ANNABETH

The daughter of Athena smiled for the first time since she had gone on her solo quest to follow the Mark of Athena. She was still a bit dazed but she was alive and well and with her boyfriend again and that's all that mattered.

Percy unlaced his fingers from hers and pulled her into a hug. She breathed in his scent and her nostrils filled with the smell of the sea she had grown to love.

Percy placed a kiss on her forehead then pulled out of the hug. Annabeth noticed that around them the parking lot was falling apart.

"We should get the statue onto the ship and fast before the whole parking lot falls," Jason suggested.

"Frank my man," Leo started. "Can you fly me up to the ship so we can get this baby on board?" Leo nodded to the Parthenos.

Frank turned into a giant eagle and grabbed Leo in his talons. Frank flew to the ship with Leo whooping in the air.

Jason rapped his arms around Piper. "I'll be back for you guys." Jason lifted off into the air taking Piper with him, leaving Annabeth with Percy, Nico, and Hazel.

Percy took Annabeth's hand. "We should head for the ship."

The four demigods walked toward the Argo II hovering several feet above the ground with a rope ladder dangling down. Hazel reached it first and began to climb with Nico close behind. Annabeth went to take a step forward but started moving backwards instead.

Annabeth's feet were swept out from under her and she continued to be dragged back.

"Her ankle!" Hazel screamed from the ladder. "Cut the silk!"

Percy dove for Annabeth and grabbed onto her hand but they were both pulled towards a giant hole in the parking lot. Hazel screamed out for the others but no one could hear her over all of the chaos unfolding.

Nico stumbled towards them and Hazel was tangled in the ladder. Annabeth knew that neither of them would make it in time.

Annabeth let out a cry as she was pulled over the edge taking Percy along with her. She thought they were doomed but by some miracle Percy had managed to grab ahold of a ledge.

She could see his knuckles turning white from holding on so hard and sweat beading down his face.

Suddenly, Nico poked his head over the edge. He reached out his arm but he was way to high up to reach them.

"Percy," Annabeth said. "There's no way you can get both of us up there. You have to let go of me."

"No," Percy responded. She could see the determination in his eyes. "I'm not letting you fall."

Then something happened that Annabeth couldn't explain. Percy squeezed his eyes shut and with what seemed like inhuman strength, swung Annabeth up over his head and let her go.

For one terrifying moment Annabeth thought she was going to fall down into the pit but she hit solid ground. Somehow Percy had managed to throw her up fifteen feet to the surface.

How was that even possible? There was no way that he should've been able to do that especially with whatever heavy thing was on the end of the spider silk rapped around her ankle. Annabeth pulled her dagger out and quickly cut it lose before it could drag her back in.

She peered back over the edge and saw Percy still dangling there. "Percy!"

"I'll be there on the other side!" The son of Poseidon called up to her. "Promise me you'll be there."

Annabeth held back tears. "There has to be a way to save you!"

"Promise me!"

Annabeth let a few tears fall. "I promise."

Percy gave her one last lopsided grin before letting go.

"No!" Annabeth screamed as she watched her Seaweed Brain plummet down into the pit below.

Annabeth sank to her knees and her chest shook with uncontrollable sobs. The ground beneath her began to shake and several tons of asphalt continued to fall into the pit but she didn't care. How could she care about her own safety when her entire world had fallen into Greek Hell?

No, worse than Hell, Annabeth thought miserably. Hades was the Greek version of Hell. Tartarus was even worse.

"Annabeth," Nico said with an unreadable look on his face. "We need to get back to the ship before the ground totally gives out and we all end up down there."

Annabeth didn't want to leave. She refused to continue on without Percy. It didn't matter how horrible a situation they were in as long as they were together.

Annabeth stood and rushed towards the gaping hole in the asphalt but just before she could leap in after her Seaweed Brain, a pair of hands grabbed her. She turned to see a distraught Hazel holding her back.

"Annabeth, you can't go in there after him. I know you can't bare being away from Percy but he needs you up here to help us get him out. He wouldn't want you down there."

"B-but he's all alone," Annabeth's voice quivered. "I can't let him be down there all by himself."

"I know but-" Hazel stared to counter but was interrupted by Jason who had just touched down next to them.

"I'm back. Sorry it took so long. We had a hard time securing the Athena-" Jason stopped mid-sentence. "Where's Percy?"

Hazel, Nico, and Annabeth all exchanged a sad look, none of them wanting tell the son of Jupiter what happened to Percy.

"Is he back on the Argo II or..." Jason couldn't finish his sentence. When no one responded he paled. "Oh gods," he whispered. Then shook his head in disbelief.

"I-I'll get you guys onboard," Jason's voice shook and it was quite strange seeing the 'emotionless' son of Jupiter show emotion.

He wrapped his arms around Annabeth and she tried to struggle out of his grasp but he held onto her firmly.

"Let me go!" She screamed. "I can't let him be alone down there!"

Jason ignored her cries of protest and flew her up to the ship. He touched down gently on deck and released his hold on her. She fell down to the ground due to the pain that shot up in her ankle putting the sudden weight on it. Jason dove back down over the edge for the others.

"Annabeth?" Piper's voice asked from somewhere behind her. "What's wrong?"

The daughter of Aphrodite rushed over and hugged Annabeth. "H-he's down there... all alone... have to... have to be with him... have to save him."

Piper looked confused at her mumbling. Jason came back up this time holding an upset Nico who probably wasn't a huge fan of flying.

"Have to see him," Annabeth mumbled and tried to stand up but couldn't with her ankle's poor condition.

"We need to get you to the infirmary," Piper said.

Annabeth shook her head ferociously. "No! I have to go down there! I have to be with him!" She started to sob.

Piper looks up at Nico. "What happened?"

Nico gets a sad and dark look in his eyes but doesn't say anything.

"Hey guys, we need to get going soon the-" Leo walked in then stopped mid sentence when he saw the sobbing blonde on the floor.

"Did I miss something?" he asked.

Frank appeared next to Leo. "What's wrong?"

Jason who Annabeth hadn't noticed had left again, touched down next to her on the ship holding Hazel. Hazel's eyes were puffy and red; her face tear streaked.

"Hazel!" Frank ran over to her and embraced her. Hazel buried her head into his chest and sobbed.

"Guys," Piper said, releasing Annabeth from her hug. "What's going on?"

"M-my fault," Annabeth sobbed. "It's all my fault!"

Hazel pulled away from Frank and wiped her tears. "Annabeth, it's not your fault. There was nothing you could do."

"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT!?" Piper screamed in frustration.

Jason rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Percy fell into Tartarus."

Tartarus. That word seemed to echo around the ship, snuffing out all of the light in the world. A dark feeling hung in the air and a shiver ran down Annabeth's spine.

Just the name of that place was terrifying; she couldn't imagine what horrors Percy would be facing down there.

All alone.

Because of her.

"No," Piper whispered. "No, no, no! He couldn't have fallen down there. He can't be gone!"

"He's not gone yet," Nico said softly. "He's still alive, for now at least. Percy is the strongest demigod I've ever met. If anyone can survive down there it's him. We need to get to the doors on the mortal side and rescue him and close the doors."

"I'll go set sail for Epirus," Leo mumbled, with a shocked look on his face. He turned and quietly left.

"We'll get him back," Piper promised placing a hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "Nico's right. If anyone can survive the pit, it's him. Now let's go get your ankle taken care of."

Piper got up but Annabeth stayed put on the ground.

"What if no one can?"

Disclaimer: I do not own The Heroes of Olympus that belongs to Rick Riordan. I only own most of the plot.