A/N: Hey guys, we figured we haven't yet given a disclaimer and we can't edit the first chapter, so here it goes...
Disclaimer: Everything except the plotline belongs to Rick Riordan and his team so don't sue us, PLEASE!
Oh, and to all our wonderful reviewers, you motivate us everyday! Thanks a lot and sorry for not updating sooner!
Chapter XXI: Frank
Frank was also looking up at the sunset.
So far, they had managed to get through everything safely. Hera had lessened their load. But Frank knew that their plans never worked. They would never reach in time, or manage to defeat Gaea. Frank didn't want to say it aloud, since it would deteriorate everyone's mood, but he was pretty confident things would mess up at the last minute.
He can see Annabeth and Leo at the control board. Leo is jiggling one of his Wii controllers and Annabeth seemed to be chiding him.
"Don't go so close to Troy." Annabeth says.
"I wish you could tell me why." Leo grumbles but veers the ship left.
Frank walks downstairs and covers himself with the blankets. A lot had happened through two weeks. Frank's shape changing ability was becoming better. All he had to do was think about the animal's name and presto, a live creature took his place.
He found himself dwelling in the past. Everytime he changed into an animal, he was reminded about his mother. Her bravery, her strength, and her gift. Her warm cuddles when Frank was just a toddler. He remembers the lavender scent that always stuck to her. He jumps out of bed and reaches for his fireproof pouch.
It had been a week since he had touched his lifeline, a piece of firewood. It was safe, thanks to Leo, but Frank holds it in his hand. Memories ripple through his head. The day his mother left for Afghanistan, his grandmother in her bed, the house burning into flames.
Frank quickly returns it to its pouch. He walks out to Hazel's room and knocks. She had spent nearly all her time curled up in the washroom, throwing up with an interval of an hour. Frank felt bad for her. He could hear her groan inside.
"Come in," Hazel shouts.
Franks pushes the door open. Hazel smiles when she sees him. Her golden eyes fit perfectly with her dark brown curls which fell around her shoulders in perfect waves.
"What are you thinking about?" he asks.
"My previous life." She says it as casually as one would say 'My new haircut.' Hazel was a two timer. She had lived a life in the 1840's and after her death, Nico di Angelo had brought her back to the Roman camp, where she created her new life.
"Somehow it doesn't feel real anymore. I mean, I can remember my mother and Sammy but a part of myself has always been there. Now my whole self is here. Alive."
"Is that a good or bad thing?" Frank questions.
"I don't know," Hazel shrugs. "I just don't want my second chance to go away so quickly"
Frank sits down next to her and takes her hand. "It won't. I'll make sure it won't." He leans over and presses his lips to hers. Her hand slides beneath his collar firmly. When they break away, Frank's face is flushed with a bright red.
"As long as you're with me," Hazel whispers.
The Argo II was sailing at full speed.
Leo stood at the helm wearing a paper hat . "Ahoy matees! Thar she blows!"
Hazel stands t the other end with Percy who was teaching her to appreciate the beauty of the sea. Piper and Annabeth were engrossed in conversation about strategies and tactics. Jason stood by Frank's side, his keen eyes watching for any sort of danger.
They reached Troy after three hours. Frank saw the land before anyone else. His mind reverts back to ancient myths. Paris and Helen. They had destroyed half the world just to be with each other. Frank had been horrified at that time. Now, he wonders how much they must have loved each other. It was also sort of inspiring.
From so far away, Frank couldn't see much. He could tell there were a couple of villages and a few towers. The strong walls that once covered Troy had been broken down. Troy was surrounded with tiny shrubs. On the civilian side, flowers bloomed. People were chattering away while a peaceful sensation took over Frank.
What would have been like to live here? Frank sees himself in a villa, with Hazel. Growing up with nothing to worry about. No quests, monsters or the world ending. Just carefree days in the open, running around, lying under the shade of the sun. He believes a life like that exists, beyond the void and once all this is over, he might actually experience it.
Hope. It is a beautiful thing. It is one feeling that can lift a person of the darkest waters. It was probably the only thing that kept pushing Frank on. It is the one thing that can save or drown a person. It is the only thing that keeps people from giving up.
