{FRANK}

No fairness in death. The words kept ringing in his mind.

The golden giant didn't scare him. The army of shades didn't scare him. But the thought of freeing Thanatos made Frank want to curl into the fetal position. This god had taken his mother.

The son of Mars understood what he had to do to break those chains. Mars had warned him. He'd explained why he loved Emily Zhang so much: She always put her duty first, ahead of everything. Even her life.

Now it was Frank's turn.

His mother's sacrifice medal felt warm in his pocket. He finally understood his mother's choice, saving her comrades at the cost of her own life. He got what Mars had been trying to tell him—Duty. Sacrifice. They mean something.

The lump of grief he'd been carrying since the funeral—finally began to dissolve. He understood why his mother never came home. Some things were worth dying for.

"Hazel." he tried to keep his voice steady. "That package you're keeping for me? I need it."

The daughter of Pluto glanced at him in dismay. Sitting on Arion, she looked like a queen, powerful and beautiful, her own hair swept over her shoulders and a wreath of icy mist around her head. "Frank, no. There has to be another way."

"Please, I—I know what I'm doing."

Thanatos smiled and lifted his manacled wrists. "You're right, Frank Zhang. Sacrifices must be made."

Great. If Death approved of his plan, Frank was pretty sure he wasn't going to like the results.

The giant stepped forward, his reptilian feet shaking the ground. "What package do you speak of, Frank Zhang? Have you brought me a present?"

"Nothing for you, Golden Boy," Frank said. "Except a whole lot of pain."

The giant roared with laughter. "Spoken like a child of Mars! Too bad I have to kill you. And this one...my, my, I've been waiting to meet the famous Percy Jackson."

He grinned. His silver teeth made his mouth look like a car grille.

"I've followed your progress, son of Neptune," said Alcyoneus. "Your fight with Kronos? Well done. Gaea hates you above all others...except perhaps that upstart Jason Grace and this one," He looked at Landon."I'm sorry I can't kill you right away; my brother Polybotes wishes to keep you as a pet. He thinks it will be amusing when he destroys Neptune, to have the god's favorite son on a leash. After that, of course, Gaea has plans for you."

"Yeah, flattering," Percy raised Riptide. "But actually I'm the son of Poseidon. I'm from Camp Half-Blood."

The ghosts stirred. Some drew swords and lifted shields. Alcyoneus raised his hand, gesturing for them to wait.

The giant turned his attention to Landon. "And you... son of Mercury, Oliver has been waiting for you. You have made quite the scene by returning, Gaea isn't too pleased with you either."

"Well that sucks for them," Landon said. "And I'm not Mercury's son."

"Again, Greek, Roman, it doesn't matter." the giant said easily. "We will crush both camps underfoot. You see, the Titans didn't think big enough. They planned to destroy the gods in their new home of America. We giants know better. To kill a weed, you must pull up its roots. Even now, while my forces destroy your little Roman camp, my brother Porphyrion is preparing for the real battle in the ancient lands! We will destroy the gods at their source."

The ghosts pounded their swords against their shields. The sound echoed off across the mountains.

"The source?" Frank asked. "You mean Greece?"

Alcyoneus chuckled. "No need to worry about that, son of Mars. You won't live long enough to see our ultimate victory. I will replace Pluto as lord of the Underworld. I already have Death in my custody. With Hazel Levesque at my service, I will have all the riches under the earth as well!"

Hazel gripped her spatha. "I don't do service."

"Oh, but you gave me life!" Alcyoneus said. "True, we hoped to awaken Gaea during World War II. That would've been glorious. But really, the world is in almost as bad a shape now. Soon, your civilization will be wiped out. The Doors of Death will stand open. Those who serve us will never perish. Alive or dead, you four will join my army."

Percy shook his head. "Fat chance, Golden Boy. You're going down."

"Wait." Hazel spurred her horse toward the giant. "I raised this monster from the earth. I'm the daughter of Pluto. It's my place to kill him."

"Ah, little Hazel." Alcyoneus planted his staff on the ice. His glittered with millions of dollars' worth of gems. "Are you sure you will not join us of your free will? You could be quite...precious to us. Why die again?"

Hazel's eyes flashed with anger. She looked down at Frank and pulled the wrapped-up piece of firewood from her coat. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," he said.

