I'm so sorry this is late! Sometimes I have the chapter all written out and edited but I just forget to post.
This is a long one so enjoy and comment! Constructive criticism is always welcomed!
Disclaimer: I own neither Young Justice nor Heroes Of Olympus.
Out of everyone in the ship, Hazel was both the oldest and the youngest person. Sure Nico was her older brother physically but according to Annabeth, Hazel was older than him by a few years. If age worked for superheroes the same way it did for regular people then she should also be the youngest person there.
She didn't know why she found comfort in this fact but it did make her feel better about being in a plane full of strangers that claimed that they worked for the Justice Society. They called it a different name but they were both so similar to each other, so there was no way that JLA wasn't the same superhero team that she grew up with. But it has been decades since she last checked in with them so a new name and members shouldn't be that surprising. Personally, Hazel was surprised that the Justice Society was still together. She used to love watching them on the television set as they made their speeches about saving the day and protecting America from war.
Hazel sighed. Thinking about the Justice Society made her feel an incredible wave of nostalgia. She was supposed to visit New Orleans this week with Nico but that trip most likely cancelled.
"What's with the long face?" Hazel jumped at the sound of a voice. Standing in front of her was the girl who was tried to help Percy and Jason escape, her name was Zatanna. She took a seat next to her on the floor of the ship. "Hazel, right?" she said as she stuck out a gloved hand for her to shake.
Hazel shook it warily and nodded. "This is my brother Nico." She pointed at Nico but noticed he had fallen asleep. It wasn't so odd seeing him sleep anywhere at anytime. After he came out of Tartarus it was hard for him to sleep without being plagued with nightmares. But since he decided to stay at Camp Half-Blood he had been sleeping quite often, it was as if he were trying to make up for weeks of lost sleep.
Zatanna looked between her and Nico. "He's your brother?"
Hazel sighed again. Kids at the camps were never skeptical of Nico being her brother because he was white and she was black, that was a common thing among half siblings. They were skeptical because Nico was so brooding and had a sad aura around him. They basically had completely different personalities, while most half siblings are very similar.
"He's technically he's my half brother, we share the same father." Hazel answered as politely as possible.
"So do you have a bunch of half siblings running around?"
"No, we're… different than most demigods." Hazel said hesitantly.
"Oh… okay." Zatanna said back to her. Hazel was surprised that she didn't press any more than that. Hazel looked at Jason and Percy who were talking to the other heroes who all avidly talked back. It was all a little too much for her to handle, suddenly trusting a bunch of people who had kidnapped her friends. That was one of the ways she was more like Nico, she held grudges. Even if it might not be as serious as the grudge Nico used to have against Percy.
Hazel looked back at Zatanna who just happened to be looking at her. They're eyes met, then she looked away. But Hazel continued to stare. Zatanna wasn't so overbearing or moody, she seemed like a nice person to be around.
"Our dad is Pluto. Well, Nico's dad is Hades. I'm Roman and he's Greek and so we have different versions of the same god as our father." she said kindly.
"Oh, so how's Pluto and Hades different than other gods?" Zatanna asked.
"It's not just us, actually, it's Jason and Percy's dads too. Jupiter and Poseidon and their counterparts. For the Greeks they made an oath not to have any children and Percy and Nico are products of that broken oath, so they're kind of a big deal."
Zatanna tapped her chin, "I think Jason mentioned that, but he said he wasn't apart of it."
Hazel nodded, "He isn't but Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus and their counterparts are the most powerful gods so they're children are really power too."
"So you four are the strongest demigods?" Zatanna asked, looking impressed.
"Yeah, the boys are. I don't know about me."
Zatanna shrugged then laughed, "You shouldn't underestimate yourself."
Hazel smiled and was about to reply but the ship suddenly shook violently to the side. Zatanna grabbed her so she wouldn't slide down the ship and Hazel grabbed her still sleeping brother so he wouldn't do the same. M'gann straightened the ship and everyone caught their breath.
