothers carried a large box out of the Hephaestus cabin. It must have weighed a ton, but he was pretty sure that the kid had more muscle than him. The kid, (Harley?) carried the box towards the dining pavilion, and with each step the metal clanked inside the box. Harley picked up his pace as he neared his destination, he looked excited. Normally all the Hephaestus kids would be working on the Argo II, but today was special. The weather was unusually nice, and everyone was either training or just relaxing outside.
Jason started to walk over to him. He could at least help carry the box, when he spotted Alex Jeffery coming from the pavilion. He disliked Alex from the moment he had met him. He was nothing special build wise and looked just plain average, but he had to be the most obnoxious person Jason had ever met. That was saying something, considering he had met Drew. Alex had a superiority complex the size of Texas. So, it didn't really surprise him when the son of Ares set himself on a collision course with little Harley. He just expected him to move, but Harley didn't see him. Time seemed to slow as Harley collided with Alex, and Harley's box flew from his hands dumping its contents all over the Ares camper.
The boys just stood there in silence for a second, and then Alex let out a snarl. He lunged at Harley, and Jason ran towards them. This was going end badly. He knew he was too far away, but he had to try. Harley let out a yell as Alex pinned him to the ground and yelled, "What was that for? Didn't you see me walking there?"
Out of the corner of his eye Jason saw a crowd gathering. He wanted to scream at them to do something, or to get out of the way, but instead he ran faster. He was almost there when he saw the fist come down. It was inches away from the kid's face when a tanned hand shot out from nowhere and grabbed Alex's arm. Jason stopped and his eyes traveled up the arm to see Leo, and he looked terrifying.
Leo sent Alex flying off of Harley, making him land in the grass a few feet away. He watched as his best friend went over to the kid who almost hit his brother and pulled him up by his hair, dragged him to his knees, and pressed a dagger firmly against Alex's throat.
"And. Just. What. Do. You. Think You. Were. Doing." That voice hardly sounded like Leo's. Steam and smoked seemed to start coming off of Leo. None of the camp, except the Hephaestus cabin was supposed to know about his fire powers, but it was to late now. Little grass fire started to spring up in various places around the two boys.
"L-Leo stop. I'm Ok." Harley said. He had sat up in the grass where he had fallen. As soon as those words left his mouth, Leo let go of Alex's hair. He walked calmly over to the eight year old. He calmed enough to making sure he didn't burn him, and he picked him up and set him on his feet.
He put his hands on Harley shoulders and kneeled down to face him.
"I'll meet you in the cabin, OK?" Jason could tell that Leo was still having a few control issues.
"OK." Leo stood up and nodded to Nyssa who grabbed Harley's hand a dragged him to Cabin 9. Then he turned to face Alex.
"So little Harley has to get big bubba Leo to fight his battles for him?" Alex sneered. Jason wanted to kill him, but Leo beat him to it. Leo punched him hard in the gut with his left fist, and his right fist swung and pegged him right across the jaw. Not only leaving a red mark, but also a small burn.
"Alex if you ever come near my family again..." Leo let his threat hang.
"Kill me." Alex scoffed, still in pain from Leo's assault.
"No Alex, I won't kill you. I'll make you wish you were dead." Jason watched as Alex paled, and he didn't blame him. He knew that Leo meant every word.
Harley didn't know what Alex's problem was; he didn't do anything to him. It was an accident.
"Nyssa, do you think Leo is gonna kill him." He asked his older sister.
"No." Harley wasn't sure he believed her, but it didn't matter because Leo walked in.
"Leo!" Harley exclaimed as he rushed over and tackled Leo in a hug.
"Hey squirt. You okay?"
"I'm fine, but what about you?"
"I'm great kid, but I believe I have a promise to keep."
A/N- I wasn't thrilled with the ending, but it works!