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Leo XXXVIII

"Leo XXXVIII," Katie read.

ONE PROBLEM SOLVED: the hatch above them closed automatically, cutting off their pursuers.

Hephaestus sighed with relief.

"That should slow them down," Poseidon said, shoulders relaxing a bit. "At least long enough to find Hazel."

"She couldn't have gotten too far..." Nico said, frowning worriedly despite himself.

It also cut off all light,

"Of course it did," Chris rolled his eyes. "Can't be a good secret passageway with proper lighting."

...Leo just hoped they didn't need to get out the same way they came in. He wasn't sure he could open the tile from underneath.

"You should be fine," Percy said. "I mean, this place was made by a secret cult. This tunnel probably leads to places all over Rome."

"...Not sure how I should feel about that," Nico admitted with a grimace. If the passage way was as complicated as Percy thought, who knew how long it would take for the trio to find him? Not to mention, backtrack to regroup with the son of Poseidon and the others.

Percy cringed and tried to correct himself. "Hey, don't worry, we're going to find you."

The other boy just nodded in response.

Frank must have turned back to human form. Leo could hear him wheezing in the dark.

Ares snorted and rolled his eyes.

"What now?" Frank asked.

"Now, the best thing to do is find Hazel," Annabeth said.

"Okay, don't freak," Leo said. "I'm going to summon a little fire, just so we can see."

"Thanks for the warning."

"Glad you're not a complete jerk, Valdez." Leo muttered under his breath, playing with his zipper.

Leo's index finger blazed like a birthday candle. In front of them stretched a stone tunnel with a low ceiling. Just as Hazel had predicted, it slanted down, then leveled out and went south.

"At least they won't get lost looking for her," Nico sighed.

...They made their way down the corridor, Leo going first with the fire. He was glad to have Frank at his back, big and strong and able to turn into scary animals in case those possessed tourists somehow broke through the hatch, squeezed inside, and followed them. He wondered if the eidolons might just leave those bodies behind, seep underground, and possess one of them instead.

A few demigods shuddered.

"They can't," Annabeth reminded. "Piper made them swear that they would never possess any of our bodies... Unless, their promise has another loophole?"

She warily turned to her mother. Much to everyone's relief, the goddess shook her head.

"No, while they can possess other people and objects, they are bound to their promise and cannot control you and the other six."

"Sooo, basically the eidolons are useless down here. I mean, what can they possess? Rocks?" Travis joked, earning chuckles and giggles from the demigods around him.

"Don't underestimate them," Hades warned, wiping the grins off their faces. "If they had found a way around their promise, than they are that determined to work around their disadvantage."

...After a hundred feet or so, they turned a corner and found Hazel.

Nico felt relieved hearing that.