Hey, Everyone!

Sorry for the wait, I got back from vacation a couple days ago, and I've been slightly busy at camp, so thank you all for your patience, and HAPPY TUESDAY!

The next chapter WILL be updated right after this one, so stay tuned! ;)!

I know, I wrote it over vacation, so all I have to do is post it!

Enjoy!

Chapter 40

Hazel

Hazel was starting to get frustrated with all the searching they had to do.

Tunnel after new, every new entrance, every new turn, every new anything made Hazel more and more frustrated.

She wished she'd thought about which tunnel to enter, instead of just acting on impulse, but when had her impulse ever let her down?

When she had been searching for Nico before they'd lost Percy and Annabeth to Tartarus…

She shook her head and they kept running.

"Have you picked up anything yet?" Frank asked.

"Frank, there's no point in trying to find him by his sword," Hazel snapped. "They knew I could do it last time, so they'll just do the same thing again. Plus-"

"Hazel, will you just try-"

"-it was still in his room after he disappeared with Leo's stupid pig!" Hazel spat. Tears stung her eyes, threatening to spill. She closed her eyes and took a couple deep breaths. When she opened them again, they stopped at another fork in the passage.

"Left or right?" Frank asked.

"Left," Hazel responded, and they headed off down the next tunnel.

"Do you think we'll find him?" Hazel whispered.

"No, Hazel, we're just going to get lost down here and die together," Frank replied. "No, we'll find him. And if we don't, they will."

"But what happens if we don't find him?"

"Then we'll find the Doors."

"Think so?"

"Know so."

"Okay," Hazel sighed. "Let's get moving then. One or the other, we help each other and help the world. Why they like Nico so much, I just don't know."

"Maybe he's like bacon to the monsters," Frank offered. "You don't need it, but you like how it tastes."

"Just shut up now."

"Shutting up."

They finally came to a huge clearing after a lot of running and walking and tunnel changing.

It seemed like a regular old cave, with some stalactites. Most of them were short, but a few were pretty long and jutted down, so Hazel wanted to be careful around them.

"Where do we go from here?" Hazel asked, surveying the area. "I don't see another tunnel entrance."

"Dead end?" Frank asked.

"Guess so," she sighed. "Let's go back and-"

"Not. So. Fast." A loud, simple voice bloomed around the cave, bouncing off the walls.

Frank drew his bow. "Who are you?" he bellowed, his voice not as elegantly reflected off the cave walls as their attacker's.

"I am who I am, and you are who you are. So don't try to change me," the voice remained playful and light, yet somewhat business like.

"Seriously, we don't have time for this," Hazel snapped. "Just show yourself so we can get through this please!"

"Hazel, Hazel," the voice echoed. "I really don't have time for this either. A world to destroy takes a lot of time and effort."

"Yeah, so does saving it," Hazel spat. "Along with the stress of trying to find and save your brother, it really is hard to work with."

The attacker's laugh rebounded along the cave walls, making some of the stalactites vibrate.

"Well, I guess you know I came here to kill you," a body finally came into view in front of them. "But I guess it is nice to know about who you're working against. I mean, I already do, so it is a sort of unfair advantage, yes? Why don't a introduce myself."

"Please do," Frank muttered.

"I am the Titan Clytius. I really don't have very much against you demigods, some of you can be quite useful, but the gods…I never liked them that much. Worse choice Kronos ever made, if I do say so myself." Clytius rambled. "Anyway, I wish to destroy you, simply because the gods are worthless and watching their children burn would be the best punishment before they had their own lives taken away."

Hazel had been trying to figure out who this idiot was and how he'd gotten so peeved at the gods in Greek or Roman mythology, but Hazel couldn't find a single thing. Then again, she really didn't know Greek mythology that well to begin with.

"And why, might I ask, are you so upset with the gods?" Hazel asked, tired of trying. It was making her brain hurt, besides just the general sight of him.

"Hecate burned me back to Tartarus. With some of her stupid fire. And I will get my revenge. I will burn her to Tartarus. See how she likes it," he said, and he smiled cruelly.

"Look, if Hecate's your problem, then you really won't be getting your revenge anytime soon," Hazel sighed. She purposefully rolled her eyes. Getting him angry will give him a weak point.

"And why, might I ask, is that?" he asked, but his voice, even rebounding off the walls of the huge cavern, was cool as crystal.

"Because she's not a fighter, Stupid," Frank snapped, Hazel believing he'd caught on.

"What did you just call me?" Clytius asked, his voice still calm, but a little rougher.

"Stupid," Frank repeated. "That's how you're acting."

The next thing that happened, Frank was blown across the cave and he flew straight into the wall behind them.

"Frank!" Hazel yelled, shocked.

The sound of his impact reverberated off the cave walls and stalactites.

So did the crunch that made Hazel wince and cry out for Frank again.

Thanks for Reading!