*General PoV*

Leo wouldn't be much help, Percy knew that. So it looked like he would be getting beaten up by Clarisse.

Thalia had heard the low growl coming from the forest, but without her bow, she couldn't do much about the hellhound Annabeth had told her about without giving away she was here, especially when Clarisse and her four siblings rushed into the clearing.

Clarisse yelled "Cream the punk!" at Percy and ran toward him.

Percy managed to dodge the first kid, but they surrounded him before he could do anything. Clarisse hit his arm with her electric spear, and the current spread up his arm. Percy was standing closer to the stream this time, so when Clarisse shoved him back, he fell into the stream. The water washed away the numbness.

Clarisse laughed. "Where's the little runt that was supposed to be here? Hiding in the woods?"

Percy could see Leo's face up in the trees, and he didn't look happy about being called a little runt, but he stayed up there.

Clarisse's siblings decided it would be fun to beat him up, and one stupidly swung his sword at Percy. Three minutes ago, Percy would've had a harder time fighting him off, especially with a numb arm and an unbalanced sword, but standing in the water had healed his arm, gave him extra strength, and made the sword not awkward.

He blocked the sword easily, then slammed the flat of the blade against his helmet. Percy hit the next one in the face with his shield, and the third one backed up when he knocked the sword out of her hand but not before managing to slash her sword horizontally across his face. Percy winced. That might leave a scar. The last one didn't even attack him, but Clarisse ran straight at him. Percy grabbed her spear the same way he had the first time around, his shield holding the shaft in place and cutting it in half.

"You idiot corpse-breath worm!" She screamed, just as Luke ran across the creek, the banner changing to a silver background and a caduceus.

Annabeth ran over to him while Chiron blew a conch horn. Leo climbed down from his tree and joined the two.

But they weren't done yet. The hellhound was still out there.

"Move. The hellhound is still here." Percy said, shoving Leo and Annabeth away as he heard another low growl, louder and closer.

They were just out of the way as the hellhound jumped on him, ripping up his chest before a fireball flew toward it, disintegrating into dust that blowed away on the wind.

The campers gasped. Thalia couldn't see much from here, but when they backed away, she could clearly see the fire still flickering in Leo's palms, lighting up his face. But that wasn't the only thing. Two glowing symbols were hovering above Percy and Leo. The symbol of Hephaestus, a fiery hammer, blazed above Leo's head, and a trident hovered over Percy's as his chest healed.

The campers kneeled in front of the two.

"All hail Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses, and Leo Valdez, fire-wielder, son of Hephaestus, god of blacksmiths and fire." Chiron said grimly.

Sorry there wasn't a Saturday update! I was actually busy writing something else. (Ask if you want to know.)

Please review, and please vote on my who-goes-on-the-quest poll!