madness and ecstasy // leo valdez

-watching atla: leo should be put in time out so he doesn't set anyone on fire-

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The plan went terribly, immediately.

Leo was growing used to it.

Piper scrambled along the very edge of the ridge, trying to keep her head down. Her shiny hairclips weren't helping. Teqi followed her like a bodyguard, or a bouncer, holding her baseball bat and eyeing the Giant. The Giant that Leo, Jason, and Coach Hedge walked straight towards.

Jason summoned his golden lance. He brandished it over his head and yelled, "Giant!" Which sounded pretty good, and a lot more confident than Leo could've managed. He was thinking more along the lines of, 'We are pathetic ants! Don't kill us! Please!'

Enceladus stopped chanting at the flames. He turned toward them and grinned, revealing big teeth. "Well," the giant rumbled. "What a nice surprise."

Leo didn't like the sound of that. He stepped sideways, edging his way towards the closest bulldozer and hoping he'd know what to do once he climbed into the seat.

Coach Hedge shouted, "Let the movie star go, you big ugly cupcake! Or I'll plant my hoof right up your ass!

"Coach," Jason said warningly. "Shut up."

Enceladus roared with laughter. "I've forgotten how funny satyrs are. When we rule the world, I think I'll keep your kind around. You can entertain me while I eat all the other mortals."

"Is that a compliment?" Hedge frowned. "I don't think that was a compliment."

Enceladus opened his mouth wide, and his teeth began to glow. It was so odd, they all stood there for a moment watching his mouth light up like he was gargling lightbulbs.

Then Leo figured out where he recognised the hot glinting in the throat from, and whipped around. "Scatter!" he yelled, and tried to get himself in front of Jason and Hedge. They dove to the left and Leo covered his face as the giant blew slobbery fire. A furnace blast so hot, Festus would've been jealous.

Leo made his way through the smoking fireball and ducked behind the bulldozer, distantly hoping that Enceladus would think he'd been incinerated.

He clambered into the driver's seat headfirst and got himself upright, peeling back metal with smoking hands and then twisting wires. He couldn't explain what he was doing, but he knew the end result.

He ran for the tree harvester.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jason rise and charge the giant. Coach Hedge ripped off his jacket, which was now on fire, and bleated angrily. "I liked that outfit!" Then he raised his club and charged, too.

Before they could get very far, Enceladus slammed his spear against the ground. The entire mountain shook.

The shockwave sent Leo sprawling. He blinked, momentarily stunned. Through a haze of grassfire and bitter smoke, he saw Jason staggering to his feet on the other side of the clearing.

Coach Hedge was knocked out cold. He'd fallen forward and hit his head on a log, sticking up in the weeds like an animal goat.

The giant bellowed, "I see you, Piper McLean!"

He turned and blew fire at a line of bushes to Leo's right. Piper ran into the clearing like a flushed quail, the underbrush burning behind her. Enceladus laughed. "I'm happy you've arrived. And you brought me my prizes!"