The Boy On Fire (A Caleo Short Story)

Chapter 7 (I Got Tagged)

               Some short bursts of laughter began to appear throughout the crowd but they stopped when Leo flashed them a death-glare.

               Chiron turned to Calypso. "Calypso, Leo is another team captain. You can pick anyone but him."

               "Oh, okay." She seemed to stare blankly at the crowd, pondering for a second. She finally came to a conclusion. "Percy!"

               Percy proceeded to walk up and stand next to Calypso.

               It was Leo's turn. "Jason!" As Jason walked by, he shot Percy a look that said: Let's see which one of us is more powerful now.

               Calypso then picked Piper and Leo picked Annabeth.

               It went on and on like that with new team members whispering suggestions into the team captain's ears which Leo found both annoying and helpful because he knew almost none of the campers nor their skills. The same was going on with Calypso.

               A camper named Daniel whispered, "Choose Jackson, he's good." while Connor kept whispering, "Chose Travis! We're a package deal!"

               Once the teams were assigned Chiron spoke. "Campers, you will have thirty minutes of free time to plan! That means no running across the boundaries!" Chiron spoke directly to the Ares kids, who just grumbled. Chiron continued as he handed one flag to each team. "Campers, the time starts now!"

               With those last words, all of the campers ran into the woods. Leo's team ran towards Zeus's Fist, a big rock that jutted out of the ground.

               "Jason!" Leo called to the son of Zeus. "Put the flag up there!"

               Jason flew up to the top of Zeus's Fist and placed the flag between to rocks. "All set!"

               Then Leo turned to Annabeth. "You got a plan?"

               "Yeah, you stay here with Jason while I take the rest of the campers to set traps, then my group will scout from the trees on our side of the river and try and see what the other team is doing. At the end of the free time, we'll run in and try to quickly overwhelm the guards."

               "Sounds like a plan to me." Leo agreed. "Go."

               Annabeth and the rest of the demigods on Leo's team rushed out of the small clearing and into the woods.

               Just then Leo had an idea. "Jason, how about you go fly up into one of those trees and hide, so that if people come, they will think that there is only one guard and rush in. Then you just jump them from behind or something."

               "Sure, cap." Jason flew up into a tree and hid himself between the branches and leaves.

               Leo then spoke to his magical tool belt that he wore pretty much everywhere. "Give me some wire and a lightning rod." His tool belt obeyed, except that the lightning rod was a bit small. Leo wasn't sure if it would work. But if it failed, no harm done. Hopefully.

               Leo began to wrap a bit of the wire around the base of the lightning rod. After that was done, he lay the wire in a circle around Zeus's Fist.

               Jason was watching curiously. "What are you doing?"

               "When the enemy arrives, you blast lightning down onto this rod. The electricity will travel through the wire, paralyzing anyone who touches it."