Yet Another leo valdez Memories Fan Fic

the truth is supposed to set you free, key words being; supposed to.

(A/N, the reason I keep using the See, Hear, Feel, Smell, and Taste is because that's what I use for anxiety attacks and it helps. I know that anxiety attacks and panic attacks are not the same thing but that is as close to knowing what it feels like as I can get, and yes I could ask someone but there are two things stopping me, one; that means talking to someone about something I don't even talk to my own family about. and two; even if I did, having someone tell you about it and feeling it are two different things... ok I'm done rambling about things no one cares about.)

the EMT shouts "we need a gurney in here!" as she holds the door to the closet open, glancing back to the unconscious body of Leo, his she could count his ribs with how starved his is, the cigar burns a worrying shade of green, along with the new slashes across his body.

the foster parents begin being lead out in cuffs. after a few moments two other EMTs come through bringing a gurney with them. after a few minutes they lead him out after strapping him down.

they sit looking slightly confused, but Nico simply glares at the screen as it would burst into flames by sheer will power, he has yet to speak since this has started.

he's been aware of Leo's bad childhood since they had rooms next to each other, he would he wake up to Leo's screams. until one night Nico stayed up for hours listening to it, hoping he would wake himself up but it didn't work and Nico went and did it.

Leo slept in the engine room a floor down after that, but Nico could still hear his screams however quieter. he had yet to bring it up to the fire user and then this happened. he has never hated Hera more then he does right now.

the goddess is forcing Leo to relive the abuse he went through, against his will. but at the same time, Nico's grateful because Leo would never willing tell anyone about this. the screen flashes again signaling another memory is about to play.

the small form of Leo lay still in the hospital bed, his skin pale and translucent. the black eyes, busted lips, and swollen face now healing, still there but in the late stages of healing.

as Leo opens his eyes he begins to panic, last he remembers is calling Cadenza and then being beaten and thrown into the hall closet, where is he? what day is it? what's going on? is his 'foster parents' mad at him? did they move him?

after a few minutes a nurse walks in, he sees Leo is awake and says "hey there, Elliot. I'm Hector, I'm going to just check a few things and then call the doctor, ok?" he flinches at the name but nods 'ok' and allows the nurse to check a few things before leaving saying "I'll be back in a moment, ok?"

Leo nods again he wants to correct the nurse but doesn't want to face the consequences of that, he's just healing from the last beating. after about half an hour Hector and a man in a white lab coat walk in, the man says "hello, Elliot, I'm Frank."

Leo flinches at the name, still not speaking. Frank takes a seat in one of the empty chairs meant for family- they were all empty. Frank asks "Elliot, do you mind telling me what happened?"

Leo opens his mouth to say something but one of the busted spots on his lip brakes open, his 'foster mother's' words run through his head 'don't you tell a soul, you hear me Elliot! not a soul!' he sets his jaw, if he tells the truth then he could go to a good home, never have to see them again.

but if he lies then he will go right back to them and more likely then not die. clearing his dry throat he ignores the pain from speaking and tells them everything that they did to him. everything.

they again sit in silence, Percy knows what Leo felt like in those few seconds, he dealt with Smelly Gabe. but he knows that he had Sally, but Leo had no one. glancing over at Leo he expects to see him calm, he'd told the doctor, that was a good thing... but he sees a level of hate and anger in his eyes Percy hasn't seen before, not even with Gaia.

Percy does a double take, he's still not used to seeing a quieter, angrier and sadder version of Leo, it's kind of unnerving. but he guesses this is the real Leo, and the happy one he got to know was the mask, the fake one.

it felt like a train hit him when Hera pointed out that not one of them knew anything about him, they told him about nearly everything, including Percy.

yet it never occurred to him that Leo had a bad childhood, that he suffered too. he was just so happy, hyper, and understanding that it the thought seemed to go over Percy's head that it was forced, an act.