Warriors || Leo Valdez [2]

4

On the Argo II, Alex and Leo showed Octavian around. He made snide remarks about Greeks and about Camp Half Blood, but the other two ignored him. By the time the tour ended, even Octavian seemed a little on board with the idea of teaming up with the Greeks. Everything was going according to plan until Leo went crazy. 

"We cool?" Alex asked Octavian who wasn't scowling anymore. 

"Cool..." He repeated the word as if it were unfamiliar.

"So what's the deal with the stuffed animals?" Leo asked, and then as if there was a switch flipped inside him, his expression and demeanour changed. 

His eyes were glazed and looked straight through Alex as if he had never met her. With robotic movements, he moved towards the ship's controls. 

"Leo what the hades is going on?" Alex asked, her bracelet was again on her wrist and ready to turn back into a sword at a moment's notice. She moved to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder but he pushed her away roughly. 

"Destroy them all" Leo spoke.

Octavian and Alex shared confused glances and then his eyes widened in shock and betrayal. 

"This was a trick wasn't it? You're here to destroy us" Octavian started toward Leo but a ball of hot flames appeared in Leo's palm which he sent toward Alex and Octavian all the while loading the ballista. 

"Leo, what are you doing?" Alex asked as she dodged the fire. 

"They will burn" 

At that Octavian ditched Alex and made his way to the ladder, but Alex ran toward Leo to prevent him from firing the ballista. 

"I don't know what's wrong with you but you have to stop" Alex yelled as she pushed him away from the controls but Leo knocked her off her feet and aimed the ballista. 

"Leo I will knock you out if you don't stop right now" Alex warned as she flicked her wrist and her sword fit in her hand. When Leo didn't answer Alex charged, but she didn't get far before she had to dodge a hammer. 

It slowed her down and Leo fired on New Rome. Alex charged again but this time she couldn't dodge the hammer Leo threw at her. She had just enough time to curl into a ball  before the force knocked her over. Seriously? throwing a hammer? not cool.

She got to her feet and rolled away from where Leo sent a ball of fire. Then she knocked Leo of his feet and took control of the ballista. 

She winced at the destruction and realised they couldn't go back to being friends with the Romans after this. At her feet, Leo stirred and tackled her to the ground. Alex's head hit the deck pretty hard and the world dissolved into shadows. 

---

When Alex woke up, she was in Annabeth's arms. Annabeth immediately started fussing over her but she insisted she was fine. She tried to get to her feet but her surroundings seemed to spin and she collapsed into more familiar arms. 

"Leo" She greeted. 

"Lex" He nodded. "Look I'm sorry- I didn't-" 

Alex waved his concern aside and the two slumped against the mast. Alex cradled her head and groaned when she realised it still hurt. 

"One more time," Annabeth said looking at the two. "Exactly what happened?"

"The tour finished and then Leo turned into not Leo... and he started firing the ballista" Alex spoke softly. Everyone turned to Leo for an explanation. 

"I don't know. It's fuzzy." Alex could tell he was choking back a sob. 

"Violet?" Annabeth asked. It was only then Alex saw the other blond. Their grin had completely vanished, and having their purple eyes bore into Alex's was not a fun thing.