Metal Bender (Legend of Korra Heroes of Olympus Crossover)

CHPT7: Walls Rising

Asami's POV:

They sure were something, Leo's friends. The more time Leo spent near them the more he seemed to remember. He practically glowed as he recounted old stories he'd forgotten. They'd been on so many adventures. The history he had with them was undeniable, they considered him family. Even more than that they kept talking about a girl named Calypso, who had apparently been Leo's girlfriend and how she was worried about him. Leo didn't remember her still, but he was sorry that he made her worry. It was almost surreal as they tossed stories around and joked about life threatening situations like they were daily occurrences. Oddly it felt like Leo's friends were edging around something Leo still didn't remember. Whatever it was felt big, even without them saying anything about it.

A few hours after the battle ended, Leo's friend Piper suggested we all get some rest. It was a good idea. With any luck the Republic City troops would be here soon. I lay curled up with the already asleep Korra and waited for sleep to find me. I had felt so tired when we came off the field, but now? Sleep was elusive.

A few hours and a terrible sleep later I crawled out of bed. Korra wanted to interrogate Leo's friends more. As the others joined us in the control room I was surprised to find Mako looked like he'd had less sleep than me. When Leo had been with his friends earlier Mako had stayed uncharacteristically quiet, but I'd attributed it to lack of sleep now I wasn't so sure.

"Mako, you look troubled," I placed my hand gently on his shoulder.

"I'm just confused about a bunch of stuff," Mako grumbled.

"Like what?" The blond girl Annabeth, asked.

"Well for starters," Mako now had everyone's attention. "Tensen said you told him your missing friend was a fire bender, not a metal bender so what gives? Did you forget or is it something else."

The new comers looked at each other nervously. Oh ho, did Mako find something they didn't want him to?

"Uh well..." Annabeth paused. "Actually that is something we don't understand either."

"Wait you thought I was a fire bender?" Leo asked confused. "I'm a metal bender. How could you not know that?"

"Because it's new," Jason said quickly. "You were a fire bender, Leo. You saved my life and the others many times with your gift. We don't know why you aren't any more, but we love you just as much, fire user or not."

"User?" Leo asked backing up a bit from the blond.

"Bender! I meant bender," Jason tried to cover the mistake, but I could clearly see Leo's walls going up and the distrust in his eyes.

"Really? You suck at lying, Sparky. What are you hiding?" Slowly Korra, Mako, Bolin, Woo, and I formed a loose ring around Leo, protectively hovering over his shoulders.

"Nothing!" Percy exclaimed.

"We just want our Repair Boy back!" Piper said the title affectionately, but Leo's face darkened noticeably.

"Repair Boy? I am the best mechanic in Republic City and the best metal bender in the world!" Leo shouted. "And you want me to what? Go back to camp and stay in the bunker forever to repair your broken trinkets?"

"Of course not!" Jason shouted back.

"Then be honest!" Leo snapped. " Am I always going to be the outsider to you? The seventh wheel? Never having a place among my brethren? Because thank you, no, I can do better without you!"

"Leo..." Hazel tried to come closer, tears in her eyes. "You remember Nemesis?"

"Who?" Leo was tearing up now too.

"She 's someone who helped us," Hazel said. "You just quoted her. She said awful things to you. We've never seen you like that."

"Then tell me what you're hiding," He said in a steely tone.

"It would be better if we could show you," Jason said gently. "If you'd come with us-"

"I'm not leaving Zao Fu!" Leo yelled. "Not now. Not with everything that is going on. The people here need me. The people who were actually there for me when I needed them! So tell me now or leave and don't come back!"

"Alright," Frank stepped forward. "We'll tell you, but you might not believe us."

"I'll know if you're telling the truth!" Leo spat.

"Okay," Frank took a deep breath. "Leo you aren't human."

"WHAT!"

"Well not completely!" Frank continued. "You're father is a god, Hephaestus, god of the forge and fire. My dad is Mars, god of war. Jason is the son of Jupiter, god of the sky. Piper is the daughter of the love goddess, Aphrodite. Percy is son of Poseidon, god of the sea. Annabeth is daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom and battle strategy. Hazel is-"

"Daughter of Pluto, god of wealth and the under world," Leo finished. "And Nico is her brother..."

"You remember?" Frank asked tentatively.

"Not really," Leo shook his head. "The words just popped into my head... I'm really confused."

"That's enough," I wrapped an arm protectively around Leo. "I think you should all stay in your quarters for a while and let Leo process."

"Fair enough," Frank nodded. "But we really do care about you Leo. I'm sorry if it seemed we were hiding things from you. We just didn't want to lay it all on you all at once. C'mon guys."

With that they left the control room, leaving just the six of us alone. Leo was shaking, his face in his hands. I wasn't sure if he was crying or not, but I wrapped my arms around him as if trying to shelter him from the words and memories that were causing him pain. We stayed like that for a while as he released whatever pent-up pain was bothering him. Slowly he pulled back, eyes red and puffy.

"I don't know what to think," Leo sniffed. "The only thing I know is that he isn't lying. And it scares me."

"You can't be serious?" Mako said. "I didn't recognize any of those names."

"I did," Leo wiped his eyes. " I said one of them myself earlier."

"Hephaestus," Woo remembered. "You said it when you introduced yourself to Wun. Leo Valdez, Son of Hephaestus."

Leo nodded, "But I don't really remember it. I have shadows of memories of things done and said and outlines of stories without details, like an instruction manual with only the pictures."

"It's going to be okay," Korra rubbed his back comfortingly. "You won't be alone figuring it out, whatever is going on."

"Thanks Korr- Hey the diorama, stuff is moving!" Leo shouted in alarm.

On the Diorama of Zao Fu we could clearly see Metal Dynasty on the move. They were coming over the mountains and heading down the valley away from Metal Clan.

"Where are they going?" Bolin tilted his head to get better look. "Zao Fu is the other way."

"Ba Sing Se!" Woo yelped.

"The sing who?" Leo asked.

"No Ba Sing Se, the capital of the Earth Kingdom!" Mako corrected. "They're going to the capital, we don't have a lot of time, we have to hurry!"

"Find Suyin and Tensen!" Korra instructed me. "Bolin, Mako, get Woo to a radio to warn the city of what is coming. Leo come with me to the air ships, we need to be ready to leave within the hour."

With that we separated off to our separate jobs, praying we would be in time.