Percy stood and dusted himself off. "Looks like we're here."
-(Line Break)-
Thebes wasn't different from any other place she had seen in Italy before, there were a lot of ruins and moss growing all over the weathered marble. Cobblestone paths that were smooth from wear and tear over time. Hazel imagined that the modern city of Thebes was far off from here.
Hazel walked in between Jason and Percy with Robin following behind them. She didn't understand why Percy had insisted on bringing the boy along, she would've enjoyed the comfortable silence between the three of them more if a fourth person hadn't tagged along.
"So how much farther until we get to whatever jumped on our ship?" Robin asked.
Percy turned to look at him, "We'll cross paths with it any second."
"What exactly attacked us?" Jason asked, giving Percy a skeptical look.
"Hopefully, it's exactly what I think it is." Percy was being really cryptic about whatever monster he thought they were about to face. Hazel wasn't sure if Percy was just pretending he knew what attacked us or if he didn't want to tell them so he wouldn't be embarrassed if he were wrong.
"You shall not pass." a feminine voice said slowly but sharply. At first Hazel didn't know where it was coming from then she realized that she was staring at the woman, or should she say creature, the whole time. It was sitting so still the she thought it was just a statue, but it moved forward out of the shadows and into the open. The creature revealed its womanly facial features and leonine body.
"A Sphinx?" Robin questioned.
"A Sphinx!" Percy cheered as if to pat himself on the back.
"You shall not pass… unless you… answer my riddle." the Sphinx said even slower. She walked the the width of the path but never took her eyes off of any of them.
"Here it comes." Percy whispered excitedly to them. Hazel didn't know why he was so excited to answer a riddle, but she just made the assumption the Percy somehow had the upperhand in this situation.
"There are two sisters: one gives birth to the other and she… in turn… gives birth to the first. Who are the two sisters?" The Sphinx said slowly.
Percy's face went slack. "Wait, what?"
"There are two sisters: one gives birth to the other and she… in turn… gives birth to the first. Who are the two sisters?" The Sphinx said again, "You have two minutes to answer."
"Wait, aren't you gonna ask me the capital of Arkansas or something?"
"You have two minutes to answer." she repeated.
Percy turned to the rest of the teens, "Um… so this isn't going exactly as I planned."
"So you don't know the answer?" Hazel asked heatedly.
"I thought it was gonna ask me mental math questions and stuff like that! Maybe the Sphinx in Thebes is more traditional than the one in the Labyrinth."
"I've heard the riddle before but I don't know the answer. I thought that the Sphinx was supposed to ask the four leg, two leg, three leg riddle?" Jason said.
Percy waved him off, "The last Sphinx said that everyone knew the answer to that so she doesn't ask it anymore."
"What happens if we don't answer it right?" Hazel asked.
"I will strangle you… and eat your innards." The Sphinx answered.
"What'll happen if we just don't answer it at all?" Robin asked the Sphinx.
"I will strangle you… and eat your innards." she repeated.
"Okay, wow. That's good to know."
"C'mon, we have to come up with something." Percy said.
"You have one minute left." The Sphinx said, urging them on.
The demigods gave each other panicked looks and began discussing the answer. Hazel almost suggested calling Annabeth, but realized that would waste too much time. The two boys swapped answers while Hazel felt like she had nothing good to contribute. Finally, with what seemed like two seconds to spare Percy turned dramatically to the Sphinx with his answer.
"We have our answer!" he said triumphantly, "The egg and the chicken!" When Hazel looked at the Sphinx she was surprised to see her as still as a statute with Robin leaning against her.
"That's a really creative but the actually answer was day and night." he said chuckling.
Percy's smile deflated then blew up again, "I knew you had a good head on hose shoulders!" he said while giving the Boy Wonder a pat on the back.
Hazel felt her shoulders slump. She was happy that they somehow got themselves out of getting their innards eaten but she was upset that the mortal boy had been more helpful than she had been.
