The Mark of Athena (Fan-Fiction)

Chapter 5- Leo

Chapter 5

Leo

     Leo couldn’t believe mortals saw the Argo II. They could capture them and dissect them. Leo didn’t want to be like that frog he dissected at the Wilderness School.

     Though Leo had been thankful Hazel for calling them into her room, he still didn’t want to hear people calling him an alien. He didn’t want to be a green guy and say, “Take me to your leader.”

     Piper really did try to skewer Leo. She ran in with her knife, Katoptris, and pounced on him. Leo was so surprised he screamed. Jason managed to pry Beauty Queen (Piper’s official nickname) away, but then the two started wrestling on the floor, laughing. Leo got all the evidence he needed. They were dating.

     Leo walked from Hazel’s room feeling beaten. He plopped back in his chair, turned off autopilot, and took the wheel. He was exhausted. This morning, the wind nymphs had brought him six cups of coffee. After four trips to the bathroom in two hours, he could feel the coffee wearing off. That left him all sleepy.

     Jason sat next to Leo. Leo looked up, raising his eyebrows. “Isn’t Beauty Queen going to try to kill me?”

     “No,” Jason said, grinning. “She’s with Hazel. But I must admit that was funny.”

     “Yeah, totally, that was so funny.” Leo couldn’t help grinning. “I know you guys are like, together.” Leo crossed two fingers and held his hand up.

     Jason’s face turned red. “I swear, Valdez, if you annoy us…”

     “Nah, man, it’s cool, I mean it.” Leo uncrossed his fingers. “How did it happen? I saw Pipes crying outside but after that I stopped listening.”

     “Um…” Jason looked up, closing his eyes. “She was all sad, so I asked why. She told me that Reyna obviously had the hots for me.”

     “She does!” Leo yelped.

     “Anyways…” Jason continued, giving Leo an annoyed look. “She ran off; nearly fell off the catwalk, so I caught her. I told her the truth, then we…” He turned red.

     “You guys smooched!” Leo laughed. “You kissed Beauty Queen?”

     “Valdez!” Jason groaned. “I swear, if Piper doesn’t skewer you, I will.”

     “Okie dokie,” Leo said brightly. “If you get beauty queen, can I get Thalia?”

     Jason’s glare had Leo backtracking. “I kid, I kid!”

     Thalia was Jason’s hot sister, but unfortunately she was a Hunter of Artemis, which meant she was an eternal maiden, which meant no dating.

     Suddenly, a flash of red flew above Leo’s head. He screamed, and Jason looked up and screamed as well. Leo’s fist pounded on the autopilot button, and he ran off. The red thing seemed to be saying something. Leo reached in his magic tool belt and snatched the giant hammer he used as a weapon. When the streak of red flew by, Leo swung the hammer and missed.

     “What’s going on?” Percy yelled, running into view.

     “I’m being attacked!” Leo screamed back. He dropped the hammer and jumped. He went into a dive and fell on the sweet couch. He buried his face into a pillow.

     “No, you aren’t.” Percy was close to laughing. “This is Ella.”

     “Ella scared the boy flying the warship,” the red thing said. She landed on the back of the couch. She was a harpy. The harpies Leo saw at Camp Half-Blood had been ugly. But this harpy had a pretty face. Leo blinked.