Annabeth was exhausted. The day was just one big interrogation, and her brain hurt from telling just as much truth as she could get away with.
Ananbeth glanced over at Leo. "Please tell me your day went better."
Leo was laying on his back, watching the fan above them. "The children of Vulcan were pretty cool I guess. And I wish you could have seen their armory, it's waaaay cooler than Camp Half-blood's. Ya know, if I wasn't making weapons of mass destruction, I might actually enjoy myself."
"We have to get out of here," Piper said softly. For being used as a hostage, she seemed to be doing alright.
Annabeth nodded. "Agreed. The longer we stay the more danger we're in."
The doors above them opened again, and down jogged a frazzled Jason. He wore an eyepatch, something he'd previously refused. Maybe he finally accepted his sight wasn't coming back.
"Guys, I'm so sorry! I didn't think Reyna was going to do that!"
Piper scowled. "Don't pretend this was all Reyna. You did this to us."
"Yeah, I-I know. But I didn't think, I mean I thought you would be safe!"
"Did you?" Leo said, finally turning to face him. "You offered us up as prisoners, did you really think we'd be safe?"
Jason ran his hand through his hair. "I promise it won't happen again."
Piper's eyes welled with tears. "I don't think you have the authority to promise that. They were going to kill me, Jason, I saw it in Reyna's eyes. We spent months together, did that mean nothing?"
"Of course not!" Jason exploded. "But this isn't about you, can't you see that? Gaea is going to rise, and the only way to stop her is to heal the gods. I'm doing that!"
"Of course it's not about us!" Leo cried. "It's about you, Jason. You hate Hera so much you'd do anything to take her down. You'd betray your best friends."
The color rose to Jason's cheeks. "I have other friends too! I had a life here before Juno took my memories, this is my home. And I'll fight to defend it."
Annabeth carefully watched Leo and Piper. Did they really still think Jason was their friend? But then, maybe he was in his own way. Maybe he was sincere about wanting to protect them.
"We were there for you when no one else was," Piper said bitterly. "Glad to see you didn't return the favor."
Jason turned away. "It's because I care about you that I'm doing this. If you can't see that, it's not my problem."
"Get out," Leo said. "Get out!"
Jason paused at the top of the stairs. "I'm going to protect you regardless. Just hang in there." He let the door close behind him, and the tension let the room like a sigh of relief.
Leo dug his fingers into the back of his chair. "I can't believe him."
"Well I can," Piper said. "He wasn't the same after Hera. None of us were, something inside Jason is different."
"Then that makes him dangerous," Annabeth said. "We have to get out."
"I'm so glad you said that," a voice behind them said. Annabeth whipped around gasped. Frank was leaning against the wall, a small smile on his face.
"How did you-"
"I'm very sneaky," he said. "And Hazel and I have a plan." As if on cue, the wall rumbled and collapsed, revealing a smirking Hazel.
"Ready to get out of here?"
***
Hazel led them through the tunnel, Leo right behind her with his palm ablaze. Frank took one look at Leo and decided he would take up the rear. Annabeth didn't understand the fear in his eyes but she could relate.
"We talked to Percy," Hazel said as they walked. "Once you get out, someone named Grover will find you and get you to safety."
Annabeth grinned. "Good old Grover. He always shows up when you need him. What else did Percy say? Anything about..." she didn't want to say Gwen's death out loud, she was Hazel and Frank's centurion after all.
Hazel seemed to pick up what Annabeth was saying. "It was an accident. You know Percy would never do that on purpose."
Annabeth swallowed. "Of course. And he's okay, right?"
"Yeah. He's with someone named Clarisse right now."
"Clarisse? Huh," Annabeth said. "Not a bad idea actually." Somehow, thinking of Clarisse made her wildly homesick.
In front of her, Leo traced his hand along the side of the tunnel. "This isn't gonna collapse, is it?"
Annabeth could only see the back of Hazel's head in the flickering firelight. "Of course not. I mean, I could make it collapse, but we're deep enough that the soil is solid."
"You didn't think we could make it out before," Annabeth said, "what changed?"
"Your situation. It's too dangerous for you to stay here anymore."
