We've all got bruises. (Leico)

The first threat

"Nico, faster! She's gaining on us!"

"I can't go any faster, Leo! My legs will fall off!"

"You can always pedal with your hands, you big baby. Faster!"

Nico huffed and turned around to pedal the bike harder, ignoring the ache in his legs.

He slammed on a particularly hard corner and nearly fell, Leo screeching like a wet cat and grabbing his shirt from behind. It wasn't his fault. School hallways just weren't made to take hairpin turns on an overloaded bicycle.

"I'm going to kill you, Valdez!" Clarisse shouted, sprinting and threatening to throw one of the fake spears from the gym.

"Why is she even chasing us?" Nico huffed, sweat dripping down his head.

"This isn't the time for questions I can't answer, Nico!"

All Nico had been doing was testing out the bike they'd had to build in woodshop when Leo had suddenly jumped on the back pegs, grabbing him around the waist and screaming in his ear to "DRIVE MAN, DRIVE!" Startled, Nico had driven out of the gym and into the deserted halls with a screeching possible lady-assassin running after them and about to catch up. Seriously, the girl had the stride and physical shape of an Olympic track goddess.

Leo whooped and threw his hands up, calling "You'll have to catch me first, you sweaty nugget-LEFT, NICO, LEFT!"

"Oh wow, good one Leo," Nico huffed, taking a sharp left turn and Leo swatted his neck.

"It's all I've got. I'm under pressure."

"You're under pressure? Leo, I'm pedaling a homemade bike away from a girl who could kill us both with one finger, inside a school at midnight, with no idea where I'm going or why we're being chased. Don't talk to me about pressure-OH GOD THE STAIRS!"

The ten marble steps leading outside gleamed dangerously in front of them, and Leo had the foresight to throw a screwdriver at the automatic door button to keep them from crashing into it.

They clattered down the steps in a jaw-clenching moment, Leo's legs flying up behind him as he clung to Nico like a lifeline. For one terrifying instant his feet scraped against the ground until he pulled himself up. Looking behind him, he saw Clarisse stop just outside the doors.

Leo shrugged and threw a large screw at the girl in an attempt to slow her down, but she simply readjusted her grip and hurled her spear with a practiced toss, the projectile soaring dangerously straight at them.

It was just Nico's luck they'd made the wheels so huge, and that Clarisse was such a good shot.

The spear flew straight into the spokes of their bike, stopping the back wheel and making that disgusting screeching noise. Leo flew over Nico's head and skidded across the ground, tools and screws flowing behind him like a trail of bread-crumbs.

Nico climbed off and ran to the other boy. "Leo? God, are you okay?"

Leo sat up, groaning and rubbing his head. "Is Clarisse on a sports team? She really needs to consider it in a career option." He froze.

"Wait a minute, where is Clarisse?" He looked back. She stood grinning, the chain she wore in her belt out, as she started wrapping it around the school door handles.

"Good luck getting in now, dumbass!" she mouthed through the doors, flipping them both off as she stomped out of the sight in the dark school building.

"Leo, look what you did! You got us locked out of the school!"

"Hey, I didn't tell her to use her punk accessories to cause destruction and mayhem! She's a menace!"