Hazel glanced at Clarisse. The daughter of Ares and the daughter of Bellona held their grounds firmly, but both Camp's demigods were starting to waver.

"This is not going to end well," Holly muttered.

Annabeth was still off weaving that cloak furiously. Piper didn't question Hazel's plans any further, but she wished that they had. Hazel was risking everything.

If they failed, there was only one choice: to die.

Reyna's eyes landed on her. "Ah, the traitor to the Twelfth legion," she said. "We will spare you to face trials and force you to watch the Greeks' destruction. You have the choice to rejoin us and regain your centurion rank, or perish with them."

Hazel felt everyone's eyes bore into her. Could she? Would Gaia keep her word? She knew Gaia would keep her promises, but there was no way she could keep her around. She'd got rid of her because she was a threat.

Piper got her attention from the front lines. Do it!

Sweat trickled from her forehead.

"I'm waiting," Reyna repeated. Next to her, Percy - or Gaia - tapped his sword on the ground impatiently. Sucks for Gaia to possess an extremely ADHD demigod.

Hazel took a deep breath.

"I... I accept your offer," she said.

Every demigod snapped to her direction. Especially Clarisse, whose glare was colder than a Boread's breath. Cautiously, Hazel walked to Reyna, swordpoints held back by Piper.

"And Frank Zhang?"

"Dead," Clarisse snapped.

Percy's face clouded with false grief. "What happened?"

Hazel resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Arrow. Furies. Underworld. End of story."

Reyna looked genuinely concerned. "Jason?"

"Same," Piper interjected flatly. "No thanks to you."

Reyna glared at her. "So this is why the Greeks are so weak? Even our strongest warriors like Jason died under your care!"

"Your point is?" Clarisse snarked.

Percy nudged Reyna's elbow. "Enough is enough. We attack now."

Reyna nodded. "Romans! Form ranks!"

With a single signal from both Camp Leaders, the demigods all roared and charged at each other. Reyna and Percy were up the front, both fight like one and demons. Through all of this, Hazel stood still.

As demigods slashed at each other, Hazel struggled to pull herself back to reality. She could vaguely hear Piper shouting at Hazel from a distance, but she couldn't react.

It was like Gaia had rooted her to the ground. Gaia's laughter echoed loudly in her mind.

Her mind drifted back to the time where she and her mother had died suffocating. She'd made one mistake, and she wasn't going to let history repeat. Not on her watch.

"Hazel!" Piper shouted, dodging spears and arrows to Hazel's side. "That was a dumb move from us. Annabeth's never going to find us in this mess!"

Hazel nodded. "I got it covered."

She grabbed Piper's hand and they melted into their shadows.

* * *

Hazel hurled as soon as they emerged to the surface. Nico didn't tell her that shadow-travelling could be so nauseating.

Annabeth looked baffled, like she didn't know whether to help Piper or keep holding the glittering purple cloak. Thank the Gods for Annabeth. She was the ace weaver, and it looked like an exact replica of Reyna's.

"All we need to do is separate Reyna from Percy," Hazel said. The entire Arts & Crafts cabin shook as poorly crafted sculptures fell and shattered. "I can do Mist. Annabeth, I'll need you with me to try to knock Reyna out."

"Try?"

"A guarantee would be nice, but I don't want to get your hopes up too high," Hazel noted. "Come on. Piper, we're counting on you."

Piper nodded as Annabeth handed her the cloak. They joined hands with Hazel and they dissolved into the darkness once more.

* * *

"HEADS UP!" Annabeth roared, throwing the Roman praetor off balance as they emerged from Reyna's shadow. Annabeth specifically aimed the flat of her sword at Reyna's chest to knock the breath out of her, but Reyna wasn't born just today. She stepped back immediately and raised her sword.

Reyna was about to call to Percy to watch out, but Hazel followed Annabeth out of the shadow and raised the Labyrinth on Percy. He was trapped. For now.

"I knew your loyalties still lie to the Greeks," Reyna said calmly.

Annabeth got into a fighting stance. "And your loyalties lie to Gaia."

