The House of Hades (Fan-Fiction)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Frank

Frank watched as Leo furiously read his scrolls. He crossed his arms and rested against the wall. Hazel stood next to him, her face expressionless as she glanced aimlessly around the small room. The whole room seemed like it was only two degrees. The whole ship was like an ice cube ever since what had happened to Percy and Annabeth.

Hazel glanced over Leo’s shoulder. “What is that?”

Leo looked up, his face worn and tired. “I’m adding some major designs to these spheres. I have a crazy idea… and it just might stop the fight at Camp Half-Blood.”

“Would you like to share these ideas, Admiral?” Frank asked irritably. He didn’t respect Leo’s personality- all cool and trying to steal Hazel.

“It’s risky.” Leo wiped some sweat from his brow. “I really need to concentrate.”

“Take your time,” Hazel said gently, putting her hand on Leo’s shoulder. “Except you know we have to hurry, right?”

“I know.” Leo seemed really frustrated. “This will take a few days. Then we need to deliver them to Camp Half-Blood.”

“We need to get to Greece,” Frank said. “We need to get Percy and Annabeth and close the Doors of Death.”

With a sphere in his hand, Leo began whacking repeatedly at it with a tool. It fell apart in his hands, and he cursed in Ancient Greece. “Yeah, I know we have to go to Greece. But this is really important. And somehow we have to get that statue to Olympus.”

“How are we going to do that?” Hazel asked, looking at Frank before looking back at Leo.

“I usually wing it,” Leo said with a quick shrug of his shoulders. “It will come to me.” He hit the sphere on the table. The whole thing fell apart. “I hate this.”

“Don’t rush it,” Hazel said. “Should we give you time alone?”

Leo glanced up wearily. “If you want to leave, go ahead. Nothing here is going to change any time soon.”

Before Frank could answer, a scream sounded on deck. The three below deck were thundering up the stairs in a heartbeat.

There was nothing out of the ordinary on deck, except the others were looking down with terror in their eyes.

“What?” Frank asked.

“It- it came out of nowhere,” Piper said shakily, her face the color of cotton. That’s when Frank realized Nico wasn’t there.

“Where’s Nico?” Hazel asked, spinning in a circle. She turned to Piper, her face filled with panic. “Where’s my brother?”

Piper flinched. “It took him,” she whispered, pointing down.

“What?” Hazel shrieked. “What took him, Piper?”

Jason turned around, also looking white in the face. “It was a drakon.”

Hazel squeaked. “Nico got taken by a drakon? And you let him be taken?” With just her spatha, she threw her leg over the side of the warship.

“If you know what’s good for you, Hazel,” Coach Hedge yelled, pounding his cudgel into the ground, “you’d stay here!”

“I need to get my brother!” Hazel called back, a breeze brushing her hair from her face, revealing her shiny eyes. She was holding in unshed tears.

“I’ll go,” Frank blurted out.

“Really, are you sure?” Hazel asked bluntly. “You don’t have to…”