invisible string | f. zhang

xlii. bob says hello

forty two. bob says hello

THE DOORS OF DEATH OPEN with a hiss. Black smoke billows out, and Maribelle finds herself falling forward, exhaustion consuming her immediately.

She remains motionless on the floor.

Maribelle stirs, unsure of how long she'd been down, unsure if she'd made it out of the doors, out of Tartarus. She hears a familiar, comforting voice around her.

"Leo, no," Hazel says. "My father's temple. My call."

"Hazel . . ." She wheezes.

"The chains . . ." Another voice says from beside her.

"You can't seriously believe you have the strength," A new voice chides. "What will you do, Hazel Levesque —pelt me with more rubies? Shower me with sapphires?"

Maribelle's eyes fall closed again, she slumps over on the floor, arms shaking from trying to hold herself up.

"Belle," Percy's voice ripples through her mind, "Come on."

She climbs shakily to her feet, leaning heavily on the couple for support. They were barely hanging on themselves. She draws her weapon alongside them.

The darkness around the giant dispels completely, leaving nothing to protect him except his battered armor. Ichor oozes from a dozen wounds.

One last time Jason flew at him, kicking him in the chest, and the giant's breastplate shattered. The giant staggers backward. His sword drops to the floor. He falls to his knees, and the demigods encircle him.

Only then did Hecate step forward, her torches raised. Mist curls around the giant, hissing and bubbling as it touched his skin.

"And so it ends," Hecate says.

"It does not end." Clytius's voice echoes from somewhere above, muffled and slurred. "My brethren have risen. Gaea waits only for the blood of Olympus. It took all of you together to defeat me. What will you do when the Earth Mother opens her eyes?"

Hecate turns her torches upside down. She thrusts them like daggers at his head. The giant's hair went up faster than dry tinder, spreading down his head and across his body. He fell without a sound, face-first in the rubble of Hades's altar. His body crumbles to ashes.

For a moment, no one spoke.

"You should go now, Hazel Levesque. Lead your friends out of this place."

"Just like that? No 'thank you'? No 'good work'?"

The goddess tilts her head.

"You look in the wrong place for gratitude," Hecate says. "As for 'good work,' that remains to be seen. Speed your way to Athens. Clytius was not wrong. The giants have risen — all of them, stronger than ever. Gaea is on the very edge of waking. The Feast of Hope will be poorly named unless you arrive to stop her."

The chamber rumbles.

"The House of Hades is unstable," Hecate says. "Leave now. We shall meet again." The goddess dissolves. The Mist evaporates.

"She's friendly," Percy grumbles.

The others turn toward Maribelle, Percy, and Annabeth, as if just realizing they were there.

"Dude." Jason gives Percy a bear hug. "Back from Tartarus!"

Leo whoops. "That's my peeps!"

Piper throws her arms around Maribelle, grabbing onto Annabeth as well, crying.