Hello everyone! Hope you are having a good day, I apologize for the delay,my Beta got swamped with real life and I procrastinate (Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh). I own nothing!
Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano did not like surprises. One time, when Jason first became a Praetor, he tried to throw her a little surprise party with some of the Centurions. He got nailed in the face with a bowl of bean dip because of how startled she was. But that couldn't compare the invasion of Camp Jupiter. It wasn't like she wasn't prepared, after the Giant War Reyna and Frank had built up supplies outside of Camp and added escape tunnels. It's just, no matter how much you prepare that doesn't mean you're ready for anything, and unfortunately Reyna wasn't ready for something she thought was impossible…like the Camp borders failing.
Which was another surprise she wasn't happy about.
It was morning now, the sunrise's morning glow in sharp contrast with the mood of the survivors. Reyna's stomach twisted as she surveyed the party that had taken shelter in a hollow in the Oakland Hills just a few hours ago. About 150 people all together, most of which were civilians, maybe 50 soldiers. More people had stumbled into camp as the hours progressed, most badly wounded. Thankfully Reyna had been able to lead many of them them here in the dark, it was the closest emergency camp she could get to that still put distance. It wasn't the most well stocked but it might last them a few days.
But they couldn't stay here for even that long. Already Reyna felt anxious, knowing that the monster horde was probably tracking them. The scent of 200 demigods and legacies was like a beacon and they didn't have the weapons to face anything that size. It was a miricle they hadn't caught up. They needed to move before the horde did. She'd have to speak to Frank….
Oh Zeus…Frank…He hadn't made it out. Reyna hadn't realized till they had reached camp and she found Jason cradling a distraught Hazel, who hadn't been able to say anything. The grief gnawed at Reyna's stomach as she thought about her fellow Praetor of two years. Frank had become a person she could rely on, and even more than that a friend.
Reyna cursed. She wouldn't dwell on that now. She had things to do. For example, she had to get a message to Camp Half-Blood, they were more than likely in danger too.
Reyna walked to the place where she had seen Hazel last. As she had suspected, Hazel hadn't moved much, and neither had Jason who was still had an arm around her. The only thing that had changed was Hazel now had a clean white bandage around her arm and a new shirt. Hazel's eyes were puffy and Jason looked like he hadn't slept in years. His arm was limply draped around Hazel, like he didn't have the energy to hug her anymore. It made sense. He'd lost a friend too.
Reyna hated asking this of Hazel, but it was needed. Kneeling on the ground next to her, Reyna looked into Hazel's eyes and as they filled with tears Reyna felt herself growing dangerously close to the same. But tasks were good for the grieving, it was something Reyna lived by. It's how she made it as a Praetor.
"Hazle…" she started, then stopped herself. There was a reason she wielded weapons and not a pen, she was awful with words.
"I'm sorry for your loss. But we need you to take Arion and get to Camp Half-Blood and warn them, they're probably next if they haven't been attacked already. Will you do that?"
"Why can't we Iris message them?" Hazel asked dully, playing with what looked like dog tags clutched in her hand.
"I tried" Reyna started, suddenly hating everything. "It won't work. The coin just fell through, no response."
Hazel nodded but didn't say anything, just stood and walked towards the woods, wiping her eyes and trying to look brave. Reyna's heart went out to her. She was only fifteen. She shouldn't have to deal with this. Everyone here was too young to have these kinds of problems.
Jason spoke, his voice scratchy. "Have you tried to contact Lupa yet?" He asked, pulling himself off the ground and stretching, a few scratches showing across his biceps that Reyna frowned at.
Reyna shook her head. "That's another reason I came over here, to see if you would take that storm horse of yours and find the other survivors and go talk to Lupa. It seems like all communication is down...I couldn't get anything through to her."
Jason nodded, surveying the camp just as Reyna had. "Piper hasn't come in has she?" he asked hopefully, even though he knew the answer.
Reyna shook her head. "I saw her getting the kids out though, through the Berkley gates… she's probably alive."
Reyna hated that was all she could give, a probably. and watched as Jason jogged away, her stomach sinking. Her home was gone...again. Her father was dead, she couldn't get anything through to her sister, Circe's Island was gone, and now Camp Jupiter…
She had wounded to care for and people to take care of.
