The House of Hades (Fan-Fiction)

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Hazel

“Are you sure we’re ready?” Hazel asked, looking at Leo as he rushed around, making sure everything was ready.         

“Not at all,” Leo replied. He brushed back his hair with his long fingers. He pushed a crate carefully out of his way with a large warning label in neon letters. “I’m doing a last second check. Then we can fly away.” He held up his arms and pretended he was flying.

Hazel smiled despite her hopeless mood. She carefully stacked up some boxes with parts of the engine. She then went on deck.

The morning air was cool. She stared out at the hazy blue sky that was so clear it seemed much too good to be true.

“Is everything ready?” Nico asked.

“I don’t know,” Hazel said. “I know the Athena Parthenos is fine. Leo is doing some last minute checks.”

Just then, Leo rushed on deck. He said, “If the spheres work, the ship will go faster and sail smoother. Trust me on this.”

“We trust you, Leo,” Jason said, clapping Leo on the back. “Hopefully we’ll get off the ground sometime soon…”

“Oh, yeah, of course,” Leo said, pinkness flushing into his cheeks. He walked over to the controls and put his hand carefully on the up trigger. “Are we ready?”

“Just go already, Valdez!” Coach yelled. “I wanna go to Gaea’s army and beat them up with my skills!”

Looking ready to crack up, Leo did a countdown from five and then gave a very dramatic yank of the lever.

For one agonizingly long second, nothing happened.

Then the engine purred almost contently. The bow started to tip up, and then they were flying.

“My gods, Leo, you’re a genius!” Hazel gasped as they sailed faster than they ever had before. The park behind them soon vanished, as well as the city of Rome.

“Thank you.” Leo put one arm behind his back and one arm in front of his stomach. He bowed so low that his head brushed against the ground.

“How are we traveling?” Frank asked. “We’re obviously not going on the water, right?”

Jason and Piper shared a long look. “No,” Jason finally said. “With Percy not here to sense what’s in the water, it would be safer for us to stay in the air where I can be in control.”

Piper nodded. “We never know what we might encounter. Percy warned us when something was coming in the water. I think all of us would be more comfortable up here where Jason can watch the sky.”

Nico sat down, still looking a little weak from his whole ordeal. “Yeah, I agree. The quicker we get to Greece is better for… for all of us.”

Better for Percy and Annabeth. He didn’t have to say the words, but Hazel knew that was his intention that he didn’t want to say aloud.

Hedge yawned. “Is it time for lunch? I’m starving!”

“We just had breakfast,” Frank said, looking mystified. “Coach, are you really that hungry already?”

The satyr nodded. “Beating up goddesses is hard work. It makes me hungry. It’s hard work!”

“Hedge, that was me and Piper who had to deal with Lyssa,” Jason said. His face was something to see.

“Sure, sure,” Hedge mumbled. He pulled out what looked like a flower and chomped on it.

Leo rolled his eyes. “You were knocked out when we battled Enceladus. Are you going to tell the others about your big victory?”