She pursed her lips. "You're my best friend, too, Frank. I should have told you that." She tossed him the stick. "Do what you have to. And Landon, Percy...can you protect him?"

Percy gazed at the ranks of ghostly Romans. "Against a small army?" He shared a look with Landon. "Sure, no problem."

"We'll keep him safe, don't worry," Landon promised.

"Then I've got Golden Boy," Hazel said.

She charged the giant.

Frank knelt at the feet of Death as he unwrapped the firewood.

He was aware of the sons of Poseidon and Hermes standing over him, fighting the ghosts as they closed in. He heard the giant bellow and Arion whinny angrily, but he didn't dare look.

His hands trembling, he held his piece of tinder next to the chains on Death's right leg. He thought about flames, and instantly the wood blazed.

Horrible warmth spread through his body. The icy metal began to melt, the flame so bright it was more blinding than the ice.

"Good," Thanatos said. "Very good, Frank Zhang."

Frank had heard about people's lives flashing before their eyes, but now he experienced it, literally. He saw his mother the day she left for Afghanistan. She smiled and hugged him. He tried to breathe in her jasmine scent so he'd never forget it.

"I will always be proud of you, Frank," she said. "Someday, you'll travel even farther than I. You'll bring our family full circle. Years from now, our descendants will be telling stories about the hero Frank Zhang, their great-great-great—" She poked him in the belly for old times' sake. It would be the last time Frank smiled for months.

He saw himself at the picnic bench in Moose Pass, watching the stars and the northern lights as Hazel snored softly beside him, Percy saying, "Frank, you are a leader. We need you."

With a clank, the first chain broke. Quickly, Frank stabbed the firewood at the chain on Death's other leg. He risked a glance over his shoulder.

Percy was fighting like a whirlwind. In fact... he was a whirlwind. A miniature hurricane of water and ice vapor churned around him as he waded through the enemy, knocking Roman ghosts away, and deflecting arrows and spears. Since when did he have that power?

He moved through the enemy lines, fighting the ghosts.

Frank didn't understand what Percy was doing until he saw one of the black vapory ghosts wearing the lion's skin cape of a standard bearer and holding a pole with a golden eagle, icicles frozen to its wings. The legion's standard.

Frank watched as Percy plowed through a line of legionnaires, scattering their shields with his personal cyclone. He knocked down the standard bearer and grabbed the eagle.

"You want it back?" He shouted at the ghosts. "Come and get it!"

He drew them away, and Frank couldn't help being awed by his bold strategy. As much as those shades wanted to keep Thanatos chained, they were Roman soldiers. Their minds were fuzzy at best, like the ghosts Frank had seen in Asphodel, but they remembered one thing clearly: they were supposed to protect their eagle.

Still, Percy couldn't fight off that many enemies forever. Maintaining a storm like that had to be difficult. Despite the cold, his face was already beaded with sweat.

Frank looked for Hazel. He couldn't see her or the giant anywhere.

He was so distracted, he didn't seem to see the shade which had swung toward him. Landon kicked it away, slashing his sword right through it and glancing over at Frank. "You alright?"

Frank cursed. He nodded. He had been so distracted he hadn't even noticed the second chain had melted.

"Okay," Landon said. "but be careful—" A flash of silver swung at his head cutting him off. Landon doubled over as he hit the ground, groaning in pain, clutching the side of his head which was now bleeding.

In the place where Landon had previously stood, was an alive and breathing, human, Roman soldier. His hair as dark as night, his eyes cold and filled with hatred. A jagged scar ran along his neck and a shining silver sword in his hand.

The man shook his head at Frank and then glanced at Landon, he raised his foot and placed it on Landon's neck. The son of Hermes choked and grabbed at the shoe on his neck as the man put pressure on his windpipe.

"You're still the same aren't you?" The man said, a hateful glint in his eyes as he twisted his foot making Landon gasp for air.

And that was when Frank realized who the man was; Oliver.

"The same old weak, pathetic Landon," Oliver seethed. "I thought you would be tougher by now, but I suppose being a coward runs in your family."

Oliver raised his sword to bring it down on Landon's head.