"Fair enough." The continued on in silence for a while, the occasional chunk of gold or ruby catching Leo's orange glow. Piper had been quiet, and Annabeth figured she was thinking about Jason. Annabeth hated to think it, but she had been in Piper's shoes before. Having a best friend turn against you was... unthinkable.
Hazel's tunnel started to slope upwards, and Annabeth was grateful. Being down in the dark was starting to get to her. Finally, they broke through the crust behind an abandoned building. The night air was cool and crisp in her lungs, Annabeth realized it had been a while since she'd stepped foot outside.
"No one make a sound," Hazel ordered. "This could all go very badly."
She led them through a few dark alleys, silent as a ghost. Every so often Frank's foot caught on a pebble or the fabric of Piper's coat brushed together but no one seemed to be out and about. Finally, they approached the wall.
"This is the tricky part," Hazel whispered. "There's a door up ahead that leads out, but only a Roman can open it. Once you're outside, run like hell and find Grover."
Annabeth hesitated, suddenly overcome with affection for both Hazel and Frank. "I don't know how to thank you."
"Thank us by working for peace," Hazel said. "Frank and I will do the same."
Annabeth nodded. "We will."
"Guys," Frank whispered, "we should go."
"Right." Hazel turned back to Piper and Leo. "Ready?"
Leo gave her a double thumbs up. Piper swallowed and clenched her fists.
"Then let's go."
Light as a feather, Hazel bounded forward and out of the shadows. Annabeth followed close behind, very aware of how exposed they were. She could just see the hole cut in the wall for the door, a dark rectangle ahead.
And they almost made it.
Just as Frank stepped foot on the lawn, a shout rang out behind them, followed by one further away.
"Shit," Hazel hissed. "C'mon!" She sprinted full tilt, yanking Annabeth behind a building. Piper, Leo and Frank followed, shouts echoing behind them.
Hazel grabbed Frank's arm. "Get out of here."
"No way. I'm not leaving you!"
"We can't both be caught."
"Then you go!" Frank's eyes were pleading.
Hazel shook her head. "Only one of can disappear."
Annabeth didn't understand, but Frank clearly did. He swallowed and took a couple steps backward. "We could both-"
"Frank, go!" Hazel pushed him away and with a last look at her, Frank vanished. In his place, a small bird flew up and away.
Annabeth's mouth fell open. "Did he just-"
"No time!" Hazel gasped. "We have to make a run for it!"
Hazel ran for the door and Annabeth followed, her lungs burning from the sudden exertion. Leo and Piper sprinted behind her, and further back the shouts were getting louder, armor clanking too. Annabeth's vision tunneled on that door, the one thing separating her from Percy and freedom. She was so focused she was the first one to see the door open, to see the flood of legionnaires pour out of it.
Annabeth caught Hazel's arm. "Wait!"
Hazel cursed when she saw them. "I can take them, just..." her voice trailed off when she turned around. Annabeth followed her gaze and swallowed. Legionnaires fanned out behind them, spears ready. And in the middle stood Reyna herself, flanked by her snarling dogs.
"Rushing off?"
"Reyna," Hazel tried, "this isn't-"
"Isn't what? You helping our prisoners escape? Committing treason?"
Hazel glanced around, like she was calculating something. "Is it really treason if it's in Rome's best interests?"
"That's not up to you to decide."
Hazel closed her eyes, and the ground rumbled slightly beneath them. "Get ready to run," she hissed. The ground shook even more, and Reyna's eyes widened. Faster than Annabeth could blink, Reyna flung her knife end over end, smacking Hazel right in the forehead. The girl fell to the ground stunned.
"Hazel!" Piper cried, kneeling at her side. Hazel groaned and pressed her hand to her head as the earth stilled.
Reyna drew another knife. "You do that again and the next one's in your heart, Miss Levesque."
Annabeth glanced around in desperation. There was no way out.
"Take them," Reyna ordered with a flick of her wrist. Her guards advanced and pinned their arms behind their backs. "Take Annabeth and company back to their cell, but handcuff them to something. Take Hazel to the senate building."
Hazel swallowed and turned to look at Annabeth. I'm sorry, she mouthed. Annabeth twisted in her captor's grip to catch a last glimpse of the door, her one way to freedom. Then she was wrenched away back towards her cell.