Battle with the Automaton ch 7: I get burned

Leo was riding in the back looking depressed. He was telling me how they were suppose to be for our benefit and not our problem. We looked down and saw a tall object walking towards camp near a river.

"There, lets land behind the trees", Claudia said. We landed behind some trees and waited to see what it does.

"Hide in a safe place until we need you", I told Tavion.

"Sure thing", he said and he and his brothers left.

"So how do we beat that automaton", I asked Leo.

"Well the best way is to have two attack him and distract him long enough for a third to attack from behind", he said.

"Is there anything we should know about this thing", Claudia asked Leo.

"Well the spear can be used to shoot at targets at high speed. Also this one can electrocute its targets with its hands and its has much more strength", he explained.

"Ok Leo and I will attack the automaton and you will attack it with some type of magic". I said. Leo and I confronted the machine cautiously and it watched us gripping its sword. "Demigods detected, ready to destroy, combat systems", it said.

"Combat droid S5GH-776Z I command you to shutdown and prepare for reboot", Leo said.

"Negative, my purpose is clear. I was created by Leo Valdez to fight all demigods and eliminate the weak", it responded.

"I guess talking isn't going to work", I said. I pulled Stream Surge and flipped it, it turned into its lance for shining its reflection onto the water from the river. "Now lets take this thing out so we can get back to camp", I said.

"Sure", Leo said. He pulled out a club from his belt and ran towards the machine and swung at it. It raised its shield and blocked Leo's attack and swung his sword at Leo. The sword cut Leo pretty deep in his stomach but not fatal.

"Leo!", I shouted. I attacked the machine with out hesitation to press it in a corner. Claudia was sneaking up from the back but couldn't get any closer. I commanded the water to wrap around its ankle and trip it. Before it could get up Claudia throw a pebble over its head. "A pebble?", I thought but the pebble turned into a giant boulder and fell on top of the automaton.

The automaton was stuck and couldn't move. Leo started to touch stuff on its head and its head popped open. "I'm going to reboot its systems so it wont be so evil", Leo said. But the automaton managed to get the boulder off its back and brought out its spear.

"Leo lets go!", I said but he couldn't run his wounds were slowing him down. It pointed its spear at us but before it could fire Percy, Annabeth, and Grover were on Mrs. O'Leary and crashed into the automaton and knocked it over. Boyd, Quintus, and Nico came out the woods and looked pretty beat up.

"You guys got here just in time", I said. Boyd was fighting the machine with a spear that looks just like the one the automaton was using. "Boyd watch out it can breath fire and shock you with its spear", I said. The automaton breathed fire at Boyd but he ducked and swiped the spear at its legs. Quintus used the whip and it covered the machine in flames.

"We have an idea to beat it" Nico said. He brought out his sword and got involved with the fight. Percy and the others stayed on the hellhound and attacked from above.

"Silas you and Percy use the water to trap it in a bubble", Claudia said. She took put her bow and arrow and started firing arrows that turned into snakes our explosives on contact. Percy and I focused our energy on the river and trapped the automaton in a bubble and made it explode.

"Did that do it?", Quintus said. The machine rose and Leo's body turned into white flames and fired them at the automaton. "Body has reached melting point, cant sustain form body will self destruct", it said.

"We got to get out of here!", Grover said. Everyone managed to leave but Leo I ran to him and try to carry him. "What are you doing?", Leo said.

"Saving your life", I told him. We couldn't get away and time and it exploded, Leo pushed me on the ground and covered me with his body. I could see white flames covering us and I was thinking how are we even still alive?.