Landon coughed and grabbed Oliver's other leg, he yanked it from underneath Oliver, knocking the man off balance. Landon scrambled to his feet and grabbed his sword just in time to block another attack from Oliver.

Frank was going to get up and help when Thanatos said, "Watch your fire, boy," Death warned. "You don't have any to waste."

He glanced over at his friends one last time before he moved his fire to the shackles on the god's right hand. The piece of tinder was almost half gone now. Frank started to shiver. More images flashed through his mind.

He saw Mars sitting at his grandmother's bedside, looking at Frank with those nuclear explosion eyes: "You're Juno's secret weapon. Have you figured out your gift yet?"

He heard his mother say: You can be anything.

Then he saw Grandmother's stern face, her skin as thin as rice paper, her white hair spread across her pillow. "Yes, Fai Zhang. Your mother was not simply boosting your self-esteem. She was telling you the literal truth."

He thought of the grizzly bear his mother had intercepted at the edge of the woods. He thought of the large black bird circling over the flames of their family mansion.

The third chain snapped. Frank thrust the tinder at the last shackle. His body racked with pain. Yellow spots danced in his eyes.

He saw Percy at the end of the Via Principalis, holding off the army of ghosts. He'd overturned the chariot and destroyed several buildings, but every time he threw off a wave of attackers in his hurricane, the ghosts simply got up and charged again.

Every time the son of Poseidon slashed one of them down with his sword, the ghost re-formed again. Percy had backed up almost as far as he could. Behind him was the side gate of the camp, and about twenty feet beyond that, the edge of the glacier.

Hazel and Alcyoneus had managed to destroy most of the barracks in their battle. Now they were fighting in the wreckage at the main gate. Arion was playing a dangerous game of tag, charging around the giant while the giant swiped at them with his staff, knocking over walls and cleaving massive chasms in the ice. Arion's speed was the reason they were still alive.

As for Landon, Oliver seemed to be out for his head. The two's fight had made its way over to outside the Principia, a few feet away from Percy and the shades.

And even while bleeding from the head, Landon managed to stand his ground. Oliver attacked Landon restlessly, stabbing and slashing at him over and over again.

Frank winced as Oliver landed a strike on Landon's torso and kicked him right on the wound, the son of Hermes stumbled back toward a pillar made of ice, clutching the wound.

Finally, Death's last chain snapped. With a desperate yelp, Frank jabbed his firewood into a pile of snow and extinguished the flame. His pain faded. He was still alive. But when he took out the piece of tinder, it was no more than a stub, smaller than a candy bar.

Thanatos raised his arms. "Free," he said with satisfaction.

"Great." Frank blinked the spots from his eyes. "Then do something!"

Thanatos gave him a calm smile. "Do something? Of course. I will watch. Those who die in this battle will stay dead."

"Thanks," Frank muttered, slipping his firewood into his coat. "Very helpful."

"You're most welcome."

"Percy!" Frank yelled. "They can die now!"

The raven-haired boy nodded understanding, but he looked worn out. His hurricane was slowing down. His strikes were getting slower. The entire ghostly army had him surrounded, gradually forcing him toward the edge of the glacier.

Frank drew his bow to help. Then he dropped it. Normal hunting arrows from a hunting store in Seward wouldn't do any good. Frank would have to use his gift.

He thought he understood his powers at last. Something about watching the firewood burn, smelling the acrid smoke of his own life, had made him feel strangely confident.

"Is it fair your life burns so short and bright?" Death had asked.

"No such things as fair," he told himself. "If I'm going to burn, it might as well be bright."

He took one step toward Percy and Landon. Then, from across the camp, Hazel yelled in pain. Arion screamed as the giant got a lucky shot. His staff sent horse and rider tumbling over the ice, crashing into the ramparts.

"Hazel!" Frank glanced back at Percy, then at Landon, wishing he had his spear. If he could just summon Gray...but he couldn't be in three places at once.

"Go help her!" Percy yelled, holding the golden eagle aloft. "We've got these guys!"

Percy didn't have them. Frank knew that. The son of Poseidon was about to be overwhelmed. Landon looked like he was a second away from passing out, but Frank ran to Hazel's aid.

She was half-buried in a collapsed pile of snow bricks. Arion stood over her, trying to protect her, rearing and swatting at the giant with his front hooves.