"How'd you know that anyway?" Jason asked as they made their way back to the Bio-Ship.
"I'm actually a huge Greek mythology nerd. The riddle she asked was ultra rare and barely talked about in the myths." Robin answered nonchalantly. "I'm just glad that the ruins weren't serted, if I got the answer wrong the Sphinx could've done some serious damage." Hazel didn't know if serted was some kind of modern day slang or something but she didn't really care at that moment.
The walk back to the ship she kept silent.
-(Line Break)-
"What exactly are we looking for?" Wally asked as he pressed his face against the window of the Bio-Ship.
"Anything that looks weird. Or really shiny." Percy said.
"Thanks for the specifics." Conner said under his breath, but Hazel heard. She had realized during her time on this ship the Conner was not a nice person, and she often found herself frowning at him. He was probably the only person who wasn't nice, even Artemis was a little harsh but not unkind.
It was kind of funny considering that he and M'gann seemed to be in a relationship. M'gann was probably the most friendly person Hazel had ever met, maybe a little overbearing, but still extremely nice. While Conner barely spoke and seemed to be very aloof. Much like her own brother, who continued to sleep.
"Hey, Nico." she said as she tapped him. Nico groan and slowly opened his eyes.
"Rise and shine sleepy head." Jason said sweetly. He leaned over Hazel and Nico blocking the ship's lights. When he moved away Nico covered his face as if the light was blinding.
"Glad you're awake. Now help us look for the shiny thing." Percy said while never moving his face from the window. "Hey, M'gann do you think we could fly a little lower?"
"Roger that!" she said cheerfully. Hazel couldn't feel it but she knew the ship was lowered even more, she was afraid that it would start scraping against some of the columns. Her shipmates all agreed that it would be easier finding the Necklace of Harmonia if they looked for it from a bird's eye view. So far no one saw anything out of the ordinary. Hazel tried sensing the necklace but she didn't really know what she was looking for. She tried feeling for something with a lot of magical power like Imperial Gold but nothing jumped out.
Nico got up groggily and stood at the window in a free spot next to Wally, who jumped upon realizing that the Ghost King was standing so close to him.
Raquel moved away from her window and sighed, "Maybe I should fly out there and-"
"There it is!" Zatanna said excitedly. Almost immediately everyone raced to where Zatanna was standing, even M'gann who stopped the ship to see the necklace. Hazel and Nico stayed in the back with Kaldur to avoid getting trampled, though. Conner stood back too, but it was probably because he didn't care much.
"Well it isn't the necklace but I think it's a person." Zatanna said, "And this area isn't open to tourists at any time of the day so…"
"It might be a god." Percy said to Jason.
He nodded in agreement, "There's only one way to find out."
Jason asked M'gann to land the ship so they could all investigate. Once they landed Jason asked who was coming.
"If that's really a god out there, then there is no way I'm missing this!" Kid Flash said. Robin nodded in agreement and high-fived him.
"I'm good with going." Zatanna said as she took a step closer to Hazel.
Artemis rolled her eyes, "Might as well come too." But it was obvious she was hiding excitement.
"The rest of us will stay behind," Kaldur said, "We'll have the Bio-Ship ready in case we need to make a quick escape."
"I'll just stay back here with my buddies Nico and Kaldur." Percy put his arm around both boys. Nico looked annoyed with the sudden physical contact while Aqualad just shrugged.
Now that it was settled Jason led KF, Robin, Artemis, Zatanna, and Hazel out of the Bio-Ship and towards the god. As they got closer to the god all Hazel could hear was gross sobbing.
"A snake! Why a snake of all things?" A woman wailed. Upon climbing the last step Hazel recognized that the woman crying was obviously a goddess. Even while crying she was strikingly beautiful. She had black curls as dark as night framing her face, her had olive skin that looked smooth in her pure white tunic. She sat on the a broken column as she sobbed through her dark eyes, everything around her looked uglier compared to her beauty.
