Book Cult (New and Improved)

Leo XLII

"Leo XLII," Clarisse read.

The plan went wrong almost immediately.

Thalia threw her hands up. "Why am I not surprised!"

"Has a plan ever went right on this quest?" Will wondered, briefly thinking back.

"Um..." Leo paused in mid-tinkering. He rested his chin in his hand as he mulled over the question. "What about that time we blew up Medea's mall? That went pretty well."

"Was that even a plan? Seemed more like a do-or-die to me." Nico commented.

"I'd count the time with the Cyclops," Travis said. 

The son of Hephaestus shrugged. "That wasn't really a plan, that was more of a spur of the moment."

"Kinda like how this one was made." the daughter of Zeus grumbled.

Piper scrambled along the ridge, trying to keep her head down, while Leo, Jason, and Coach Hedge walked straight into the clearing.

"Oh my gods." Thalia groaned, brushing her hair back. "Are you guys seriously going to do this?"

"We have to distract him somehow." Leo pointed out, swinging his legs.

Jason summoned his golden lance...and yelled, "Giant!" Which sounded pretty good, and a lot more confident than Leo could've managed. He was thinking more along the lines of, "We are pathetic ants! Don't kill us!" Clarisse snorted and rolled her eyes.

Ares looked similarly unimpressed. "Begging won't stop him from killing you. Just charge him and get this over with."

"That wouldn't stop him from killing them either." Athena said.

Ares shrugged. "But it'll distract him, wouldn't it?"

Enceladus stopped chanting at the flames. He turned toward them and grinned, revealing fangs like a saber-toothed tiger's.

Some of the demigods shuddered.

...Coach Hedge shouted, "Let the movie star go, you big ugly cupcake! Or I'm gonna plant my hoof right up your—"

"Coach," Jason said. "Shut up."

Despite the situation, the Stolls snickered.

Enceladus roared with laughter. "I've forgotten how funny satyrs are. When we rule the world, I think I'll keep your kind around. You can entertain me while I eat all the other mortals."

Grover bleated angrily in protest.

Lacy paled. "How can he say that so casually?"

...Enceladus opened his mouth wide, and his teeth began to glow.

A few demigods exchanged confused looks.

"Scatter!" Leo yelled.

Jason and Hedge dove to the left as the giant blew fire—a furnace blast so hot even Festus would've been jealous.

"Oh yeah, I forgot he could do that..." Travis said in a small squeak. "Well, at least he's distracted."

"Haha," Connor weakly laughed before clearing his throat. "So, can all the giants do that, or is that his own thing?"

Percy grimaced and tried not to think about an army of fire-breathing giants.

Leo dodged behind the bulldozer, wound up his homemade device, and dropped it into the driver's seat. Then he ran to the right, heading for the tree harvester...he saw Jason rise and charge the giant. Coach Hedge ripped off his canary yellow jacket, which was now on fire, The goddess of love cringed. and bleated angrily. "I liked that outfit!" Then he raised his club and charged, too.