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It was cold. Too damn cold for Indianapolis in the summer time.
It was 54 degrees in the sun. Maybe. Frank Zhang had never been a human thermometer.
But he didn’t care much about the weather, he was finally getting a break from the demanding role as Praetor he had been filling ever since Jason’s death.
But now he was going on a tour through all of his friends, meeting them, finally getting to meet the now four year old bundle of blue fabric and brown hair known as Estelle Blofis.
But he was starting in Indianapolis. With Leo Valdez. Who, honestly, was never one of his closest friends. But he had learned how to let bygones be bygones. How to accept that Leo was young and dumb and hurting just as much as he was back then.
They were just kids. Trapped on a boat. Trying desperately to right themselves in a world that seemed hellbent on throwing them around.
Now though, in the present, things were smoother. Frank had 3 boxes of pizza, and two large mountain dews. And was standing at the closed door to Leo’s shabby apartment.
“Why did you do this?” Someone yelled from inside.
“Leo—,”
“No! I wanna know WHY, Calypso.” Leo’s voice was hoarse from the screaming.
There was the sound of clattering from inside and Frank set down the boxes of greasy pizza and mountain dew. He leaned on the door and tried the knob.
Locked
Obviously. Leo had always been a lock freak. Probably would’ve locked everything in the whole Argo II up if not for the fact his friends would complain.
“Leo?” Frank asked, though his voice was muffled by the wooden door separating them.
There was more banging, crashing and what sounded an awful lot like a muffled sob.
The door creaked open slightly.
“I’m busy, Frank.” Leo mumbled, his eyes peering down at the floor beside Frank’s boots.
“Well, Leo, you and I had a plan…”
Leo flinched, his hands were hiding in his pockets.
“I know we did Frank. I just…ain’t feeling too well today.”
When Mars’ son looked up from the latino’s frowning face, he saw Calypso, her darkly colored hair swirling around her shoulders.
Even in “mortal” form, she looked every bit the Titaness she was.
“Leo and I are busy. You know, with his studies, and I work two full time jobs—,”
Leo carefully piped up for a second.
“I-Is that Mountain Dew?” Leo asked, scratching at a few shallow scratches on his arms, mostly concealed by black and charred gloves.
Too big for the freshly 18-year-old’s hands.
“Yeah. Got Mountain Dew and uhhh a cheese pizza, a Valdezian special,” Leo’s eyebrows shot up his forehead at the mention of his favorite pizza, which was one with pepperoni, tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, jalapeños and mushrooms,
“and also a pepperoni one ... .cuz i don’t know what Calypso likes—,” Frank got cut off by the ex-titaness.
“Calypso would like for you to scram. Its late and we need sleep.”
It was 16:30.
“Cmon, I can’t eat all this pizza solo!” Frank argued half heartedly.
“Then maybe you shouldn’t have ordered so much damn food.” She looked the praetor up and down before slamming the door.
“Okay. That’s weird as hell.” Frank grabbed out his phone.
Jason. I’ll text Jason.
Frank clicked on the text logs. Before realizing…
Jason was dead.
He’d been dead 3 long years.
Three years without the son of Jupiter who had led the SPQR with such fervor you’d assume he had formed the people and the senate of Rome with his own bare hands.
“Jase…you dying is inconvenient right now.” Frank tried to laugh, all that came out was a weak, wet laugh.
“Who else does Leo talk to—,” Frank wondered aloud, trying to think of who could be helpful.
“Why is he still standing there?” Calypso hissed to Leo.
“I don’t know, Calypso. Its annoying.” Leo didn’t put his usual amount of chutzpah into his delivery. He had looked pretty tired.
He probably just needed a good night’s rest like Calypso said. Frank was probably worried over nothing.