"Um… excuse me, My Lady." Jason said hesitantly.
Suddenly the goddess stopped sobbing and looked between Hazel and him. "Romans?" she said with a confused expression before being engulfed by a bright light. Thankfully they all looked away in time. Once the light vanished the same goddess sat on the column but she looked drastically different. Her skin was pale but her cheeks were rosy. Her dark hair turned a light brown and straight and was topped with a flower crown. Her blue eyes weren't sobbing and she looked happily at all the teens.
"What is it that desire young demigods? Oh! And mortals! I have never seen some this close." the goddess said.
"Um… so what is it we're looking at?" Wally as he stared intensely at the goddess.
"Put on your goggles, stupid." Artemis whispered angrily at him. Wally donned his goggles and his eyes went wide. "Well, hello there."
"Hello to you too, young mortal." the goddess said kindly. Hazel liked this goddess, she wasn't mean or self-centered like most gods. She had a very calming aura around her.
"Lady…" Jason started.
"Concordia." the goddess helped.
Jason looked surprised, "Yes, Lady Concordia. We've come to ask for your help."
"What is it that you wish for?" she said sweetly.
"Do you know where we might find the Necklace of Harmonia?"
"Harmonia?" Concordia said, "Well, then you'll have to talk to her." Just as she said that another bright light engulfed her and Harmonia sat in her spot, still crying.
"Oh, boy." Robin said under his breath.
"Why would you want to know where that cursed necklace is anyway." she said in between sobs.
"We kind of need it so would you mind giving it to us." Artemis said. Hazel gave her a warning look, that was not the way that you talked to a goddess.
Harmonia glared at her, "Too bad I don't have it." she took out a handkerchief and blew her nose into it.
"It's your necklace but you don't know where it is." Robin gave her a confused look. "How are you even here, I thought you got turned into a snake with your husband, Cadmus?"
"Are all mortals this rude?" She said through clenched teeth, "For your information I did get turned into a snake but I'm an immortal, who wants to be a snake for eternity?" There's the conceited and obnoxious goddess Hazel was looking for.
"You don't have the necklace?" Jason asked, getting the rest of them back on subject.
"Of course I don't! That stupid necklace cursed me and hundreds of my descendants! That's the reason my beloved got turned into a slithering serpent!"
"I'm sorry to hear about that but do you kno-"
"Oh and I grieved!" Harmonia said, interrupting Jason, "I grieved hoping that the gods would turn him back to the handsome king he was. But noooo, instead they turn me, a godling, into a snake as well! Because 'of course that would make Harmy ecstatic to be snake with her husband' that makes perfect sense!" she screamed then began sobbing again.
The mortals exchanged looks between each other and Jason looked Hazel for a little help. "Um, Lady Harmonia?" Hazel uncertainly.
"What else do you want? You just want to find this necklace so you can curse me again!" she blew her nose into her handkerchief dramatically.
A lightbulb appeared above Hazel's head, "Don't misunderstand our intentions, My Lady. We don't want to use the necklace against you, we want to use it against one of… um… your enemies! Yes, your enemies!" she looked at Jason.
He agreed with her and bowed to the goddess, "In honor of you we wish to use the necklace against…"
"Hephaestus!" Harmonia said sitting up.
"Hephaestus, of course!" Hazel and Jason said in unison.
"That crippled simpleton always wants to get back at mother for being with my father. This is a great chance to impress her!" she said excitedly. "But what would you get out of it?"
"Um we actually are doing it to… please you." The goddess didn't seem to believe Hazel, "To please you because… we have one of your descendants who is still suffering from the curse!" Hazel grabbed Zatanna and pushed her forward.
"Yeah, I'm your… great-great-great-great-great granddaughter three times removed." Zatanna said through a false smile.
Harmonia looked her up and down, "So you really wish to curse Hephaestus and his children as much as I do?"
Zatanna bowed, "Of course I do! It's been my lifelong dream!"