The giant laughed. "Hello, little pony. You want to play?" Alcyoneus raised his icy staff.

Frank was too far away to help...but he imagined himself rushing forward, his feet leaving the ground.

Be anything.

He remembered the bald eagles they'd seen on the train ride. His body became smaller and lighter. His arms stretched into wings, and his sight became a thousand times sharper. He soared upward, then dove at the giant with his talons extended, his razor-sharp claws raking across the giant's eyes.

Alcyoneus bellowed in pain. He staggered backward as Frank landed in front of the daughter of Pluto, returning to his normal form.

"Frank..." she stared at him in amazement, a cap of snow dripping off her head. "What just...how did—?"

"Fool!" Alcyoneus shouted. His face was slashed, black oil dripping into his eyes instead of blood, but the wounds were already closing. "I am immortal in my homeland, Frank Zhang! And thanks to your friend Hazel, my new homeland is Alaska. You cannot kill me here!"

"We'll see," Frank said. Power coursed through his arms and legs. "Hazel, get back on your horse."

The giant charged, and the son of Mars charged to meet him. He remembered the bear he'd met face to face when he was a child. As he ran, his body became heavier, thicker, rippling with muscles. He crashed into the giant as a full-grown grizzly, a thousand pounds of pure force.

He was still small compared to the giant, but he slammed into the giant with such momentum, that Alcyoneus toppled into an icy watchtower that collapsed on top of him.

Frank sprang at the giant's head. A swipe of his claw was like a heavyweight fighter swinging a chainsaw. Frank bashed the giant's face back and forth until his metallic features began to dent.

The giant mumbled in a stupor and Frank changed back to normal. His backpack was still with him. He grabbed the rope he'd brought in Seward, quickly made a noose, and fastened it around the giant's scaly dragon feet.

"Hazel, here!" He tossed her the other end of the rope. "I've got an idea, but we'll have to—"

"Kill—uh—you—uh..." Alcyoneus muttered.

Frank ran to the giant's head, picked up the heavy legion shield that he'd found nearby, and slammed it into the giant's nose.

The giant groaned and Frank glanced back at the daughter of Pluto. "How far can Arion pull this guy?"

Hazel just stared at him. "You—you were a bird. Then a bear. And—"

"I'll explain later," Frank said. "We need to drag this guy inland, as fast and far as we can."

"But Percy and Landon!"

Frank cursed. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten about them.

Through the ruins of the camp, he saw the two boys with their backs to the edge of the cliff. Percy's hurricane was gone. He held Riptide in one hand and the legion's golden eagle in the other. The entire army of shades edged forward, their weapons bristling. Oliver had managed to land a lot of hits on Landon, the son of Hermes looked like he was about to pass out any second now.

"Percy! Landon!" Frank yelled.

The son of Poseidon glanced over. He saw the fallen giant and seemed to understand what was happening. He yelled something that they couldn't quite hear. Probably something like Go! We'll be fine!

Then sparing a glance at Landon, Percy slammed Riptide into the ice at his feet.

The entire glacier shuddered. Ghosts fell to their knees. Behind Percy, a wave surged up from the bay—a wall of gray water even taller than the glacier. Water shot from the chasms and crevices in the ice. As the wave hit, the back half of the camp crumbled.

The entire edge of the glacier peeled away, cascading into the void—carrying buildings, ghosts, Oliver, and the sons of Poseidon and Hermes over the edge.

Frank was too stunned to speak, he hadn't even realized Hazel had been yelling his name a dozen times to tell him that the giant was getting up again.

He slammed the shield into the giant's nose until Alcyoneus began to snore. Meanwhile, the glacier kept crumbling, the edge getting closer and closer.

The god of Death glided toward them on his black wings, his expression serene. "Ah, yes," he said with satisfaction. "There go some souls. Drowning, drowning. You'd better hurry, my friends, or you'll drown, too."

"But Landon and Percy..." Frank could barely speak his friends' names. "Are they—?"

"Too soon to tell. As for this one..." Thanatos looked down at the giant with distaste. "You'll never kill him here. You know what to do?"

Frank nodded numbly. "I think so."

"Then our business is complete."

The two demigods exchanged nervous looks.

