Leo, Hazel, and Frank fumbled at the control panels. The device would activate any minute, and Leo didn't want to be there when it happened. He'd heard what nuclear bombs did to people - their skin starts peeling off, their faces melt off, little things like that.

How he, Hazel, and Frank managed to stumble into such a place? Festus's warning singles indicated a 300 thousand year-old neclear bomb was being aimed at their ship. Leo didn't remember the ship flying past any war sites, but Leo checked it out anyways, with the voluntering Frank and Hazel.

Now Leo almost wished he'd left it alone. He had to stop the bomb or it would kill his ship and everyone in it, or stop the bomb from hurting or killing anyone. Problem was, they'ed only been able to block the bomb from the Argo II. Now Leo and his two friends were in the most danger of all.

Standing behind an unprotective glass panel, Leo worked with the switches and buttens, but it was too late.

"We have to make a run for it!" Leo yelled. "I can't stop it!"

Frank ran to the door. "Its- its locked!" he looked to Leo. "What now?"

Hazel looked traumatised. Leo knew it wasn't a good idea to bring her, but she had insisted - if Frank could do it, so could she. Often Leo looked at their relationship with longing, but he would push it aside. Calypso was a long way away.

The nuclear bomb was not.

Leo saw something across the bomb stand - a control panel! It might be the deactivater of the whole bomb! Leo recongised it as their only chance to save themselves, and the ship, if the blocking didn't work.

Leo faced his friends. "Hit the deck! Protect yourself at all cost!" He saw Hazel dash under a table with Frank guarding her.

"Protect your faces! Cover your skin!" Leo reminded them. As they did what they were told, Leo looked back at the contol panel. He had to start moving, or else his only chance of survival would be wasted.

Leo pried open a metal door and approached the bomb.

"Leo, no!" He heard Frank yell. Leo turned around to face him through the glass. "Stay put! Protect yourselves!"

"Leo-" He tried. "Frank, please, this is our only chance, I don't want to waste time." He looked at the door and window. "Sheild the window! We can't have it break!"

Frank and Hazel looked hesitant, but did what he said quickly by pulling down a thin shade that hadn't been there before. Leo could see the shadows of his friends get back to their position under the table. Good.

Leo noticed there was a timer on the bomb.

A minute. Was it enough time to deactivate it?

Leo got to work as soon as he found the control panel. He pulled his shirt over his mouth and nose to keep himself from breathing in the gases in the air.

The faster he worked, the harder his skin burned. It was getting hot in here. Too hot. He was thankful for being immune to fire, but he doubted it would be able to help him in a few minutes.

Twenty seconds left, Leo managed to cut off the bomb. I sinkig sound filled the air, like air slowly coming out of a ballon. Leo sighed in relief.

Then he realised that the gases inside that bomb might kill him on first contact.

Leo started running towards the door, but it wouldn't budge. He banged on it, rattled it, kicked it, screamed - his friends frantically tried to shake open the door. What a time for the door to get stuck.

Leo saw the shade get yanked down and his friends banging on the glass. Leo shook his head frantically - if the glass broke, the gases would get to them, too.

"Don't!" Leo screamed. He didn't realise his mistake until it was too late.

Leo fell to his knees, holding his neck. It felt like acid was clogging his throat.

"Leo! Leo!" He could hear his friends yelling and screaming. Leo couldn't respond. He could feel the gases burning through his skin. His brain felt like Jell-O. His bones felt like soggy sponges. His whole body was covered in sweat and... Leo saw blood coming out of his wrists and palms.

Leo grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his face. Then he used his army jacket to cover his hands, arms, and pulled it over him for his head. He pulled his knees to his chest and curled up in a ball.

Leo realised he was shrieking with pain. His muscles felt like they had been thrown in lemon juice for an hour, only worse. His hair seemed to be pulling at his skull, giving him a rock-hard migrane Leo thought might never go away. His arms steamed with acid. Leo's lungs were clogged with a liquid, like the horrible gas he'd been breathing melted half-way down.

Leo dared to open his eyes, but only to see more darkness. His eyes hurt most of all, and Leo wasn't surprised if he'd been turned blind.

Leo knew it was over. His friends would have to complete the quest without him. Leo prepared to be roasted to his death when something else happened. The gases and dizzyness stopped for a split second. Then he blacked out.

* * *

The two demigods, Frank and Hazel, helped Calypso get Leo's limp body onto the ship.

Calypso had just pulled Leo from the gas leak. She had healed him best she could, using potions and stuffing blocks of ambrosia into his mouth. They were lucky he hadn't burned up yet.

He only had a few scars and acid burns, but besides that, he looked okay, except for the fact that he was passed out. When Hazel and Frank thanked her, introduced themselves, and asked her name, she knew it was best to keep quiet, for Leo's sake. She didn't want Leo's quest disrupted. But Calypso saw the two demigods wern't lying about their identidies, and prayed her choices to leave Leo with them was wise.

"Keep him safe," Calypso ordered. "But do not him I was here."

"Why not?" The one named Hazel asked.

Calypso sighed. "It may distract him from his quest. Now, you have to go."

"But, how do you know about us? How do you know about our quest?" Frank asked curiously.

Calypso hesitated. "Leo told me." She nodded to his unconsis body. "That is all I wish to say about it. But if you arfe concerned, I am on your side."

Frank nodded. "Alright. Um... thank you for saving Leo." Hazel nodded. "He would have died without you," She said.

Calypso didn't want to think about Leo dying. "You're welcome, but I really don't want to disrupt your quest. According to Leo..." She cut herself off before the two demigods could ask. "Well, you have a job to do, and you'd better get to it. Good luck, demigods." Calypso left without a word.

It was better if she was left unknown.

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If there was an award for crappy fanfic endings, I'd be in First-place gold metal.

Yaay! Stupid endings! Yuk it up, everyone!

I promise the next one will be better. ;)

~Alex