Haunted || Leo Valdez

33 - I Get Advice From a Crazy Beheaded Queen

"Ugh, Leo, come on!"

Rebecca had been trying to drag Leo away from the Bunker for almost thirty minutes. He was consumed with building a backup syncopator for the Argo II's engine, something he'd been working on for almost a week. She'd yet to be successful to drag him away for the first two Capture-the-Flag games they'd had, so she was determined to take him along for this one.

"Rebecca, if I don't make a spare, we'd be doomed if this one was lost," Leo said. "The syncopator controls the mix ratio of the deadly fluids that power the ship. Without it, all of the fluids could vent into the combustion chamber and cause a huge explosion. It'd take the Bunker and a good chunk of the forest with it."

"Okay, but you've already got one functioning, not-lost syncopator," Rebecca pointed out. "So right now the woods are not in danger of exploding. Therefore, you have to come and participate in Capture-the-Flag. It's boring third-wheeling Piper and Jason, and if you don't make an alliance soon, we might not get to be on the same team. So come. On."

She seized Leo by the elbow and yanked him to his feet. Leo muttered in Spanish as they left the Bunker.

"What's this about alliances?" Leo asked.

"The cabin counselors all make alliances. Swap chores and privileges. Usually people side with either Athena or Ares cabin, since they are usually the ones that oppose each other. So they'd go to Annabeth or Clarisse to make the alliance."

"Whose side are you on?"

"Annabeth's, as usual. I, along with many other people, enjoy kicking Clarisse's butt."

Nyssa was heading towards them and seemed surprised that Leo was out of the Bunker. Rebecca couldn't blame her. Leo rarely came out of the Bunker for anything. He slept on a cot in a room off the staging area where the Argo II was being assembled. If nobody brought him food, he'd lose track of time and forget to eat. And Rebecca guessed from the state of his greasy hair and grimy skin that he probably hadn't showered for a few days.

"I finally managed to drag him out to join us for Capture-the-Flag," Rebecca explained in response to Nyssa's questioning look. "He's going to go and make an alliance."

"I've already made an alliance," Nyssa said. "Sorry, I thought you'd be skipping it again--"

"No, no, it's fine," Leo said. "Who are we teaming up with?"

"Ares cabin," Nyssa said. "We've also allied with Dionysus, Demeter, Hermes, Hypnos, and Iris."

Rebecca saw the nervous look on Leo's face and nudged him, grinning. "Don't worry, Repair Boy. I'll go easy on you. Gonna go find Annabeth now, I'll let Nyssa take you to Clarisse."

She headed to the Athena cabin, where the Athena team would be going over plans.

Athena had made alliances with Zeus, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hecate, Nike, and, of course, Hades. Nico was already there, sitting in a chair with a Hades flag. Rebecca sat in a chair next to him.

"Rebecca, there you are," Annabeth said. "Where's Leo?"

"Nyssa's already made an alliance with Ares," Rebecca said.

"That's too bad," Laurel Victor from Nike said boredly. "That shortie won't know what hit him. We're going to annihilate their asses."

"Calm down," Annabeth ordered. "Okay, so if Hephaestus is with the Ares team, we can expect traps around the flag. Since Hermes has also allied with Ares, we'll have to send Nike out to scout. Holly, Laurel, think you can handle it?"

"Oh, we know we can handle it," Holly confirmed. "We'll be so good at scouting--"

"Okay," Annabeth intervened. "Will, send two or three from your cabin to scout as well, level out the ratio of Nike kids. The rest can defend, lay out traps. Piper, Aphrodite Cabin will defend, too. Lou Ellen, Hecate will be on offense. I'd like you to contribute a few scouts. We'll also need you to free anyone who gets captured, and you'll be able to use the Mist to get in and out. Jason, I'd like you to be in charge of defense."