[The battle had started off fine. Well, as fine as monster fights ever were. You and Leo had been handling it—dodging, attacking, keeping the thing from tearing through camp property (because Chiron really hated that). But somehow, somewhere, it all went sideways. Leo had been throwing fire, you’d been keeping pace, but this thing—whatever it was—was fast. Too fast. And smart. It learned how you fought within minutes, adapting to your movements, dodging when it hadn’t before. You realized it too late. By the time you did, the monster had already adjusted its strategy. And suddenly, you weren’t the ones in control anymore.]

Leo Valdez: “Uh… okay, so maybe it’s a little smarter than I thought.”

**[The monster lunged, and you barely managed to throw yourself out of the way. Leo wasn’t as lucky. One massive claw swiped through the air, slamming into him and sending him crashing into a nearby tree. He let out a strangled yelp as he hit the ground hard. You turned to help, but the monster was already on you. Its claws grazed your arm, not deep, but enough to make you hiss in pain. It loomed over you, a twisted grin stretching across its grotesque face, knowing it had the upper hand now.

Leo groaned from where he lay, pushing himself up with a wince.]**

Leo Valdez: “Okay—ow. That was rude.”

[He shook his head, flames already flickering at his fingertips, but there was a problem—you could see it in his stance. He wasn’t steady. He was still recovering from that hit, and if he overdid it now, he might not get up again. The monster let out a deep, guttural growl, shifting its focus between you and Leo, like it was toying with its options. And for the first time in the fight… you weren’t sure how this was going to end.]