Leo Valdez x Reader

Defeat

I wasn't a daughter of Athena. I wasn't wise, but I wasn't stupid. Phobos nearly wore his heart on his sleeve.

"Phobos. I know what you're afraid of."

"Bah! I'm the god of fear. Fear can't do anything to me."

"Zeus can still strike himself with his own lighting."

"I am not Zeus! I am better than him. I know how to defeat children like you."

"I may cry, Phobos, but I am not a child. And I've dealt with more fear than I ever thought possible. Your power doesn't control me."

"But I know what you're afraid of! You're afraid of yourself. You're afraid of the power you posses because you know that it is hard to control. You're afraid of losing control. And that loss will be the death of you."

"Shut up, Phobos. Fight me. If you think you can win this fight, do it."

He lunged at me. His spear dug into the ground, and he pulled it out again. He kept trying to strike me, but I wouldn't let him. I couldn't let him.

"Phobos! You may think you're immune to your fears,—"

His spear missed by a centimeter.

"—and maybe you are, but you're not immune to your brother, Phobos. You still feel panic, and right now you're panicking."

A blast of fire seared the air around me.

I looked up for only a second, and spotted a large bronze dragon with Leo, Will and Sherman on it's back. How they had gotten here so quickly, I decided not to ask.

I turned back to Phobos. His face was angry, but it was hesitant. I was right about the panicking thing.

I remembered the first time I had destroyed Phobos. I had used my dad's intercession and my healing to fix my stomach. Maybe if I did the same thing.

I attempted it. My healing powers weren't working.

Blessed gifts will become obsolete.

I cursed in Ancient Greek.

I thought of what Chiron said. He said that I must fight alone, but I would not be alone.

I risked a glance upward, all while dodging Phobos's spear.

"Leo!" I called. He was alone on his dragon.

He swept down to the ground, and pulled me up. He whispered something to Festus's neck.

Festus dipped down and Leo jumped off.

"LEO!"

"You have to fight this alone, y/n! The prophecy!"

I couldn't fly Festus, but I didn't need to. Leo had already told him what to do.

Phobos looked up as Festus sprayed fire all over his face. I grabbed tighter to him as he swooped again.

Phobos yelled in pain and Festus twisted. At first I didn't feel myself falling until it was too late. The drop wasn't enough to kill me. How tragic.

Through blurred vision, I saw Phobos's face begin to heal. This was my last chance. I prayed so hard to my father that my head ached. I lay on my back, facing Phobos. I heard screams from other campers, from Leo, from Will.

I pulled my bow ring off of my finger. I knew that the ring itself wouldn't work. Nor would my archery. But that didn't stop my hope.

In fear, you had to have hope. And maybe hope was my fatal flaw. Who knows? I didn't have time to ponder it.

I felt my life slipping away, my last bit of strength being poured into this action. Deimos was nearly defeated by the other campers. If I died, no one could stop Phobos. This was my job, my duty, to protect camp.

Phobos was right. I was afraid of my power. And my worst fear was about to become true.

As Phobos raised his spear to impale me for the second and last time, I pulled my top half off the ground. I rolled and dodged his spear. With extreme difficulty, I stood up.

I positioned the ring between my fingers.

"Goodbye, Phobos."

And I threw it.