The Mark of Athena (Fan-Fiction)

Chapter 44- Leo

Chapter 44

Leo

     Leo watched with a grin on his face as his tin of breath mints hit Ephialtes right in the face. He nearly cheered with triumph. He had panicked because the giant was so darn scary. So he reached in his tool belt and pulled out his old tin of breath mints.

     And he had thrown it.

     Jason and Piper, knowing where the breath mints must have come from spun around with wide eyes.

     “What did you just do?” Piper squeaked in alarm. “That just started the fight!”

     Right away Leo’s stomach dropped to his feet. “Holy Hephaestus, I just panicked!”

     Ephialtes roared, his hot breath blowing over Leo. Leo gagged- good thing he threw the breath mints.

     Annabeth, looking ready to fight, gave a shriek that sounded like she was close to tears. She began to run, silver light wrapping over her body, and she made a running leap and clutched the giant’s leg.

     “Ugh!” Ephialtes snarled.

     Percy looked up. “Annabeth, what are you doing?” he yelled.

     “Some people help me with this guy!” she screamed back. “The rest of you go for Porphyrion!”

     “Okay.” Percy spun around, his eyes worried and panicked. “I’ll go with Piper and Leo. We’re going for Ephialtes. Jason, Hazel, Frank, you guys go for Porphyrion. Got it?”

     “Got it,” Leo said. “So, it’s just us, I guess.”

     Piper nodded. She looked over at the others. “Good luck, guys. Don’t get hurt and stay safe!” She nodded to Percy and they jogged off to help Annabeth.

     Before Leo could jog away, Hazel called, “Be safe! Don’t let anything happen.”

     He realized that the other three he was going to fight alongside with all had a chance that they were going to die. He swallowed the lump in his throat and jerked his chin to where Jason was levitating in the air. “Keep him safe, too.”

     She nodded before rushing off.

     Joining the others, Leo looked at the scene. Annabeth was on the ground, pushing herself to her feet, shaking her head like she was dizzy. Percy fought like a demon; slashing and stabbing so fast his movements were a blur. Piper was holding up fine, stabbing her knife into the giant’s legs and then rushing away.

     “Die!” the giant roared. “Rot in the Underworld!”

    From about twenty feet to the right, Porphyrion suddenly called, “The Doors of Death are ready to open.”

     “No!” Annabeth yelled, but her scream cut off when Ephialtes batted her aside like a rag doll with the shaft of his spear. She screamed as her head hit the ground and her helmet rolled off.

     Percy yelled, “Annabeth!”

     The earth suddenly swallowed the two giants. Leo looked around in panic, until he saw two giant shadows loom over him. He glanced up and nearly screamed.

     The giants were standing up on the cliffs above the Doors of Death, just like in his dream. The dream was in motion.

     “We need to get up there!” Frank exclaimed.

     Jason sighed. “I can take you up one at a time, I guess. I can’t carry more than one person at a time.”

     “Not a problem,” Annabeth croaked from the ground. She had blood in her hair and she was chalky white. She waved a bunch of them forward. She put her hand out. “Grab my arm.”