"Um..." Hazel faltered. "You mean you won't...you're not going to—"

"Claim your life?" Thanatos asked. "Well, let's see..."

He pulled out a pure black iPad from thin air. Death tapped the screen a few times, and all Frank could think was: Please don't let there be an app for reaping souls.

"I don't see you on the list," Thanatos said. "Pluto gives me specific orders for escaped souls, you see. For some reason, he has not issued a warrant for yours. Perhaps he feels your life is not finished, or it could be an oversight. If you'd like me to call and ask—"

"No!" Hazel yelped. "That's okay."

"Are you sure?" Death asked helpfully. "I have video conferencing enabled. I have his Skype address here somewhere..."

"Really, no." Hazel looked like the world had been lifted from her shoulders. "Thank you."

Alcyoneus mumbled something and Frank hit him over the head again.

Death looked up from his iPad. "As for you Frank Zhang, it isn't your time, either. You've got a little fuel to burn. But don't think I'm doing either of you a favor. We will meet again under less pleasant circumstances."

The cliff was crumbled, the edge only twenty feet away now. Arion whinnied impatiently. Frank knew they had to leave, but there was one more question he had to ask.

"What about the Doors of Death?" he asked. "Where are they? How do we close them?"

"Ah, yes," a look of irritation flashed across the god's face. "The Doors of Me. Closing them would be good, but I fear it is beyond my power. How you would do it, I haven't the faintest idea. I can't tell you exactly where they are. The location isn't...well, it's not entirely a physical place. They must be located through questing. I can tell you to start your search in Rome. The original Rome. You will need a special guide. Only one sort of demigod can read the signs that will ultimately lead you to the Doors of Me."

Cracks appeared in the ice under their feet. Hazel patted Arion's neck to keep him from bolting. "What about my brother?" she asked. "Is Nico alive?"

Thanatos gave her a strange look—possibly pity, though that didn't seem like an emotion Death wouldn't understand. "You will find the answer in Rome. And now I must fly south to your Camp Jupiter. I have a feeling there will be many souls to reap, very soon. Farewell, demigods, until we meet again."

The god disappeared into black smoke. The cracks widened in the ice under Frank's feet. "Hurry!" he said. "We've got to take Alcyoneus about ten miles due north!"

He climbed onto the giant's chest and Arion took off, racing across the ice, dragging Alcyoneus like the world's ugliest sled.

Frank didn't have to knock the giant out too many times on their trip. The giant's head kept bouncing and hitting the ice. As they raced along, the half-conscious Golden Boy mumbled a tune that sounded like "Jingle Bells."

Frank was still stunned by the fact that he'd just turned into an eagle and a bear. He could still feel fluid energy rippling through his body like he was halfway between a solid and liquid state.

The son of Mars had survived alongside Hazel, but he refused to believe Percy and Landon were dead. They hadn't come all this way just to lose each other. Frank was going to find them—but first, they had to deal with Alcyoneus.

He pictured the map he had been studying on the train from Anchorage. He knew roughly where they were going, but there were no signs or markers at the top of the glacier. He'd just have to take his best guess.

Finally, Arion zoomed between two mountains into a valley of ice and rocks, like a massive bowl of frozen milk with bits of Cocoa Puffs. The giant's golden skin paled as it turned to brass.

The son of Mars felt a subtle vibration in his body like a tuning fork pressed against him. He knew he'd crossed into friendly territory—home territory.

"Here!" He shouted.

The horse veered to one side. Hazel cut the rope, and Alcyoneus went skidding past. Frank leaped off just before the giant slammed into a boulder.

Immediately, the giant jumped to his feet. "What? Where? Who?"

His nose was bent in an odd direction. His wounds had healed, though his golden skin had lost some of its luster. He looked around for his iron staff, which was still back at Hubbard Glacier. Then he gave up and pounded the nearest boulder to pieces with his fist.

"You dare take me for a sleigh ride?" He tensed and sniffed the air. "That smell...like snuffed-out souls. Thanatos is free, eh? Bah! It doesn't matter. Gaea still controls the Doors of Death. Now, why have you brought me here, son of Mars?"

"To kill you," Frank answered. "Next question?"

The giant's eyes narrowed. "I've never known a child of Mars who can change his form, but that doesn't mean you can defeat me. Do you think your stupid soldier of a father gave you the strength to face me in one-on-one combat?"

