A/N
Hehehe false alarm ^-^
Hazel stared at the empty bed with wide eyes, her mouth slightly parted and her hand clenching the seat. When she had woken up, she felt alone, but at first she shrugged it off as she thought Will would be there with her, asleep or awake, still there. But when she had opened her eyes, her feeling was right. She was alone in the room. Completely alone. When it settled in that Will had most likely ran away the moment she fell asleep she stood up, and walked out of the room, quietly closing the door behind her not wanting to wake the occupants of the apartment. If there was a chance that Will had just gone to the kitchen or the bathroom then there was no need to make a commotion if he went to the bathroom.
But as she walked through the dark, empty, long and winding halls, the portraits of the Olympians staring down at her, both Roman and Greek, and the sick and pale face of Pluto, her father watched her, his eyes followed everywhere she went, every second painting seemed to be him. Pluto was watching her. Watching to see what she was going to do.
She couldn't find Will. And there was only one person that she could think of to help for the search. Nico. He was the only that she could trust outside of the questers and he might know how to track Will down. She sighed and pulled out the phone which Hephaestus made for her, the only phone that doesn't attract monsters. He gave one to all of the seven, his way of saying thank you to them for destroying the Giants, Hazel rarely used the phone, but she kept it with her for emergencies.
She dialled Nico's number and waited for him to pick up, she leant against the fence of the apartment, just inside of the fence, before they came to the apartment, and there was a neatly trimmed front yard, with a curvy pathway to the steps which led to the door. But if Hazel glanced back she could see the dried blood on the grass, the blood from Will's massacre.
"What is it, Hazel?" Nico said, finally picking up and Hazel sighed and recounted the week's events. From beginning to end.
"I don't see why you care about Cliff so much?" Nico sighed as they walked down the streets, pushing past the pedestrians as they bustled the other way. Hazel glanced back to give a hard glare at Nico, but turned back after a second to face the crowds of Mortals, flocking towards them.
"Because he isn't the guy you think he is, and he is useful to the quest." She said and Nico didn't answer, why would he? He hated Will as much as anyone camp, as much as she used to, she found it difficult to hate any of the people on the Olympians side, but as soon as he said the first word to her she hated him.
After ten minutes she stopped and Nico nearly walked into her and she turned to face him, Nico rubbed the back of his neck, looking at the ground, his black hair falling over his olive toned skin, not daring to look into Hazel's hard, unmoving eyes.
"We need to make a plan. We won't just bump into Will!" She said exasperated and Nico sighed at this, there was a flicker of hesitation that passed through his eyes and Hazel looked at him expectantly.
Nico sighed and then turned away and suddenly Mrs. O'Leary appeared in the shadows and Hazel jumped backwards to avoid being squashed by the friendly hellhound.
"She can track him down." Nico sighed and then after a hesitation Hazel punched him in the gut and he bent over gasping for breath. Hazel looked at him with hard eyes still and after a few seconds did she say something.
"And you didn't think of doing this earlier?" She snapped pulling away and Nico stood up still gasping for air, he shrugged a few times before stumbling out a few inaudible words but seeing her expression he quickly made it audible.
"I didn't think of it until you mentioned 'tracking'" He said and Hazel rolled her eyes at him then turned to Mrs O'Leary and handed her a photograph of Will with the others, it was taken around the beginning of the quest.
The hellhound sniffed it and then charged down the road and Hazel and Nico struggled to keep up with it as it pushed through the cars, but finally Hazel's phone rang and she stopped panting for breath.
Nico frowned as he stopped and whistled to Mrs O'Leary and she skidded to a stop and they watched her as she pressed the phone to her ear, the civilians stared at Mrs O'Leary but moved around her as if she was a truck on the pavement.
"Hazel? Where are you, and where's Will?" Annabeth's voice came out through the phone and Hazel winced. If Hazel let it slip that Will ran away, god knows what would happen to Hazel or Will. She'd kill both of them when she had them both back in the house.
"Oh um…me and Will are um…" She paused, she was blank, and where would she go with Will. "On a date" She blurted out then bit her tongue, blushing lightly; she was far too young-technically- to go on a date with Will! And Annabeth would never believe that.
There was a moment of silence on the other end until Annabeth took a breath and spoke. "Hazel, one you would never accept a date from Will, and two you said 'Me and Will' that's a very clear your point your lying. So if you lying, then your covering up something. I can tell from the background, you're in a main street, and by the loud barks, I'm guess Mrs O'Leary is with you, which would suggest either Percy or Nico is with you, due to Percy being right beside me, so its Nico , but Nico hates Will, and can't stand to be in the same room as Will so Will must not be with you."
Hazel sighed to herself; Annabeth figured it out in a matter of seconds. Damn. Hazel thought for a second that maybe she should just say it, should just say what happened. It's not like they'll kill her for it, well not permanently dead anyway. "Um….well…"
"Hazel, I'll ask one more time. Where is my baby brother" Annabeth said coldly. And Hazel sighed, her shoulders slumping.
"He ran away."