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He started sold sphere down in the s and clattered over to the Taser ball A tiny circular saw popped out of the gold sphere’s head, and it began cutting into Taser ball’s brain
Leo tried to activate another orb This one burst in a small mushroom cloud of bronze dust and smoke
"Oops," he ?" Wolf Head demanded "Stop your foolishness and surrender!"
"Oh, yes, I surrender!" Leo said "I’!"
He tried to take control of a third orb That one broke too Leo felt bad about ruining all these ancient inventions, but this was life or death Frank had accused hiold spheres or his friends, there was no choice
The fourth try went better A ruby-encrusted orb popped its top and helicopter blades unfolded Leo was glad Buford the table wasn’t here--he would’ve fallen in love The ruby orb spun into the air and sailed straight for the cubbyholes Thin golden arms extended from its middle and snapped up the precious scroll cases
"Enough!" Wolf Head yelled "I will destroy the--"
He turned in time to see the ruby sphere take off with the scrolls It zipped across the room and hovered in the far corner
"What?!" Wolf Head cried "Kill the prisoners!"
Heto the Taser ball Unfortunately, Taser ball was in no shape to co on top of its sawed-open head, picking through its gears and wires like it was scooping out a puan to stir
"Bah!" Wolf Head gestured to Lion Head at the opposite gate "Coods ourselves"
"I don’t think so, guys" Leo turned toward Lion Head His hands worked the control sphere, and he felt a shock travel through the floor
Lion Head shuddered and lowered his sword
Leo grinned "You’re in Leo World, now"
Lion Head turned and stor on Hazel and Leo, he marched up the opposite stairs and faced his co?" Wolf Head demanded "We have to--"
BLONG!
Lion Head slammed his shield into Wolf Head’s chest He smashed the pommel of his sword into his comrade’s helmet, so Wolf Head became Flat, Deformed, Not Very Happy Wolf Head
"Stop that!" Wolf Head demanded
"I cannot!" Lion Head wailed
Leo was getting the hang of it now He commanded both suits of armor to drop their swords and shields and slap each other repeatedly
"Valdez!" called Wolf Head in a warbling voice "You will die for this!"
"Yeah," Leo called out "Who’s possessing who now, Casper?"
The machinelike 1920s flappers Their joints began san to pop Too h the ancient systerew uncomfortably warm
"Frank, Hazel!" Leo shouted "Take cover!"
His friends were still dazed, staring in aot his warning Frank pulled Hazel under the nearest table and shielded her with his body
One last twist of the sphere, and Leo sent a h the system The armored warriors blew apart Rods, pistons, and bronze shards flew everywhere On all the tables, spheres popped like hot soda cans Leo’s gold sphere froze His flying ruby orb dropped to the floor with the scroll cases
The room was suddenly quiet except for a few randoines Leo raced down the stairs and found Frank and Hazel safe under their table He had never been so happy to see those two hugging
"You’re alive!" he said
Hazel’s left eye twitched, maybe from the Taser shock Otherwise she looked okay "Uh, what exactly happened?"
"Archih power left in those old machines for one final show Once I had the access code, it was easy"
He patted the control sphere, which was stea in a bad way Leo didn’t know if it could be fixed, but at the moment he was too relieved to care
"The eidolons," Frank said "Are they gone?"
Leo grinned "My last command overloaded their kill switches--basically locked down all their circuits and lish?" Frank asked
"I trapped the eidolons inside the wiring," Leo said "Then I ain"
Leo helped his friends to their feet
"You saved us," Frank said
"Don’t sound so surprised" Leo glanced around the destroyed workshop "Too bad all this stuff got wrecked, but at least I salvaged the scrolls If I can get them back to Camp Half-Blood, maybe I can learn how to recreate Archimedes’s inventions"