no matter how many times a snake shed its skin, it would always be a snake. no matter how hard kit dempsey tried to prove he was no longer a traitor, camp half-blood would always view him as the boy who betrayed them for kronos. but not leo valdez...
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CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: SUPERMAN 2.0
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KIT WAS ASHAMED TO admit he was beginning to feel like Jason -- or, at least, the shitty 2.0 version of Superman. When he came to, he was slumped against the mast with Leo's shoulder pressed to his. The other boy looked miserable, his brows furrowed in concern as he watched Kit's dazed eyes come to a focus on the dark purple bruise scarring his jaw. Slowly, Kit reached for him, tracing the mark as something clenched in his chest.
"Leo," he breathed his name, searching for the part of him Kit knew, not the robot that had taken over him before. Leo tensed, his eyes averting his, and Kit knew he was back. "You're okay."
"I am," he mumbled. "But you're not."
Kit frowned. Almost like Leo had spoken his pain into existence, a sense of agony flared and twisted his features into a grimace. The whole right side of his face stung, and for a second, he thought he heard a hazy ringing in his ear. The last time Kit felt like this was when Clarisse socked him in the face after the Battle of Manhattan. Percy, you fucking prick. What a way to greet an old friend.
It took Kit a second to realise why Leo looked so sad. He thought he had done this to Kit. Part of Kit wanted to laugh and kiss away his worry. Another part, the part already hungry to give Percy a piece of his mind, longed to return the favour with a fist to the throat.
"Oh, this thing?" Kit huffed out a laugh and struggled to hide his wince when he moved his mouth. "It's nothing. All in a day's work." Still, Leo hesitated. "Trust me, Leo. I'm all good if you are."
"As touching as this is," interrupted Annabeth's pointed cough. "We have some things to clear up."
"You're right," Kit clenched his jaw. "Where's your boyfriend, Annabeth? He owes me a free kick to his crotch."
"First, how about you explain why you fired on the Romans?"
Kit's stomach dropped. For a second, he stared at her, wondering when on earth Annabeth Chase decided to develop a sense of humour. Leo sat forward nervously, opening his mouth to protest, but he was interrupted by Kit waving a hand at him.
"No matter what I say, you won't believe me, will you?"
A piece of Annabeth's stern expression fractured. Her arms dropped to her sides, lower lip caught between her teeth. "You don't make it easy."
Kit sat back. The silence was heavy all of a sudden, and the new boy -- Frank, if Kit remembered his name right -- looked between each of them with unfounded curiosity. Kit hadn't even noticed his brother at first, hanging back in the shadows with Coach Hedge awake at his side.
"Then why bother?"
"Kit," Leo cut in then, slotting their hands together in the shallow space between them. Kit's shoulders slumped at the touch. He wanted to keep Leo from it for just a bit longer, the judgemental looks and the whispers of doubt. People didn't look at you the same when they realised what you were capable of. He didn't want that for Leo. If he had to shoulder the blame, he would. A thousand times over and then some. "Don't take the fall for me, please? I won't let you do that."
