Work Text:
She pointed at the feet of the sorceress, a trapdoor opened underneath Pasiphaë's feet. She fell, screaming, into a bottomless pit that didn't really exist.
In front of Hazel, there was a rumble as a doorway opened up to the left of her. Standing there, was four figures. Hazel wept as she recognized her friends. Franks's arm was bleeding, but otherwise, they looked fine.
"Sorry we're late," Jason grinned, "Is this the guy who needs killing?"
Clytius stepped forward, but before he could do anything, the doors of death opened with a hiss.
"Oh my gods," Piper sobbed. Annabeth and Percy stumbled out, looking like copses. Percy had a huge cut on his cheek that was bubbling and Annabeth's ankle was in terrible condition- oh gods, was that a bone? - Hazel almost threw up.
She rushed toward them, but Clytius held up his hand in a stop motion. Annabeth and Percy collapsed, and for a second Hazel froze. Were they dead?
No, she told herself. This was Percy and Annabeth they were talking about. It'd take a lot more than a stroll through hell to kill them.
She watched them for a minute, before turning to the monster in front of her. She pulled out her weapon, growling.
"Move," she said.
Clytius chuckled, or you're gonna do what? scare me? he taunted.
Hazel doesn't think. Maybe she's mad because Percy and Annabeth and Nico, of all people, are the ones who got thrown into the pits of Tartarus. The three people she loved most, tossed around by the fates; toyed with. Or maybe it's the whole situation in general. The fact that seven demigods were sent off by whatever unjust being is watching for their amusement.
So, she doesn't think. Only charges.
A defiant scream comes from her gut, and she vaguely notices jewels and gold popping up from the ground, reacting to her emotions. Clytius must not have been expecting it, either, because it's not until Hazel stabs him that he moves. Her other friends are behind her, stunned.
They snap out of it though, Jason being the first. He runs over, pushing Hazel out of the way, drawing his sword. He yells, and a lightning bolt comes through the roof of the cavern, hitting Clytius head-on.
Hazel almost felt bad for him. He was being attacked at all angles.
Piper was shouting random commands, dodging when she had to.
"On your left; take a step back; in front of you"
Leo was throwing fireballs at him and Frank had turned into some kind of bird, pecking him when he could (which, would've been funny, except for the situation, and the fact that it was oddly effective). Jason and Hazel were focused on stabbing and slashing. She desperately wanted it to be enough, so she could check on Percy and Annabeth, who was still sprawled on the ground. But they were matched; tied.
Hazel was starting to wonder how much longer they could keep it up when there was a blinding light. When Hazel opened her eyes, Hecate was there in all her glory.
You've come to help these pathetic children? Clytius roared.
"Pathetic?" Hecate asks, "I'd say Hazel Levesque has learned to do things I cannot do,"
Clytius growled, knocking Piper aside.
"Pipes!" Jason yelled as she hit the wall.
She managed to stand "I'm okay."
Clytius zoned in on Hazel, thundering toward her, despite the group's best effort to stop him. Hazel stood her ground. As he approached her, she ran toward him. The only thing going through her mind being her family.
Percy, Nico, Annabeth (who was currently stirring), Frank, Leo, Jason, Piper, Reyna, the fifth cohort, everyone at Camp Jupiter, heck even Coach Hedge all flashed through her head as she brought her spatha through Clytius. With a satisfying grunt of pain, he was gone. Crumbled to gold dust, leaving bits behind in Hazel's. hair.
"Well done, Hazel Levesque," Hecate said after a shocking moment of silence.
Hazel growled, "You don't get to say that to me. As if you have a right to. As if you care and you're just and you're not just gonna send us back on an impossible mission. Send us back on that flying boat, nine demigods and a satyr, expected to save the world. As if you'll give us a second thought. Because you won't. And it's cruel and it's unfair. Unfair that Percy, Nico, and Annabeth, the three people, the three heroes, who deserve it least were thrown into Tartarus. Unfair that we're being sent off on this impossible mission, with no idea of where we're going, how we're going to get there, or what we're doing, while you just sit there with the other gods on your butt doing nothing but watching us fo amusement. So don't act as if you care! Because you don't. So leave,"
Hecate stared at Hazel for a moment, who must've looked like a mess with the dirt and the grime and the blood and tears on her face, before turning into a blinding light.
