FRANK

Frank sat calmly by the fire, wondering if he'd been too harsh with Hazel.

They had made camp for the night, deep in a forest, after a full day of flying. Jason and Piper lounged on Festus's back, having a pleasant conversation while Frank sat alone, wishing he could turn off his brain and have one too.

Hazel had come to him after the split was decided, and had been angrier than he'd ever seen her. He couldn't help but get a little angry, too. She didn't even give him a chance to explain, to tell her about everything Jason said, about what Frank thought was the right thing to do.

Mars, right on schedule, started yelling in his brain: Bah! Stupid girl. Forget her! Listen to what I've been telling you, boy!

Ares had been suspiciously quiet lately. So much that Frank could remember now what a mind was supposed to sound like. Uninterrupted. For some reason, every time the others were asleep, his father would give a frenzied warning about the Greeks, and a reminder of what his duty was as a Roman. But no other voice would follow. No one would object.

Often, Mars would even speak in a whisper. In a low, whispy voice that almost sounded like it was going into Frank's ear than coming from his head. Maybe it was because Ares wasn't there to talk over anymore. Even Frank's own thoughts were hardly competition.

Sometimes it was hard to tell his own voice from the god's. Sometimes he worried they were one and the same, and had always been that way.

He replayed the last part of his and Hazel's conversation. The last time they said anything to each other.

"Did you hear the way he talked to me? Jason doesn't care. He doesn't care about Percy. He doesn't care about us. " Hazel said.

"That's not true. That's not even the point, you're still not listeni-"

"Why do you keep defending him? You're supposed to be on my side."

Frank could feel his temper rise. "I am on your side! You're Roman. I'm Roman. Jason's Roman. The only one not thinking like a Roman is you. He knows sacrifices have to be made for the greater good. You're being too individualistic, thinking like a-"

"Like a Greek?"

"Like a child."

He had been about to say Greek, but pivoted when Hazel had guessed right and looked disgusted at the same time.

Frank wondered if what Jason told him had burrowed in his mind. That switching to the Greek "side" was a mistake. That you couldn't be Greek and be a proper leader, or know what's best for all, not just the one.

Hazel's eyes got watery, and she took a step back.

"I wasn't a child when you wanted to be my boyfriend."

"You were. You are. It's my fault for allowing my feelings to cloud my judgement. You're a kid, of course you don't understand where I'm coming from, where Jason is coming from-"

"You think I don't understand responsibility? You think I don't know what'll happen if we lose? Gaea almost woke decades ago, Frank, I'm the one that stopped it."

"You're the one that almost made it happen! Because of one person. One person you loved so much you couldn't let her go. Where did that leave you? Where did that leave her?"

Now he'd really done it. All he wanted was for her to understand his side. His point of view. To get through to her like Jason did to him. Didn't she know she'd be making the same mistake twice?

Hazel looked so shocked you would have thought Frank turned into a guinea pig, but as far as he was concerned, he was reminding her of the consequences when you let your heart rule your head. What was a harsh reminder when she needed to make the right choice right now? He'd apologize later. He'd explain later.

"Get out, Frank."

No, that wasn't right, that wasn't what was supposed to happen-

"Hazel, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that about your mom, but I'm just trying to get you to-"

"I said get OUT!"

She'd shoved him out the door, and slammed it in his face.

He let that lasting image of her, so obviously hurt and betrayed, linger in his mind, and only then became aware that Jason and Piper's conversation had devolved into hushed tones. Jason slid off Festus's back and strolled over to him, trying to act casual.

"So…" Jason put his hands in his pockets. "Girl problems?"

"Jason!" Piper hissed from afar.

"Is it that obvious?" Frank asked.

"No," Jason said, "Piper told me."

Across the fire, Piper put a hand over her face, and slid behind the metal dragon.

Frank felt just as embarrassed as her. "It's not something you have to worry about."

"Actually-" Jason started.

"Don't answer that!" Piper called.

Jason chose not to, and sat next to him on the ground. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Yes.

"I don't know…"

"I'm here for you, man. If you need to get something off your chest, I'm all ears."

Jason had already proved Hazel wrong. He did care. He just had his priorities straight.

"I was just thinking about what you said the night Percy...you know. Just the way you made me feel. It inspired me, it made me want to do better, to do my part on this quest. I thought I could do the same for Hazel, but...she wouldn't listen. Instead I drove her away."

Jason put a hand on his shoulder. "I got through to you because your heart was in the right place. You know your duty. Some people think they do and they just...crack under pressure."

An interesting thought came to Frank.

"What do you think Percy would have done? If he had to choose?"

Jason's brow rose, surprised, and while his gaze drifted to the dying fire, he appeared to experience a litany of emotions all at once- sadness, anger, dawning, confusion, and then a sort of...blankness.

When Jason spoke his voice was flatter, like he just remembered he was supposed to be mad about something, but couldn't figure out what.

"Depends on who takes his place."

"I don't know, just one of us, I guess."

Jason looked up from the flames, and into Frank's eyes, with the same intensity as he had in Percy's cabin- like he was about to tell Frank something he really needed to hear. Something that was important.

"I think you know the answer, and you just don't like it. We all have our flaws, Frank. Percy can't see past his personal loyalty. You don't have to feel guilty just because you can."

Movement over by Festus caught Frank's eye, and he had to ask-

"Let's say...it was Piper."

"We don't have to talk about that."

"But you'd still be here, right? If jeopardizing the quest, the world, for one person-"

"I said we're not talking about that." Jason snapped.

But then he rubbed his eyes, and sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm just tired."

He stood, probably anticipating the coming awkward silence. The fire was almost gone anyway.

"I'll leave you with this, Frank," Jason continued. "The best leaders are the most impersonal ones. When they see a choice between saving one person or a hundred, they know personal relationships don't matter. You've proven you can step back, and be that leader. You made the right choice. That's all you need to know."

Jason walked away, as they all prepared for bed, and somehow Frank wasn't as reassured as he thought he would be.