The Fire In Me (A Leo Valdez Love Story)

We Battle A Naked "Hundred-Handed One"

Well, before my friends arrived, I had managed to stub the troll's toe, and anger one or two heads by insulting them. Not much to go on. 

I rammed my hammer into the troll's pinky toe, which smelled like the blood of warriors from 2000 B.C. The heads shouted, and tried to grab me, but with a hundred arms going at you at once, you can escape easily. I ran through its legs, shouting, "Hey! Your mama probably disowned you because you didn't wear pants!" The heads turned around and blew raspberries at me. How immature for an old giant! 

I tried to hit a toe again, but one of the arms managed to grab me, squeezing the air out of my lungs. I gasped, and burst into flames. All of the heads howled at once, letting me go and shaking the burnt hand. It soon turned black and fell off, almost crushing me. I was just about to chain-saw all nine of its toes, when an arc of purple lightning struck a leg of the troll. The leg crumbled, and the troll fell sideways, trying to break its fall with 50 of its arms. Annabeth launched with help from Frank, and slashed at the heads of the troll. She managed to cut off a hundred eyes, a few ears, and one entire head. The troll groaned, and finally died, with 48 heads turning black and breaking off, and then the rest of the body. 

Percy high-fived Jason and Frank, hugged Hazel, kissed Annabeth, and slapped Tyson's back. Then, everybody turned to me, including Tyson, though he looked like he didn't know what they were looking at.  

"Well, here's the troublemaker," Percy said, and everyone nodded their heads in unison. I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing. Everyone else stopped their serious faces and laughed along with me. They were joking. They weren't mad at me! Thank goodness. 

I was partially wrong. Annabeth still had some steam left. "Guys, we shouldn't be laughing. That was a Hecatonchire: The Hundred-Handed One. It could have destroyed this town we're next to!" I gulped down my embarrassment. There was actually a town full of people nearby? I would not have taken it head on if I had known that people's lives were at stake. 

Laura had more too. "He made me go with him on a ride on Festus. He made me do a bolt of lightning that partially killed the Hecatonchire, partially killed me! It's his fault." Jason shut her up by grabbing her arm and squeezing it until she was quiet. 

I looked down. Everyone resented me, for the second time. I had messed everything up, just like when I had blown up the Forum in Camp Jupiter. I had messed things up, and now no one would trust me with anything again! 

I ran away from everyone. I paid no attention to their cries of forgiveness. It wasn't genuine. None of it was. I hopped onto Festus and took off, putting as much distance between me and them as possible. I couldn't see them again. Not for a while, anyway. I had to separate myself from the group, until I could straighten things out with Laura. And for the first time since my mom died, I cried. 

I cried until the sun came up over the fields of corn and wheat. I cried until I could see my friends packing up and moving ahead to Jamestown. I cried until I saw Laura look up at me, and smile sadly. Then there were no more tears. There was just peace. 

Sorry for the short chapter! I'm saving the rest for the next one.