"Wow, Haze, that was-" Frank started to say, but was interrupted by Nico who gasped, stumbling forward.
"I-it's Percy. If we don't help them now..." He didn't need to finish the thought.
Hazel was already crouched down next to Annabeth, "Help me" she said.
They nodded and the rest of them finally stopped gawking enough to sit next to her. Leo and Nico went to start clearing a path for the Argo, Jason, and Piper got Annabeth, and Hazel and Frank got Percy. She almost sobbed when she felt his ribs through his blood-stained shirt. If you could call it that. More like a bunch of ripped-up rags.
"Do you guys need help?" Piper asked.
"No," Hazel said.
That's what scared her. He was lighter than Annabeth.
Of course, he is, she thought, he probably gave her most, if not all, of what they had to eat in there. That sentence brought up more images she didn't want to think about.
Slowly, they trudged to the Argo, practically dragging Percy and Annabeth. Annabeth had woken but was only half-conscious and dazed.
"When-where...?"
"Shhh. Annabeth, it's okay." There was no charm speak in her friend's voice, only desperation, but Annabeth relaxed nevertheless.
When they finally got them into the infirmary, Jason stated the obvious, "We need to get them cleaned up"
Piper and Hazel were getting ret rags when they heard a gasp.
"Someone get in here!" Jason yelled from the other room.
They rushed in to see Frank, Jason, Nico, and Leo surrounding Percy's bed. They had managed to get his shirt off and roll him over and-Hazel inhaled sharply, rushing to the nearest trashcan. She vomited, and Piper held her hair up, patting her back, with tears in her eyes. Across his back, besides, what looked like hundreds of, scars, were eight long scratches, diagonally crisscrossing the entire length of his back. Going from right shoulder to left waist, the longest one was in the middle. They were bleeding and infected. They looked green, too, though that could've just been Hazel's blurring vision. His sides seemed to have been attacked by something, what, Hazel wasn't sure, because it looked like just moving it would make anybody scream. Hazel didn't hesitate from there.
She grabbed whatever nectar they had left, and grasped Percy's hands. He looked up at her as if he wasn't actually seeing her.
"What the hell happened?" She heard Leo mutter, and she was so intent on the situation that she doesn't even process that it's the first time she's heard any of them cuss.
"Percy," She says, firmly. He's still just blinking at her, and she has to trust that somewhere in there, he's listening, "This is gonna hurt like Hades,"
She's about to cover his wound in nectar when he says something
"Wait," and his voice is dry and raw and croaky, "Help Annabeth first,"
Hazel sighs, cause she's not sure what to do, but she looks in his eyes and they're dim and full of tears. So she nods and turns around to Annabeth's bed.
"Hazel, are you sure, I mean he's in worse condition and-" she hears Jason say, but she only nods.
She doesn't let go of Percy's hand
Piper grabs Annabeth's and squeezes it, whispering reassuring words laced with charm speak, as Hazel begins. She purs the liquid over her arms, first, which aren't bad, and she doesn't get a reaction. But it leaves scars.
When she makes sure those are healed mostly and bandaged (courtesy of Leo) and taken care of, she moves onto her ankle. Annabeth doesn't say anything at first-doesn't make a noise. But then the nectar starts hissing and popping and Annabeth screams. Nothing coherent, just noises and curses, mostly. It falters as Piper gets louder, more insistent. After forty-five minutes of taking turns cleaning Annaeths wound- it'll take a while to heal, Nico says- they wrap it up and move onto Percy. There's only a half bottle of nectar left and one square of ambrosia. Which, Hazel knows, won't be enough- but she does it anyway, and Percy yells, which scares Hazel because Percy doesn't admit when he's hurt (he could be impaled with a sword, and have you make sure anyone else's papercut was okay, first).
Two hours later, when his voice is hoarse, and his cheek and back are still bubbling and bleed through his bandages, but it's better than nothing, but he and Annabeth are finally asleep, which judging by the very dark, very low bags under his eyes, is the first time he's done that in a while (maybe even since he landed in Tartarus two weeks ago), the rest of them leave.
They collapse at the dining room table and Coach Hedge is making snacks, with his own tears in his eyes.
That's when Hazel breaks down.
That's when the rest of them- Hazel's family -holds her, breaking down with her.