Of Greeks And Romans (Leo Valdez x Reader)

XXXIX

Frank

Frank had never been to the underworld before. The tunnel they had taken deeper into the earth from the entrance that Hazel had found was rough and narrow. He was half expecting for the underworld to be a large, dark, gloomy cavern filled with pools of lava and harsh red lighting.

He wasn't completely wrong, but just stepping in this dry landscape made him automatically nervous just thinking about the stick that controlled his life.

"You've been here before. Haven't you," He looked to Hazel, following closely behind her as the two of them took the steep decline down. What Phineas had said, how she was always confused. It made sense that she wasn't from this time.

Hazel took a shaky breath. Her face contorted into discomfort.

"You don't have to say anything," Frank said almost immediately. "My mom used to say you shouldn't try to carry a problem alone. But if you don't want to talk about it, that's okay."

"No, it's not that,' she said, letting out another breath. "You're right though, in guessing that I came back from the Underworld. I'm ... I'm an escapee. I shouldn't be alive."

Frank nodded, but refrained from saying anything. Hazel coming back from the Underworld was probably the best thing to ever happen to him, and nothing could change his mind about that. Even if she felt she didn't belong here, she was wrong.

Frank didn't want to push her, but he was glad when she started speaking. She explained how her mother had summoned Pluto and fallen in love with the god. She explained her mother's wish for all the riches in the earth, and how that had turned into Hazel's curse. She described her life in New Orleans, pausing slightly at some memory that clearly gave her pain. If Hazel ever wanted to talk about it, Frank would be here. Hazel described the Voice, and how Gaia had slowly taken over her mother's mind. She explained how they had moved to Alaska, how Hazel had helped to raise the giant Alcyoneus, and how she had died, sinking the island into Resurrection Bay.

By time she was finished with her story, Frank was nearly speechless. Perhaps it was the look o f guilt or horror on her features as they walked, but Frank reached out and took her hand. She looked up in surprise.

"You sacrificed yourself to stop the giant from waking. I could never be that brave."

Hazel shook her head. "It wasn't bravery. I let my mother die. I cooperated with Gaia too long. I almost let her win. And now, it's all my fault that Percy is gone now."

"Don't say that. It is not your fault. But why did you come back? You were a hero, you should have went to Elysium."

"I don't want to think about it," her face grew pained, and she clung onto his hand tighter, and then Frank new that it was too light.

His vision seemed to be fading before they were seemingly transported somewhere else. It was the Underworld, Hazel still standing there holding his hand as she looked out in what seemed to be terror.

"Wh-where are we?" Frank looked down, shocked at the purple shimmering light that he had become. It reminded him of a Lar.

"It's my past." Hazel said, that blank look covering her face. "It's just an echo.
Don't worry."

Frank looked up from where they seemed to be getting off of a boat. The boatman turned and grinned. One moment he was a handsome African man in an expensive silk suit. The next moment he was a skeleton in a dark robe. "Course you shouldn't worry," he said with a British accent. He addressed Hazel, as if he couldn't see Frank at all. "Told you I'd take you across, didn't I? 's all right you don't have a coin. Wouldn't be proper, leaving Pluto's daughter on the wrong side of the river."