The Return of Leo Valdez (After Blood of Olympus)

47- Frank

"Mitchell Lee?" Frank gasped, scrambling to his feet. "What are you doing here? Where are we?"

Mitchell brushed his black fringe away from his eyes. "Listen-"

"Where are we?" Frank repeated.

He reached for his weapon, but he couldn't find anything. Frank glanced down at his belt, holster empty.

Did Mitchell take my weapon? Why am I here?

Everything seemed to close in on Frank. He wasn't claustrophobic, but the stone walls seemed smaller and smaller, like they were capsizing.

"Why am I here?" Frank growled once again.

"I have a favor to ask you," Mitchell repeated.

"Well get on with it!" Frank hollered.

It is so easy to turn into a bear and claw his face off, Frank though. But something was stopping him, like a big invisible wall. Has Mitchell inflicted some kind of curse on Frank? Is he the one who is delaying all of his animal transformations?

Soon Mitchell's hands started to glow a brilliant gold. Is he a timelord?

"What is happening?" Frank yelled.

"I'm turning back, my human form isn't holding much longer," Mitchell panicked, looking wildly at his shimmering arms, legs and torso.

"What do you mean?" Frank yelled back.

Mitchell Lee let out a belching scream of terror as his whole body erupted into flames.

Sweat beaded Frank's forehead and rolled down his arms. He felt his throat close up, his eyes burning from the smoke. Panic arose in his chest. What is going on? What is Mitchell talking about?

Frank gazed upon Mitchell Lee's glowing form. His body and facial features could barely be distinguished.

"Just look away!" Mitchell yelled as he let out one more bloody scream of murder.

Frank turned around a shielded his eyes from the glowing form of Mitchell Lee.

When the glowing light faded, Frank could no longer see Mitchell Lee standing before him. Instead, a middle aged man with circles under his eyes and a wispy beard stared at Frank. His black cloak seemed to be three sizes to big and Frank noticed his arms were nothing but skin and bones.

However, the man's eyes were unlike anything Frank has ever seen. They were old and new at the same time. They had knowledge and potential. They had happiness but also sadness. Oh the deep sadness Frank saw in those jet black eyes.

"Pluto?" Frank asked bowing slightly at the man.

"No. It's Hades, but I appreciate the bow."

Hades' voice was sandpaper that left a ring in Frank's ears.

"What are you doing here?" Frank asked.

"I've been watching over Hazel for a long time, but Gaea still has power, even if she is in Tartarus."

Frank's heart sunk at the name of the earth mother. Never again.

"She still inhabits the earth. She won't be able to take over the world for a very long time, but she still can interfere with small things, like my human forms and your animal shifting. That's why you have had shifting delays."

Well that solves one problem.

"Now, I want the best for Hazel, and I'm pretty sure you do too. This curse of hers isn't fully gone. I thought that it would go away after the war with Gaea, but apparently I was wrong."

Frank furrowed his eyebrows. "So what do you want me to do?"

"I think I found a way to break Hazel's curse."

Frank's eyes lit up. Could there really be a way to break Hazel's curse? Frank's chest fluttered in excitement.

"But it may require some sacrifice," Hades said coldly.

"Well, what?" Frank asked. Anything to help Hazel.

"I'm not sure how this works, but you need to sacrifice your shape shifting ability. Somehow, by you giving up your power, Hazel's curse will be removed from her body."

Frank felt like he's just been punched in the face. Give up his power? How? Why? To help Hazel obviously, but would he do it? Why wouldn't he? How could he do it?How couldn't he?

"So what's the plan?" Frank asked.

Hades shrugged. "I don't know. That's up for you to decide."

Great. Just great.

"Hazel and Reyna are in South California, near Pasadena. I'm going to plop you there."

"Wait what do you mean-"

"Have a safe trip!"

Hades snapped his fingers and darkness filed the room.

Then Frank felt himself falling.