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―‘S‘okay, boy.‖ Leo turned to Zethes. ―<strong>The</strong> dragon‘s a little touchy about the whole deactivation concept.<br />
But I‘ve got a better solution.‖<br />
―Destroy?‖ Cal suggested.<br />
―No, man. You gotta stop with the destroy talk. Just wait.‖<br />
―Leo,‖ Piper said nervously, ―what are you—‖<br />
―Watch and learn, beauty queen. When I was repairing Festus last night, I found all kinds of buttons.<br />
Some, you do not want to know what they do. But others … Ah, here we go.‖<br />
Leo hooked his fingers behind the dragon‘s left foreleg. He pulled a switch, and the dragon shuddered<br />
from head to toe. Everyone backed away as Festus folded like origami. His bronze plating stacked together. His<br />
neck and tail contracted into his body. His wings collapsed and his trunk compacted until he was a rectangular<br />
metal wedge the size of a suitcase.<br />
Leo tried to lift it, but the thing weighed about six billion pounds. ―Um … yeah. Hold on. I think—aha.‖<br />
He pushed another button. A handle flipped up on the top, and wheels clicked out on the bottom.<br />
―Ta-da!‖ he announced. ―<strong>The</strong> world‘s heaviest carry-on bag!‖<br />
―That‘s impossible,‖ Jason said. ―Something that big couldn‘t—‖<br />
―Stop!‖ Zethes ordered. He and Cal both drew their swords and glared at Leo.<br />
Leo raised his hands. ―Okay … what‘d I do? Stay calm, guys. If it bothers you that much, I don‘t have to<br />
take the dragon as carry-on—‖<br />
―Who are you?‖ Zethes shoved the point of his sword against Leo‘s chest. ―A child of the South Wind,<br />
spying on us?‖<br />
―What? No!‖ Leo said. ―Son of Hephaestus. Friendly blacksmith, no harm to anyone!‖<br />
Cal growled. He put his face up to Leo‘s, and he definitely wasn‘t any prettier at point-blank, with his<br />
bruised eyes and bashed-in mouth. ―Smell fire,‖ he said. ―Fire is bad.‖<br />
―Oh.‖ Leo‘s heart raced. ―Yeah, well … my clothes are kind of singed, and I‘ve been working with oil,<br />
and—‖<br />
―No!‖ Zethes pushed Leo back at sword point. ―We can smell fire, demigod. We assumed it was from the<br />
creaky dragon, but now the dragon is a suitcase. And I still smell fire … on you.‖<br />
If it hadn‘t been like three degrees in the penthouse, Leo would‘ve started sweating. ―Hey … look … I<br />
don‘t know—‖ He glanced at his friends desperately. ―Guys, a little help?‖<br />
Jason already had his gold coin in his hand. He stepped forward, his eyes on Zethes. ―Look, there‘s been<br />
a mistake. Leo isn‘t a fire guy. Tell them, Leo. Tell them you‘re not a fire guy.‖<br />
―Um …‖<br />
―Zethes?‖ Piper tried her dazzling smile again, though she looked a little too nervous and cold to pull it off.<br />
―We‘re all friends here. Put down your swords and let‘s talk.‖<br />
―<strong>The</strong> girl is pretty,‖ Zethes admitted, ―and of course she cannot help being attracted to my amazingness;<br />
but sadly, I cannot romance her at this time.‖ He poked his sword point farther into Leo‘s chest, and Leo could<br />
feel the frost spreading across his shirt, turning his skin numb.<br />
He wished he could reactivate Festus. He needed some backup. But it would‘ve taken several minutes,<br />
even if he could reach the button, with two purple-winged crazy guys in his path.<br />
―Destroy him now?‖ Cal asked his brother.<br />
Zethes nodded. ―Sadly, I think—‖<br />
―No,‖ Jason insisted. He sounded calm enough, but Leo figured he was about two seconds away from<br />
flipping that coin and going into full gladiator mode. ―Leo‘s just a son of Hephaestus. He‘s no threat. Piper here<br />
is a daughter of Aphrodite. I‘m the son of Zeus. We‘re on a peaceful …‖<br />
Jason‘s voice faltered, because both Boreads had suddenly turned on him.<br />
―What did you say?‖ Zethes demanded. ―You are the son of Zeus?‖<br />
―Um … yeah,‖ Jason said. ―That‘s a good thing, right? My name is Jason.‖<br />
Cal looked so surprised, he almost dropped his sword. ―Can‘t be Jason,‖ he said. ―Doesn‘t look the same.‖<br />
Zethes stepped forward and squinted at Jason‘s face. ―No, he is not our Jason. Our Jason was more<br />
stylish. Not as much as me—but stylish. Besides, our Jason died millennia ago.‖<br />
―Wait,‖ Jason said. ―Your Jason … you mean the original Jason? <strong>The</strong> Golden Fleece guy?‖<br />
―Of course,‖ Zethes said. ―We were his crewmates aboard his ship, the Argo, in the old times, when we<br />
were mortal demigods. <strong>The</strong>n we accepted immortality to serve our father, so I could look this good for all time,<br />
and my silly brother could enjoy pizza and hockey.‖<br />
―Hockey!‖ Cal agreed.<br />
―But Jason—our Jason—he died a mortal death,‖ Zethes said. ―You can‘t be him.‖<br />
―I‘m not,‖ Jason agreed.<br />
―So, destroy?‖ Cal asked. Clearly the conversation was giving his two brain cells a serious workout.
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