Percy Jackson: Trouble In The Land Beyond The Gods

"Leo!"

Leo's POV

I silently crept towards where Jason and Percy fought, my breathing unnaturally loud in my own ears as my heart drummed against my chest. The whipping winds were like cool knives pressed against my cheek, tinting them rosy in the bitter cold. I kept one arm in front of me as I moved closer to the violence, the other rummaging through my tool belt as its magical capacity struggled to release my tools.

I needed a hammer, one hard enough to render them unconscious, but not enough to crack their skulls open. I needed marbles – though anything small and round, like metal spheres – to distract them and keep them immobile on the ground. But most of all, I needed courage. The enchanted tool kit had the perfect solutions for all but the latter – courage, it seemed, was not a tool for the taking – though I had somehow been supplied with a few breath mints.

Shrugging, I popped a few into my mouth, I might as well have some if they were offered.

In the corner of my eyesight, I could see Coach Hedge pull out a set of reed pipes, hearing the infamous American Idiot ring out in a clashing sound of peace which was the pipes that battled against the song's rock tune like Percy and Jason's fight. Grass poked out through the gaps between planks of wood, starting from its source but spreading to where the chaos ensued. It subtly tugged at Jason's feet – but for some reason avoided Percy, for which I will question Coach Hedge later – and basically slowed him down in his movements. Inwardly, I groaned, it would take ages to get all of the grass out of the deck.

I shook my head and hopped forwards, swallowing the white mints before creeping even further towards Jason. I steadied my grip on my hammer and raised it into the air, waiting a moment before swinging it into the back of Jason's head with a small yell.

I was blown backwards, tripping over my feet and falling to the floor as a cloud of black escaped Jason's lips. It smoked and curled in on itself before floating away into the sky, further and further away until it was a black dot in my eyes that quickly disappeared.

A circle of ash circled where Jason stood, said person collapsing against the ground with a groan. A few feet away from him, Percy did the same, falling onto his knees and clutching his head.

"Those spirits sure do enjoy mental attacks, huh?" Percy asked me, "I'm actually surprised they managed to possess Jason for so long, me being here and all."

My jaw dropped slightly, no words escaping me.

"Jason!" Piper shouted from across the deck, running across and kneeling beside him. She shook him lightly, but it did little effect. She stared at Percy, "What did you do?!" she growled at him.

"Don't blame me!" Percy raised his hands in the air mockingly, a smirk ever present on his face. "I'm not the one you knocked him unconscious, you have Leo to thank for that."

I snapped my jaw shut, sending a scowl in Percy's direction as the Daughter of Aphrodite turned her glare onto me.

"Leo!" she scolded.

My eyes widened and I began to back away nervously, "We had to stop the fight somehow – me and Hedge, I mean. Jason just was the closest person to knock out a-and we knew Percy was on the defence, rather than the offence, so we just tried to knock him out first."