Inferno (Leo Valdez x OC) (2)

Terminator is a snitch

The explosion nearly knocked me overboard. Annabeth had to grab my shirt and haul me back, only for us to be greeted by a very angry looking statue.

"Unacceptable!" He shrieked.

Apparently, he had just exploded into existence, right there on the deck. Sulphurous yellow smoke rolled off his shoulders. Cinders popped around his curly hair. From the waist down, he was nothing but a square marble pedestal. From the waist up, he was a muscular figure in a carved toga.

"I will not have weapons inside the Pomerian Line!" he announced in a fussy teacher voice. "I certainly will not have Greeks!"

I squinted at him. "Why did you name a line after Pomeranians?"

The statue glared at me.

Jason shot me a look and took a step towards us. "Terminus, it's me. Jason Grace."

"Oh, I remember you, Jason!" Terminus grumbled. "I thought you had better sense than to consort with the enemies of Rome!"

"But they're not enemies-"

"That's right," Piper jumped in. "We just want to talk. If we could-"

"Ha!" snapped the statue. "Don't try that charmspeak on me, young lady. And put down that dagger before I slap it out of your hands!"

Piper glanced down at her bronze dagger, which she'd apparently forgotten she was holding. "Um... okay. But how would you slap it? You don't have any arms."

"Impertinence!"

There was a sharp popping noise and a flash of yellow. Piper yelped and dropped the dagger, which was now smoking and sparking.

"Lucky for you I've just been through a battle," Terminus announced. "If I were at full strength, I would've blasted this flying monstrosity out of the sky already!"

"Hold up." Leo stepped forward, wagging his Wii controller. "Did you just call my ship a monstrosity? I know you didn't do that."

The idea that Leo was going to attack the statue with his gaming device was enough to snap Annabeth out of her shock.

"Alright, let's all calm down. I take it you're Terminus, god of boundaries. Jason told me about you, said you guarded the city of New Rome. I'm Annabeth Chase, daughter of-"

"Oh, I know who you are! A daughter of Athena, Minerva's Greek form. Scandalous! You Greeks have no sense of decency. We Romans knew the proper place for that goddess."

I shot the statue a glare. "You sexist little, terminator wannabe-"

"Right!" Jason interrupted. "Anyway, Terminus, we're here on a mission of peace. We'd love permission to land so we can-"

"Impossible!" the god squeaked. "Lay down your weapons and surrender. Leave my city immediately!"

"Which is it?" Leo asked. "Surrender or leave?"

The statue paused. "Both!" He announced. "Surrender, then leave! I'm slapping your face for asking such a stupid question, you ridiculous boy! Do you feel that?"

I glanced at Jason incredulously. He sighed.

"Wow." Leo studied Terminus with professional interest. "You're wound up pretty tight. You got any gears in there that need loosening? I could take a look."

He exchanged the Wii controller for a screwdriver in his magic tool belt and began tapping the statue's pedestal.

"Stop that!" Terminus insisted. Another small explosion made Leo drop his screwdriver. "Weapons are not allowed on Roman soil inside the Pomerian line."