Leo took out a pen and autographed the arm of one of the nymphs. “Love a bad boy!” Echo said, with a convincing squeal. “I’m the Super-sized McShizzle, man!” Leo said. The others quickly elbowed her into silence. “He uses it to hunt for dates, but he can’t find one!” “You know why his bow has cobwebs?” Leo continued. Narcissus frowned, as though he was vaguely aware of a gnat buzzing around his head. “He’s so ugly, when he was born his mama thought he was a backward centaur-with a horse butt for a face.” “You know how ugly Narcissus is?” Leo asked the crowd. He had the nymphs’ attention, if only because they were stunned but Narcissus was still fixed on his own reflection. He flexed his biceps, though he didn’t have much to flex, and showed off his HOT STUFF tattoo. “What are you talking about?” one demanded. You better just hang around that ugly dweeb Narcissus. I know you want some Leo time, but I’m way too cool. Leo shooed them away as if they were bothering him. The crowd of nymphs scattered in surprise. He strutted back toward the pond, hoping he looked awesome and not like he had some sort of nervous affliction. Just concentrate on moving that Celestial bronze. “What in the world are you thinking?” She sounded pretty flustered. He stuck a wrench in his back pocket (why exactly, he wasn’t sure) and he had Hazel draw a tattoo on his biceps with a marker: HOT STUFF, with a skull and crossbones. He used some machine oil to grease back his hair. The goggles weren’t exactly sunglasses, but they’d have to do.
He summoned some breath mints and a pair of welding goggles from his tool belt. Leo psyched himself up for an extreme makeover. “That’ll be my job,” Leo said, hating his own plan already. “But Narcissus is looking at it all the time,” she said. Hazel, how about you try to summon the bronze from right here? Make it sink through the sand and tunnel over to you, then grab it and run for the ship.” He had hoped they could just go back to the ship, and Hazel could teleport the Celestial bronze from a safe distance. It would take a lot of concentration, and it wouldn’t be fast.” I might be able to draw it to me through the earth, but I’d have to be fairly close. I’ve never tried with a piece of Celestial bronze that big before. “Hazel,” he said, “your power with precious metal- Can you just detect it, or can you actually summon it to you?” He’d also had experience with mobs of crazed nymphs. Leo didn’t want to stick around long enough to find out what the goddess meant by agitated. Nemesis had mentioned that Narcissus got agitated after dark, probably because he couldn’t see his reflection anymore.
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“And Narcissus might still know how to shoot his bow.” “It could also make several dozen nymphs very angry with us,” she said. “A chance to save him,” Echo said gratefully. “If we take it away, it might give Narcissus a reason to snap out of it. Narcissus is going to stay there until he dies again.” “Some demigods can’t change their nature. Hazel led the way until they were out of earshot. The nymphs clustered around Narcissus again and began recording new videos and taking more photos. Then she gestured with her sword toward the edge of the crater. She glanced at the sun, which was sinking fast. I don’t blame you, but you can’t have it. “Marry me before you die!” another squeaked. Or you can stay here and stare at yourself until you die again.” You can get up, and get on with your life. You either drowned yourself or turned into a flower hanging over the water or-Echo, which is it?” “I don’t know which version of the story is true. “I love me so, so much,” Narcissus agreed. Your punishment was to fall in love with your own reflection.” Nemesis was the goddess who cursed you, because you broke so many hearts. “You died staring at yourself,” Hazel insisted. “The only girl who cares what happens to you, apparently,” Hazel said. “Narcissus, listen.” Hazel kept her sword at the ready.