Hazel drew her sword. "How about two on one?"

The giant growled and charged at the daughter of Pluto, but Arion nimbly darted out of the way. Hazel slashed her sword across the back of the giant's calf. Black oil spouted from the wound.

Alcyoneus stumbled. "You can't kill me, Thanatos or not!"

Hazel made a grabbing gesture with her free hand. An invisible force yanked the giant's jewel-encrusted hair backward. Hazel rushed in, slashed his other leg, and raced away before he could regain his balance.

"Stop that!" Alcyoneus shouted. "This is Alaska. I am immortal in my homeland!"

"Actually," Frank said, "I have bad news about that. See, I got more from my dad than strength."

The giant snarled. "What are you talking about, war brat?"

"Tactics," Frank said. "That's my gift from Mars. A battle can be won before it's ever fought choosing the right ground." He pointed over his shoulder. "We crossed the border a few hundred yards back. You're not in Alaska anymore. Can't you feel it, Al? You want to get to Alaska, you have to go through me."

He could see understanding dawning in the giant's eyes. He looked down incredulously at his wounded legs. Oil still poured from his calves, turning the ice black.

"Impossible!" the giant bellowed. "I'll—I'll—Gah!"

He charged at Frank, determined to reach the international boundary. For a split second, Frank doubted his plan. Then he remembered his grandmother's instructions:

1. It helps if you know the creature well. Check.

2. It also helps if you are in a life-and-death situation, such as combat. Double check.

The giant kept coming toward them at a fast pace.

"Frank?" Hazel called nervously.

Frank stood his ground. "I got this."

Just before Alcyoneus smashed into him, Frank shifted. He'd always felt too big and clumsy. Now he used that feeling to his advantage. His body swelled to a massive size. His skin thickened. His arms changed to stout front legs. His mouth grew tusks and his nose elongated. He became the animal he knew best—the one he'd cared for, fed, bathed, and even given indigestion to at Camp Jupiter.

Alcyoneus slammed into a full-grown ten-ton elephant.

The giant staggered sideways. He screamed in frustration and slammed into Frank again, but Alcyoneus was completely out of his weight division. Frank head-butted him so hard that the giant flew backward and landed on the ice.

"You—can't—kill me," The giant growled. "You can't—"

The son of Mars turned back to normal. He walked up to the giant, whose oily wounds were steaming. The gems fell out of his hair and sizzled in the snow. His golden skin began to corrode, breaking into chunks.

Hazel dismounted and stood next to Frank, her sword ready. "May I?"

Frank nodded. He looked into the giant's seething eyes. "Here's a tip, Alcyoneus. Next time you choose the biggest state for your home, don't set up base in the part that's only ten miles wide. Welcome to Canada, idiot."

Hazel's sword came down on the giant's neck. Alcyoneus dissolved into a pile of very expensive rocks.

For a while, they stood together, watching the remains of the giant melt into the ice. Frank picked up his rope.

"An elephant?" Hazel asked.

He scratched his neck. "Yeah. It seemed like a good idea."

He couldn't read her expression. He was afraid he'd finally done something so weird that she'd never want to be around him again. Frank Zhang: lumbering klutz, child of Mars, part-time pachyderm.

Then she kissed him—a real kiss on the lips, much better than the kind of kiss she'd given Percy on the airplane.

"You are amazing," She said. "And you make a very handsome elephant."

Frank felt so flustered that he thought his boots might melt through the ice. Before he could say anything, a voice echoed across the valley: You haven't won.

Frank looked up. Shadows were shifting across the nearest mountain, forming the face of a sleeping woman.

You will never reach home in time, taunted Gaea. Even now, Thanatos is attending the death of Camp Jupiter, the final destruction of your Roman friends.

The mountain rumbled as if the whole earth were laughing. The shadows disappeared. Hazel and Frank shared a glance, neither saying a word. They climbed back on Arion and sped back toward Glacier Bay.

------✧------

A/N: i wrote this chp in Frank's pov cus he lit had zero POVs in this book and i js felt like i was doing him dirty.

Landon and Oliver fight next chapter cus it was NECESSARY for it to be in his pov.

Anyways, i'll see y'all this weekend. 🤞