When You're Gone

Styx

"He did that! I can't believe he did that!" Will scorched red with fury. "So he left you all stranded with a hopeless war to win? Is he insane?"

"Calm down," Nico murmured.

"No! I will not calm down! He's the hero of Olympus and now he's allowing Gaia control his body and wreak havoc among Romans and Greeks?"

"Roles reversed," Piper noted to her friends. "Well, at least we know now that their roles switch when they're mad."

Hazel sighed and shook her head. First they had taken the Percy Says No express underwater and ended up back in Elysium. Then Nico and Will caught wind of the situation. And now the gay couple is having a heated conversation about it.

Annabeth wasn't taking this so good, but not bad either. Piper held her in her arms as her eyes were devoid of any life, like she was looking at the world through a dream or the ancient mummy oracle in the attic before Rachel replaced her.

"Any thoughts on the future?" Frank asked sheepishly. "Without Percy, we're dead meat. Um, I don't mean me when I'll probably die transforming into some animal, then it'd be elephant meat-"

"Frank," Jason said. "We get it. Thanks, buddy."

"He made it clear. He doesn't want to be involved in any part of this," Piper stated. "Actually, I can sympathize. He's been in two great prophecies, walked through Tartarus, being guilt-tripped every second because of his experiences... and I respect that he's not crazy yet."

When she said this, she kept glancing at Annabeth warily. Annabeth didn't respond.

Jason nodded at his girlfriend approvingly.

"So how are we going to get back?" Hazel asked. "We haven't exactly thought this through."

It was like someone had dropped a flash bomb amongst them. Instant silence. Hazel hadn't seen this kind of reaction ever since Ella the harpy bestowing Annabeth's prophecy at Camp Jupiter. If it were to affect that accursed Octavian solely in the past, it would be awesome.

"Nico?" Jason called to the son of Hades. "How do we get back up?"

The son of Hades ended his conversation with his boyfriend and stared at them grimly.

"I told you," he said, "there is no way. Persephone and Hades locked the Underworld down completely. And there are Furies and hellhounds out to destroy intruders. My word means nothing in my Father's realm. We can do nothing but to hide you."

"Then can you hide us?" Piper asked.

"No."

"Nico!" Will scolded.

"Shut up. The reason we can't hide you is because every soul has got the order to report intruders on sight too. We're not the only spirits here," Nico explained. "Annabeth's friends - sure, they'll help you. But not the other spirits."

"Great." Jason sighed.

"So it's the hard way," Frank decided. "Come on. I still have energy left!"

* * *

They ran right into a Fury instantly. And that is why Frank is flying as fast as his wings could carry him and three old ladies with bat wings speeding behind them screaming bloody murder.

"I can't shoot!" Frank growled. "Someone do something!"

"We can't kill them!" Jason noted. "That'll just alert Hades more!"

"Annabeth, no offense, we need a plan now!" Piper cried. "That or we'll all die!"

One of the Furies shot a flaming arrow that barely missed Hazel's hair.