Heroes Of The Future (SEQUEL TO THE BLOOD OF OLYMPUS)

Sixteen--Cecelia Ellis

Stupid sharks.

Cecelia leaned back from the edge of the boat.

"Well, see any options?" Austin asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Not unless you want to go swimming with sharks." She frowned. "Who was the one to come up with this dumb plan anyway?" All heads turned to Amber.

She raised her hands in defense. "Hey, Nathan gave me the idea! It's his dad's boat!"

"N--n--not t--true." He stuttered, his face contracting with effort. He had a hard time talking straight.

"Oh please." Amber rolled her eyes. "It's all your fault. You should've checked if the motor was full! You know how to work this thing!"

Austin scoffed. "Leave him alone, DaHeck."

Amber looked furious. "Don't call me that."

"Why not, DaHeck?" He prompted. "It's your name."

"No. It's not." She looked close to tears.

"Okay, okay." Cecelia broke in. "We've got worse problems at hand. How are we supposed to get these sharks away from the--" She suddenly felt a weird tugging in her stomach. "What was that?" She looked over the edge of the boat. The sharks were gone.

"Where'd they go?" Austin leaned over to see.

Thunder rumbled in the sky, almost as a warning.

Nathan slowly pulled both of them back into the middle of the boat. "N--n--not safe." A strong wind ran through his curly hair, his knees shaking in his baggy sweatpants. "H--h--have to p--protect." He made a nervous bleating noise, but put a hand over his mouth.

"Nathan, are you okay?" Cecelia asked him slowly, not wanting to offend him or anything.

"Not safe." He repeated. "It's never safe. The ocean, not for me. Never for me. He's coming to get me." He didn't stutter.

"Nathan, what's wrong?" Austin looked genuinely concerned. He should be, he was his best friend. They'd been buddies since forever.

Nathan suddenly shot to his feet. "No! He's coming!" A strong wind blew his red snap-back hat off. "He warned me. My fault." Thunder rumbled in the sky, the boat rocking violently. His eyes were wide with fear, making Cecelia shiver.

She grabbed his hand. "Nathan--"

Thunder boomed loudly in the sky, before lightning flashed across the dark clouds.

"Not safe! In the water! Quick!" Nathan shoved her towards the edge of the boat, but she stopped him.

"Nathan! What the heck are you--" He flipped her over the side of the boat, the dark waves engulfing her in blackness.

She paddled her arms desperately, trying to reach the surface. Her head emerged, but another dark wave pushed her under the raging water before she could take a single breath. For a horrible ten seconds, she thought she was going to die. Her lungs burned for air, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Breathe. Breathe under the water.

She had always been startled by the voice, but it had never been this terrifying to her before. It was always something that would help her, maybe even some advise.

It's the only way. Breathe.

She felt her limbs go slack as her vision started to blur. Her lungs burned for air, her eyes stinging from the salty water. Still, she refused to breath. Even if she did die, she didn't want to risk it being even a second shorter.

But she couldn't hold it in forever.

Breathe.

Her lungs finally gave out as the dark waves filled her mouth.

(A/N Hehe Cecelia, if u r reading this, ur gonna LUV Wut happens nxt fr u...)

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Hazel

Hazel hated the ocean.

She got seasick by just looking at it, especially when she was hurtling towards it from one hundred feet in the air.

Hunter couldn't fly for that long, and now he couldn't even keep his eyes open, but he kept a good grip on Hazel's arm.

She was trying to concentrate on something, anything that might keep her calm enough to use the mist to keep them safe. At least for a while. But she was having no luck. She wished the gods were listening right now, especially Zeus. This was his own son, and if he was just going to watch him get killed, Hazel wouldn't let it happen.

There was someone who missed him. Who was looking for him. His sister was probably worried sick.

***

Abbi

"Berney! Don't touch--Ow! Look what you freaking did--"

***

She was probably looking for him right now.

***

Abbi

"You are not riding that weird horse after that eagle! It has freaking wings!"

***

Hazel didn't know if any of that was true, but she knew that that was how Bianca felt when she was away from Nico. She'd been worried.

If Hunter's sister really was looking for him, it wouldn't be easy. Especially if he died now. She'd be searching for the longest time if he did. And when she would find out, how would she take it? She'd never forgive herself. She'd think it was her fault. That she was responsible for him, and she couldn't even keep him safe. That she couldn't watch him every second to make sure he was okay.

Hazel was pulled from her thoughts as was plucked out of the air. Talons were carefully fixed around her arms, not scratching them at all. Hunter was held tightly in the other, his eyes still closed and his breathing steady.

Hazel looked up at the giant bird's face. It was an eagle, a gleaming gold, radiant bird.

It cawed loudly, as if trying to say something. They were heading towards land, lowering at every flap of a wing. The eagle soared down, wind ruffling its bright feathers roughly.

Hazel had seen only one eagle like this before. There was only one.

"F--Frank!" She choked out, tears glistening in her eyes.