Arion had beautiful fur, or so Hazel decided. His mane looked cool. The air was frigid. They were getting close to camp. The empty morning sky was blue. Everything was easier to focus on than the fact that Frank wasn't waiting for her back at camp. Or that the dog tags around her neck weren't just her own anymore. Her eyes stung from her tears and her throat felt sore, her arm wasn't fully healed, and her head was pounding from so little sleep and food. But nothing hurt as much as feeling Frank's dog tags bounce against her chest and she rode toward camp Half-Blood.
Hazel saw the pine tree long before she saw anything else, and braced herself as she neared Camp, readying herself for the inevitable flow of painful questions. Or maybe Camp Half-Blood would just be ashes too. Maybe that would be easier.
It wasn't. Campers were moving about, no one seemed worried. some kids were still eating breakfast, others were training or playing by the lake. Hazel saw some Demeter children working in the strawberry fields, a few Apollo kids playing basketball, some of the Ares children were having an incredibly violent arts and crafts session involving popsicle sticks and a flame thrower. Hazel felt like that was a poor combination.
Everyone was okay though. Hazel felt a smidge of relief, she'd gotten here first. She scanned for Percy or Annabeth or any head councilor she knew as she dismounted, feeding Arion again before he took off. She walked toward the Big House, trying to push down the grief as she focused on her task.
She found Percy first, he was talking to what looked like a new camper. As Hazel approached Percy's face brightened, and he pointed the camper to Annabeth's cabin before jogging over to Hazel, giving her a huge smile.
"What are you doing here Hazy?" He laughed, crushing her in a hug that for a few seconds blinded her with orange from his t shirt. She needed that hug, it felt good after everything that had happened.
He looked down at her face and spotted her bandaged arm. "Hazel what happened?" He demanded, eyes filling with concern.
She took a deep breath in, trying not to cry. "Camp Jupiter got attacked last night. The borders failed, there was too many monsters…and" She forced back a sob as her eyes filled with tears. She had to explain.
"And we don't know how many survivors there are but chances are it's going to happen to Camp Half-Blood." She finished, the anger rearing up inside her as she realized just how stupid the whole thing had been. How the Hades does something like that just happen?!
Percy paled. "We gotta get Annabeth, have you contacted Leo?" He asked, Hazel shook her head.
"We couldn't Iris message anyone, Reyna said they just wouldn't go through, which is why she sent me instead. " she explained.
Percy nodded and darted to Annabeth, gesturing to Hazel. Annabeth's body language changed, she looked like she did when she was about to kill something.
Finally Percy ran off in another direction and Annabeth jogged to Hazel, her brilliant gray eyes taking in everything from her wind blown hair to her bandaged arm and muddy shoes.
"Percy is going to find Chiron, and I want you resting in the Hades cabin until her gets back, okay? You look exhausted. I'll send an Apollo camper to come check you out." Annabeth steared Hazel toward her cabin, and then suddenly stopped.
"Hazel...I know my Latin isn't the best but I can read... why do you have Frank's dog tags?" She asked cautiously.
At that moment Hazel wanted to be back in the fields of Asphodel. Nothing there hurt, you couldn't lose anyone. You couldn't fall in love with your best friend. He wouldn't explain what a cellphone was and how to use it. He wouldn't learn how to swing dance just so he could make you smile. You couldn't watch him die.
Annabeth's face twisted with pain for a moment as her suspicions were confirmed before gently leading Hazel into the cabin, handing her fresh clothes from the drawers and heading out. Hazle changed and sat quietly waiting. The Apollo camper came and went, she didn't hear anything he said. As the door shut she laid down.
Then the tears came. Thick, hot sobs shook her body as she clutched her pillow to her face, the bile rising in her throat as her stomach twisted. She saw everything, their first Christmas and his face when she threw him a surprise birthday party, swing dancing in the Praetor offices when he'd been locked in their all day, and it was all just gone. She couldn't hug him or kiss him or laugh with him or anything. Because he was gone.
Hazel didn't remember falling asleep. She woke up and at first she didn't understand why the pit in her stomach was so painful and why her arm stung. She remembered and for the send time that day she wished for all her heart for Frank to come back or for her to have stayed in Asphodel. Her eyes hurt, her throat was sore, and she felt sick.
She heard low voices outside her door and tried to collect herself, straining to listen.
"Was he in the woods?" Percy asked, sounding distressed.
"No, not in the big house and we circled the lake." Annabeth answered. "Chiron and Mr. D are gone and we have no idea what happened."
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