The Curse of Oenone (Daughter of Olympus II) - [Leo Valdez xF!Oc]

We Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss Through

It must be sturdy down here because Hazel isn't insisting on going in first before Ara. Unless she's so pissed that she's hoping Ara will die on accident. This wouldn't be the first time in Ara's life that a child of the Underworld prays for her downfall.

The girl walks forward while Leo tries to cheer Hazel up. Ara has a goal and a plan, and that keeps her mind clear, so she's okay... as okay as she can be after hearing her dead sister talking to her. A squeak makes her stop making the two kids behind her collide against her. Gale the gassy polecat is glaring at them from the ground. 

"Not the farting weasel again," Leo groans. "If that thing lets loose in close quarters like this, with my fire and all, we're gonna explode."

The polecat goes off on Leo in a series of irritated screeches and Hazel hushes it. "Be ready," she tells them. "We're getting close." 

"Close to what?" Leo questions.

"Close to me." Answers a fourth voice."Welcome. I've looked forward to this."

The decoration in this new room is screaming: YOU'RE DYING TODAY! But Ara's attention isn't on that. Right in the middle of the chamber, is a set of elevator doors that remind her of the ones leading to Olympus.

"That's it," Ara breathes.

"Yup," Leo sounds less enthusiastic about it. "Those are doors, all right."

Ara spots the chains on each side and her hand reaches for Almighty, but she doesn't move. It can't be this easy.

"Where are you?" Hazel asks tensely.

"Don't you see us? I thought Hecate chose you for your skill."

A dark cloud forms and vanishes just as quickly leaving a tall giant in its place. He's not too different from his brethren, except that he's all black and made of smoke. He's weaponless, which concerns Ara.

Leo whistles under his breath. "You know, Clytius... for such a big dude, you've got a beautiful voice."

"Idiot." 

A woman shows up next to the giant: Full Greek attire, a high updo that reminds Ara of that movie Silena used to love—Pride and Prejudice, the one with Keira Knightley—and a necklace with a miniature maze. 

"Oh!" Ara lets out in understanding. "You're the minotaur's momma!"

"Arae Jackson," the lady sneers. "I have a name."

"Pasiphaë," Hazel replies.

"My dear Hazel Levesque," the woman nods politely.

"You two know each other?" Leo asks. "Like Underworld chums, or—"

"Silence, fool. I have no use for demigod boys—always so full of themselves, so brash and destructive."

"Hey, lady, I don't destroy things much. I'm a son of Hephaestus."

"A tinkerer," Pasiphaë scoffs. "Even worse. I knew Daedalus. His inventions brought me nothing but trouble."

"Daedalus... like, the Daedalus? Well, then, you should know all about us tinkerers. We're more into fixing, building, occasionally sticking wads of oilcloth in the mouths of rude ladies—"

"Leo." Hazel interrupts him. "Let me take this, okay?"

"Listen to your friend—Be a good boy and let the women talk."

Ara's eyes go past the giant and to the doors behind him. She tries to figure out how to run past him, but if he doesn't move, she can't tell how to one-up him. "Easy, child of Olympus," the woman speaks like soothing an energetic puppy. "We'll get to that in a moment."