Harmonia smiled smugly, "Well, it must be true. You obviously got your startlingly good looks from me." Zatanna gave the goddess a nervous smile.
"So will you tell us where your necklace is?" Jason asked carefully.
Harmonia shrugged, "Yeah, sure." Hazel fought the urge to jump up and down. "But I should tell you the chain and jewel aren't in the same place." Hazel's shoulders slumped.
"The jewel is in Delphi, hopefully you'll find it easily." Harmonia said offhandedly. "And the chain is in Italy somewhere."
"That's all you're giving us!" Artemis said angrily, "We wasted so much time here and all that's all you're giving us! You could at least tell us where in Italy it is!"
Harmonia gave her a blank stare for a minute then pointed one finger at her with the same expression and she disappeared. Zatanna let out a terrified scream and searched frantically for her friend. Hazel looked up only to find Artemis panicking as she tried to hang onto the edge of a particularly tall column. With her free hand she tried to reach for an arrow but realized her quiver and bow were both on the ground. Artemis's hand went up and grabbed the edge of the column but as soon as she tried to lift herself up the edge crumbled.
Artemis screamed as she fell to the ground. Zatanna looked more terrified than Artemis herself and the boys watched in horror. Hazel made eye contact with Jason just as he sprang into action. Hazel swore that this was the fastest she had ever seen him fly, he jetted up into the air and easily caught the archer. Jason gently floated back to the ground and let Artemis down, she took a second to steady herself against him.
"Yay, you're alive." Harmonia said unenthusiastically. Artemis looked like she wanted to say something but she knew better this time and shut her mouth.
"Anyway," the goddess continued, "Good luck on destroying Hephaestus's life. Hopefully we'll meet again." On that note she disappeared from her broken column.
-(Line Break)-
"Delphi, huh?" Percy said as they all discussed what they found out outside of the ship. "I guess that makes sense since we've gotta go to the 'prophetic arena'."
"But the prophecy also say we have to go to Italy." Jason added.
"Maybe we should split up." Hazel suggested. "Nico and I will go to Italy. We'll get done faster this way too."
Zatanna stepped forward, "I'll go too. The prophecy says that mortals and half-bloods should work together." Hazel smiled, if anyone was to go with them she was glad it was Zatanna, instead of someone like Conner.
"That sounds like a good idea." Kaldur said while he rubbed his chin. "Superboy, you'll go too. They'll need the muscle." Conner's eyes widened and he looked intensely at Aqualad, as if staring at him would change his mind.
"What?" Hazel would have never known she said that out loud in she didn't get funny looks from everyone. "I mean…"
Percy, of course, comes to her rescue, "We don't have much time, you guys literally have to check all of Italy."
Hazel sighed and accepted that this wasn't going to be a good quest, "Good luck you guys." she hugged both Percy and Jason.
Kaldur patted Conner on the shoulder and smiled, completely ignoring the glare he was getting. Artemis and Zatanna hugged, "Be careful." the archer whispered to her, which was one of her rare kindnesses.
Wally waved at them before entering the ship, "Have fun in Italy! Remember to bring back a souvenir!" Robin waved at Zatanna too, but only smiled. Before Hazel knew it the Bio-Ship was gone and so were two of her friends.
"You know, they could've at least dropped us off in Italy." Zatanna said as the ship disappeared. "How are we going to get there?" she looked at Conner, who just shrugged.
Hazel locked eyes with her brother, he shook his head at her. But she nodded at him and he shook his head again. She gave him a blinding smile and Nico sighed in defeat.
"Follow me," he gestured at the two heroes, "I have an idea."
You guys can't already tell I'm planning on making this story based around Percy, Kaldur, Hazel, and Zatanna. But I really feel like it should be based around Hazel and Zatanna's friendship. But I also really want Percy kicking serious butt in this too. What you guys think? Like, honestly what do you think?
Thank you for reading! Hopefully a new chapter will be up next week!