The ship lurches forward, bringing a stop to Frank's happy philosophical thoughts. Annabeth leaps up and curses under her breath. "I was hoping we would avoid it"
"What?" Piper inquires.
"Trojan Cetus. Sea monster that guards Troy. Its nearly impossible to beat..."
"We're dead" Percy finishes. Hazel doubles up. Frank rushes to her. Hazel keeps breathing, her eyes out on the horizon. Leo smacks the control board desperately.
The ship tilts to the sides, reminding Frank of a see-saw. He grips onto the ship. "Everyone, go downstairs now! If we're on deck, there's a higher risk of falling out"
"I'm not leaving my precious baby here" Leo insists
"Frank has a point" Hazel supports "Come on, Leo"
Everyone rushes downstairs in haste. Frank loses his footing on the staircase and falls down. Pain blares into his foot. Staggering, he pushes himself up and hops to the others. His knees are grazed and his ankle is probably twisted.
The ship is being lifted now. It turns to the right, causing Frank to fly across the room. The furniture is shifting and falling. Frank regrets his decision already. Staying inside with the flying furniture not only squeezes all seven demigods together but also injures them severely. A wave of nausea passes over Frank as he tends to his ankle. He cannot stay inside any longer. He makes his way through the stairs, clutching at the rod alongside. He opens the deck door and climbs out.
The impact hits him hard. He is sent sprawling on the ground. Frank gets up and sees the other demigods making their way onto the deck. He limps to get a better view of the sea monster. He immediately wishes he hadn't.
He doesn't blame anyone for gagging. The Cetus was covered in green slimy scales all around it gigantic body, which was about seventeen feet. The ship was lying somewhere in the mess of the monster. Its hands were razor sharp tentacles lined with spikes. His face was disgusting. Imagine a irregular green donut soaked in water and squeezed after that. The Trojan Cetus was ten times worse. Slime dripped all over its face. Its eyes were bloodshot and its mouth stinked of garbage and rat urine.
The monsters throws the ship down, like a plaything. The feeling is like a rollercoaster. Frank's stomach drops and everyone , including him, screams as the ship hurtles towards the ground. Leo runs to his control board but he can only do so much.
The ship crashes against the ground. It is ripped apart. Wooden planks are flying around and water is flooding the ship. Percy pushes the water back.
Leo's face is distraught. He sinks to his knees. Frank has never felt worse.
The Cetus looks down, its head snapping at them. Frank pulls his bow and lets an arrow fly. It bounces off the monster's scales. Percy charges at it, and drives his sword through its flesh. It howls in pain. Everyone except Leo arms themselves.
Annabeth dodges around the monster and stabs repeatedly at the sore spot. It flings a tentacle at her, bruising her face. She gets up at ducks as a tentacle brushes past her and continues to find soft spots near its limbs. Jason flies up and slashes at its neck. Piper is hanging by the Cetus's tentacle. She backflips and cuts a gash on its padded underside.
Percy has taken over its centre. He pierces his sword through its scales and jerks it back, causing the monster to growl. Frank is shooting arrow after arrow, which hit different places. Its arms, its tail and its back. Frank aims at its face and the arrow flies straight home. The arrow has lodged itself in its eye. The monster thrashes in pain .
From the corner of his eye, Frank spots Hazel. She is climbing the ropes of the ship till the top. From there she launches herself onto the Cetus. She slices her spatha through its neck. Blood pours out in substantial amounts. The creature is facing extreme agony.
The Trojan Cetus sends Hazel flying onto deck. Frank can hear the crunching of bones. He runs up to her. "Hazel!"
"Ow ow ow. My leg's broken and I think I dislocated my pelvic bone."
"What?!" He turns to Annabeth who has rushed to them "She's not speaking English"
Annabeth glares at him "She means her hip bone." She bends down next to Hazel and begins to adjust her bone. "Its going to be okay"
"What a time to use scientific names," Frank grumbles.
Frank notices the outline of a humongous shadow that appears behind them. The Cetus seemed to be getting larger as it came closer. Frank gulps nervously. That was when Leo got up, picked a forty pound hammer from his tool belt and charged.
And everything exploded into sparks.