Chapter 10

When all three of them entered the dining room, all conversation ceased. Hazel gave a tiny wave and went to sit next to Frank. Everyone's eyes followed her until Piper broke the silence.

"I don't mean to be rude, but what is she DOING HERE?"

"Yeah, I meant to ask you that downstairs," Percy said turning to Nico.

"Well, Nico came to the Underworld and brought me back, just like last time. Father didn't stop us, so I guess I wasn't supposed to die yet. Again."

"Then where's Jason?" Piper said clearly trying to stay calm. Hazel looked at the table uncomfortably and Nico looked guilty.

"It wasn't Nico's fault." Hazel said, "Jason wasn't in Elysium with me."

"What do you mean? He was one of the bravest heroes ever! He deserved it as much as you did!"

"Jason did achieve Elysium, Piper, but- well the thing is it was Jason's third life. He'd achieved Elysium three times. He got to go to the Isle of the Blessed. He said he was waiting for you there, that he knew you'd make it. He didn't want to cheat death."

Piper sat in silence for a while. Then she got up and headed for her room trying to hide her tears, but everyone saw.

"Well I'm glad to have you back." Leo said, breaking the silence, "It must have been hard for you having to see dead people every day. You missed being on team Leo didn't you?"

"Yes, I missed being on team Leo," Hazel said while accompanying it with an eyeroll. "And it wasn't being being around dead people that was hard, it was being alone, worrying about you guys."

Everyone "Awed" at that. Hazel, though she rarely acted like it, was the youngest of the group. Everyone had missed their little sister and best friend.

"So, what did I miss?"

Nobody wanted to be the one to tell her that Percy had had a complete mental breakdown and lost control of his powers.

"We defeated Gaea," Leo stated nervously.

"That's great! How?" Hazel exclaimed.

"Um, well, when you, uh, died, Percy kind of, sort of hadamentalbreakdownandwentcompletelybeserkandnowhasthepowertocontrolothers," he rushed.

"Percy what?" Hazel questioned shooting Percy a glance.

Leo took a deep breath, and repeated what he had said, a bit slower, "Percy had a mental breakdown and went completely berserk, and now has the power to control others."

Hazel just sat there in shocked silence.

She turned to look at Percy who wouldn't meet her eyes. "Is that true?" Percy, who was on the verge of crying, nodded his head. Hazel got up and hugged him. "Don't worry, everything is going to turn out just fine," she soothed.

At those words, Percy started crying. He let out all of his sadness, grief over hers and Jason's deaths, and the frustration about his powers while wrapped in Hazel's arms. Hazel just held him while saying comforting words. Eventually Percy stopped, and Hazel suggested they go to her room because she didn't like how his room seemed like a jail. Frank didn't look too happy about that bit. Percy agreed, and they left the mess hall.

They walked into Hazel's room and sat on the bed. Hazel looked directly into Percy's eyes and asked, "Are you okay?"

Percy thought about lying and saying he was fine, but he knew that she would see right through his lie, so he said no.

"What's wrong?"

"What's wrong is that I took down an ancient goddess single-handedly, hurt my friends with this freaky new power, and whenever I forget to control my emotions, bad things happen with my powers. I just want to go home, Hazel. I miss my mom. I miss Camp Half-Blood. I miss Grover and Rachel and even Clarisse. Did you know I haven't seen them in almost a year? I'm sick of all these quests. Honestly, I wish I could just live like a mortal like I did the first twelve years of my life. I just want to go home."

Hazel was shocked. She hadn't known that Percy felt that way. Percy looked so depressed sitting in front of her. Hazel decided to hug him again. "It's okay, Percy, you'll get to go home soon." She hoped she was telling the truth, with all her being.