Hurricane ~ L. Valdez

1.8 - Leo's Totally A Fire Dude

We landed in what looked to be a penthouse suite, except that the place was one massive icicle. It was both beautiful and frightening... almost chilling. Get it? (Okay, even Leo didn't like that one... which is saying something.)

"Guys," Leo said, "fix the thermostat in here, and I would totally move in."

I shook my head, shivering. "I. Hate. Cold."

"Not me." Jason said, replying to Leo. "Something feels wrong. Something up there..."

I, in fact, was not the only one shivering. Festus wad as well. Yes, the metal dragon...  He was also snorting flames, which Rockstar was not very happy about.

"No, no, no." He exclaimed, shaking his head and wringing his hands. "The dragon must be deactivated. We can't have fire in here. The heat ruins my hair."

Festus did not agree with this, and instantly growled.

"S'okay, boy." Leo reassured him, before turning to Rockstar (yes, I refuse to say his name. I don't like him.) "The dragon's a little touchy about this deactivation concept. But I've got a better solution."

"Destroy?" Cal suggested, causing me to snort. I was really starting to love this guy.

"No, man." Leo reprimanded, shaking his head. "You gotta stop with the destroy talk. Just wait."

"L-Leo..." I shivered nervously, "what are you-"

"Watch and learn, tormentosa. When I was repairing Festus last night, I found all kinds of buttons. Some, you do not want to know what they do. But others... Ah, here we go." Leo hooked his fingers between the dragon's left foreleg. Suddenly the dragon shuddered from head to toe and folded up like origami into a rectangular metal wedge the size of a suitcase. Leo tried, and failed, to lift it. "Um... yeah. Hold on. I think–aha."

He pushed another button. A handle flipped up on the top, and wheels clicked out on the button.

"Ta-da!" he announced. "The world's heaviest carry-on bag!" I looked at the bag, grinning. Leo never ceased to impress me.

"That's impossible," Jason said. "Something that big couldn't–"

"Think TARDIS, brother dear." I said. I paused, waiting for him to realize. I was met with a blank look. "Did you live under a rock?" I exclaimed, giving him an incredulous look.

"Amnesia, remember." Jason deadpanned.

"Stop!" Zethes ordered, cutting us off. He and Cal drew their swords and glared at Leo. Now, I don't like to judge off of first assumptions, but I also don't like people threatening my best friend.

Leo raised his hands. "Okay... what'd I do? Stay calm, guys. If it bothers you that much, I don't have to take the dragon as carry-on–"

"Who are you?" Zethes shoved the point of his sword against Leo's chest, causing me to take out my sword as a precaution. "A child of the South Wind, spying on us?"

"What? No!" Leo said. "Son of Hephaestus. Friendly blacksmith, no harm to anyone!"

Cal growled, putting his face close to Leo's. "Smell fire," he said simply. "Fire is bad."

"Oh." Leo said, and I was surprised how nervous he was. "Yeah, well... my clothes are kind of singed, and I've been working with oil, and–"

"No!" Zethes pushed Leo back at sword point, and I stepped forward, my sword pointed. "We can smell fire, demigod. We assumed it was from the creaky dragon, but now the dragon is a suitcase. And I still smell fire... on you."