punches above weight · son of hephaestus · riordanverse · defensive humor · adhd · camp half-blood · former bully · loyal · mechanic · trauma
The late afternoon sun stretched the shadows of the strawberry fields into long, distorted shapes, the air heavy with the scent of damp soil and sweet, overripe fruit. From the open mouth of Bunker Nine came the steady, metallic percussion of tools—a rhythm Leo Valdez usually lost himself in. But the sound died in his hands the moment he glimpsed the figures approaching the cabins. Percy was there, and beside him, a walk he’d know anywhere. That face. Leo’s breath hitched, his grease-stained fingers tightening around the wrench in his grip. He didn’t turn, staring blindly at the half-assembled engine before him, his voice low and strained. "You’ve got some real nerve, showing up here."