Blood of Olympus FanFic {completed}

62: HAZEL (BONUS CHAPTER)

CH 62 -HAZEL (BONUS CHAPTER)

They weren't ready.

Which was kind of a silly thing to say, because it wasn't like they hadn't been preparing for the Earth Mother's awakening for months. Some, like Leo, had been chosen and shaped for this day since their birth. And Hazel, well, she'd already confronted Gaea once before: and died. She was counting on not letting the same thing happen twice. There was only so many times you could get a second chance.

Or, in Hazel's case, a second life.

The whole mountain of rock, a.k.a. Gaea, shook as she began to fully wake. Hazel and her friends lost their balance, and one after the other, began to roll down. Hazel landed on top of Frank, and for a moment, her face flushed. But Frank was her - did she dare to say it? - boyfriend, and now that the world was really ending, maybe it wouldn't such a bad thing... to enjoy these last moments together.

Frank wrapped his strong arms around Hazel. She snuggled into his chest, trembling from head to toe. This was actually happening; it was no longer something mentioned over dinner in the mess hall. It was no longer the what if? that lingered in the back of their minds, always there in case they needed a reminded Gaea could wake. No. Gaea was awake. It was over.

But one look at the people in the crumbling cavern, fighting for their lives and those of the world's, made her change her mind.

Hazel, being the usual optimist of the group, gave Frank a peck on the cheek and stood up, already reaching for her spatha. "This is not over," she said, looking at Frank and the rest of her friends. "We can still do this." Leo nodded, looking more serious than Hazel had ever seen him. Percy and Annabeth sat up a little straighter, holding hands, and Jason kissed Piper's forehead.

I'm afraid not, Hazel Levesque, Gaea crooned, and Hazel could've sworn the mountain of rocks was growing bigger - like it had just woken up from a long nap and was stretching. You may think the world is over... But really, this is only my beginning.

A sharp rock jutted out from the ground right under some demigods, sending them flying across the cavern, screaming. Another pointed rock grew from the ground and stabbed a demigod through the gut. Hazel didn't even have time to scream. His now limp corpse hung there like a shish-kabob.

You see, I am everywhere. There is no stopping me, Gaea said, and her laugh sounded like a waterfall - but the dangerous kind. The one that was so high up that if you fell over, you'd surely drown before you even reached the bottom. However, killing you now would be so unsatisfying. I promised each of you eternal suffering if you did not cooperate, didn't I?

Hazel reached for Frank's hand. Please, someone fight back, she pleaded to her friends, but how could she ask such a thing from them when she was also cowering? Yes, maybe they should've tried to look braver, act stronger, fight back, but even the seven greatest demigods had their limits. There was only so far you could push them before they would reach a point where there wasn't an ounce of fight left in them.

Hazel feared they'd reached that point.

I'll start with your precious little camps, as promised, Gaea continued. Then I'll move onto your families - well, those who haven't perished already. But you needn't feel left out, little orphans. Don't think I don't have anything in store for you as well.

Suddenly, an arrow shot into Gaea's left eye. Hazel stared at Frank as he calmly notched another arrow in his bow. With his broad shoulders and newfound steadiness, Hazel found him more handsome than ever. "Try making us suffer with your eyes closed," he said just as he sent the other one into her left eye.