madness and ecstasy // leo valdez

-my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard-

Leo chewed on his lip.

It was really dry and sore.

He shuffled forward a tiny bit and poked the sleeping dragon. The actual dragon was wide awake on the other side of the dusty workshop wagging its tail. He was talking about the metaphorical sleeping dragon: Teqi.

"Hey, la bella durmiente, up and at em," he whispered, shaking her arm. She just rolled over in her canvas made hammock tied between two support beams, and mumbled something.

Festus made a clicking sound and proceeded to bash his tail against the ceiling-tall doors to make his point. The sun was already streaming through the skylights and illuminating just how much dust was floating through the air. Leo waved him off, "yeah, yeah, you try waking her up then."

"Oi, we gotta get going," he whisper shouted this time. When she didn't move, he reached into his brand spanking new toolbelt and pulled out an airhorn. He already loved this bottomless pit of wrenches and paperclips and small explosives.

Leo squeezed the airhorn. Leo was thrown to the ground.

"Esus chri-" he wheezed, choking air back into his flattened lungs. He squinted up at a very awake very wide eyed Teqi, who was sitting on his chest, and attempted to prise her hands off his neck. "-Orry!"

"Fuck you," she grumbled, getting off him and dusting her hands off like attempting to strangle friends in the morning was as normal as brushing teeth.

Festus whacked his tail around in annoyance again. Leo massaged his throat and got to his feet. "Yeah, we're-" He coughed again, "coming buddy." He picked up the airhorn and shoved it back into the toolbelt he found hanging over a vintage spinning chair last night. Stupid toolbelt.

He trailed after Teqi, who was stomping off towards the exit. "I'm sorry!"

She'd already forgiven him by the time Festus began circling the cabins, catching in the sunlight like a giant, well, piece of metal... Maybe he should've made sunglasses for everyone too.

Every time the newly attached wings beat, keeping them aloft in the early morning sky, there was the sound of coins in a slot machine rattling. Figures below them ran around screaming. Some of the figures held weapons.

Teqi lent over his shoulder. Her hair smelt like a milkshake. "We should probably land before Clarisse gets her grenade launcher out."

It took a hot second for him to focus on what she was saying. She was very close. And her hair smelt like a milkshake. "Right, yeah."

Once Festus had landed on the grass, squashing daisies and causing a girl with furry legs to faint, Leo wiggled out of the makeshift stirrups he'd attached to the side of the dragon. He clambered down, shoelaces undone. "People of Earth, I come in peace!" he shouted, waving his hands. "Festus is just saying hello!"

"That thing is dangerous!" Someone else yelled, brandishing a spear taller than Leo himself. There was for sure human bones tied to the handle. "Kill it now!"

"Stand down!" Jason ordered, marching through the crowd of gathered demigods. Everyone was in various stages of pyjamas. Annabeth and Nyssa followed him through the crowd.

Jason gazed up at the dragon and shook his head in amazement. "Leo, what have you done?"

"Found a ride!" Leo beamed, hopping off the dragon and not mentioning you can't kill something that isn't alive because that would probably be obnoxious to remind everyone. "You said I could go on the quest if I got you a ride. Well, I got you a class-A metallic flying bad boy! Festus can take us anywhere!"