The Mark of Athena,Heroes of Olympus, Book 3

Percy XIV


You idiot! Percy thought towards Leo. Were you listening earlier?

Hazel jumped and grabbed at her pocket. It was beginning to smoke. Franks eyes were wide. Hazel put her hand over the pocket, like she was trying to smother the fire from the outside.

"Piper, tell Frank to stop thinking about it!" Percy said.

"Uh... Stop thinking about it, Frank!" Her words were so powerful, Percy felt his mind go blank for a moment. Hazel sighed in relief as the piece of wood in her pocket ceased to smoke. Frank stared wide-eyed at Leo.

"What just happened?" asked Piper.

"Well, it's kind of what me and Leo were talking about earlier."

"My... my life depends on a piece of wood," mumbled Frank.

"Excuse me?" Annabeth gave Frank a confused look.

"This." Hazel pulled the charred piece of wood out of her pocket.

"Oh, like Meleager!" exclaimed Annabeth. "Word of advice: don't make your mom mad. She will throw that thing in the fireplace and you will die."

"Like who now?" Leo wondered.

"Meleager. He was an Argonaut. Son of Ares. He killed his uncles and his mother threw the piece of wood in the fireplace. Atalanta's boyfriend. Well, the first of two," explained Annabeth.

"Hang on. Argonaut? Son of Mars? Crap, I'm gonna die!" moaned Frank. "Will you please try not to do that fire thing?" Leo shrugged.

"Not something I can really control. When I get really excited or angry-Percy-I become the human torch." Leo shrugged again.

"I'm gonna stay as far away as possible from him," muttered Frank. "But I know my mom won't kill me. She's dead."

"Really?" asked Leo, looking sad and sympathetic. Percy wondered why.

"Yep." Frank nodded sadly.

"Is this an okay time to mention I died in the 1940s?" asked Hazel. Annabeth raised an eyebrow.

"I've always liked older women," Leo said with a shrug. Percy wondered if he did that enough to make his shoulders hurt.

"Okay, then." Frank scowled, then mouthed at Percy, I don't like him. Hazel turned bright red.

"Okay," she said in a small voice.

"Shut up, Leo!" shouted Annabeth. "Not helping!"

"Neither was Percy when he nearly gave me a heart attack," Leo retorted. Percy felt suddenly angry, but he didn't know why. The unexplained fury made the stay calm part of his brain get over powered by I just want to beat this guy to a pulp part.

"Now this is about me? You're the one who nearly killed Frank!"

"It was two freaking seconds!" yelled Leo. "Not my fault his life depends on a stick! And it's not my fault I caught on fire! I told you I couldn't control it!"

"This is not a safe environment for me," muttered Frank. "I'm going to my room." Frank walked off. As soon as he was safely out of the room, the yelling began again.

"Just stop it!" screamed Piper. "Why are you screaming and fighting like little kids? You guys are both at fault, and we should just forget about it!"

"I agree," said Annabeth. "You're acting like children, and pretty soon, Percy's going to be in hurricane mode and Leo's going to go all human torch, as he puts it, trying to put the other one out. I don't know what the outcome of that would be, but I don't wanna know."

"I guess I was wrong! Annabeth Chase doesn't know everything!" exclaimed Leo in false excitement. "I guess I have a shot of not being the most idiotic guy in the world!"

"Don't bring her into this!" Percy yelled.

"She brought herself into it!"

"JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!" shrieked Piper. "Shut up! Don't make me treat you like the children you are and separate you two!"

"Make me!" Leo was glowing dangerously bright. His voice had risen an octave. Percy pulled out his sword and uncapped it, just in case.

"You want to make this a real fight, don't you?"

"No, I just want to have it ready when you attack me."

"Crap," muttered Piper.

Leo lobbed a ball of fire at Percy, but Percy caught it on the blade of his sword and it went out with a puff of steam. Percy swung his sword, but before it could touch Leo, the top half of it melted into a puddle on the floor.

Silence.

"Leo? What kind of flowers do you want at your funeral?" asked Annabeth nervously.

"You. Broke. My. Sword," Percy growled. Leo paled, and his fire died.

"No, I swear I didn't," Leo said in a rush.

"Then who did?" exclaimed Percy.

"Me." Hazel stepped between them.

"Hazel? Seriously? I kind of need my sword!"

"Don't worry, I'll fix it," promised Hazel. "I just thought it was a good way to disarm you while getting Leo scared so that he would put himself out, so to speak."

"Can you fix it now?" asked Percy, his common sense kicking in and his mind calming down.

"Yes, but only if you promise not to attack him with it. You guys were acting like children."

"I promise not to attack him," grumbled Percy. The puddle on the floor flew into the air and reshaped itself into Riptide. Percy felt relieved and embarrassed. He hardly ever lost control like that. "Sorry."

"It's okay. Although, I think I did have a heart attack that time." Leo grinned.

"This can't be natural. I think Gaea's up to something. And I also think I know what." Annabeth smiled slyly, then ran to her room.

Percy should have known she'd come back with the silver laptop with the glowing blue delta.