Reyna tensed instantly, but she recovered. Her emotions wavered for half a second, but Hazel caught it. She excels at reading people, thanks to Annabeth.

"So you know." Annabeth's glare hardened. "Yet you fight for the wrong cause. You are leading your entire legion into inevitable death."

With blinding speed, Reyna plunged her sword into Annabeth's abdomen.

Reyna's sword shattered against her stomach. The blade ripped her clothes but not Annabeth.

Annabeth merely brushed the shattered pieces off of her stomach and turned to Reyna, ivory sword raised.

"Another thing about Greeks," she said. "We aren't as single-minded as you."

Annabeth avenged herself with equal blinding speed. She managed to unarm Reyna with her belly and knock her out with a rock-solid plant sword. Awesome.

Reyna crumpled to the floor. Annabeth held her body by the shoulders.

No demigod noticed because Hazel had shrouded them in more Mist. The mental strain was still bearable, but if Piper didn't arrive soon, the mirage would shatter.

Hazel glanced at the war outside. Explosions rattled the entire ground and demigods were buried under the debris, stabbed or shot to death with arrows.

She caught sight of the daughter of Aphrodite and waved madly. Hazel just hoped that Piper's attention would be caught by a waving squirrel. After all, a squirrel was no surprise in a war, right?

Piper ran to them. "I'm here! Get Reyna out of this."

Annabeth nodded. She began to lug Reyna's body to a more discreet location, but progress was slow.

"That sword," Hazel muttered. "How did you-?"

Annabeth simply carried Reyna over her shoulder. "The Achilles curse. Worth a shot. You and Piper should be impenetrable too. Though no one knows where your mortal spot is. Stab it and you will die."

Piper gulped. "Good to know!"

Annabeth darted off to the distance. Hazel nodded to Piper signing that this is the crucial moment.

Hazel lowered the Labyrinth and shrouded Piper in Mist. She looked just like Reyna. And with Piper's acting, she seemed exactly like the real Reyna.

She had heard from Annabeth that the Labyrinth was beneath Camp Half-Blood, and it was actually true. Piper mouthed an apology as she kneed Hazel in the chest and she was sent flying into the distance.

Oh my Gods, that hurt, Hazel thought sulkily.

"Percy!" Piper cried worriedly. "Are you okay? What was that?"

Percy brushed the dust off of his cloak. "I'm fine," he said. "I lost the cloak. Sorry. Some monster snatched it off inside."

Piper stared at him with tearful eyes. "Percy, I-" she pretended to choke. "I thought that you died! Don't do that ever again!"

Percy grinned. "I won't, love."

Hazel wanted to gag. She knew that she was a good distance from the war and her skin was iron, but her heart was still in her throat.

"I'm going for that Athena scum. You hold this." Piper removed her false cloak and offered it to Percy. "This will keep you safe. I saw her run into the forest."

Percy didn't doubt her. He took the cloak with a smile and draped it over his shoulders.

"Thank you," he said simply.

The cloak glowed golden. Apparently it hated to be dyed into such a repulsive color.

"What is this?" Percy demanded, cracks glowing golden appearing on his face. "You betray me!"

Golden cracks appeared on every part of his body. He roared and tried to remove the cloak, but it was stuck to his skin like it had grown into it. Piper backed up, expecting this outcome.

"NOOOOO!" Gaia's voice bellowed. The ground shook like a level ten earthquake and every demigod lost balance. Percy's body glowed golden and an image of Gaia was dispersed out of him.

Percy's body fell onto the ground in a heap. After the last whispers of Gaia faded, the ground returned to normal as demigods stared at their praetor in coronary shock.

Hazel groaned and pushed herself upright.

"Piper?" she ventured. "Are you okay?"

The daughter of Aphrodite was on the ground, eyes wide. The Golden Fleece was no longer purple, but not its usual golden sheen either. Having drained of its magic, the magic wool now a dull, regular white.

Hazel went over to Piper and helped her up.

"I'm fine," she said. "That was..."

Hazel managed a faint grin. "Horrifying."

Piper smiled. "I was going for unexpected."

The war was over.

At least for now.