I'll Find You
"Percy!" Nico di Angelo lunged forward and managed to grab Percy's hand before he and Annabeth fell down into the pit of Tartarus. Piper, Jason, Frank, Hazel, and Leo weren't close enough to help.
Nico strained to keep a hold of Percy. They had just started dating and Nico wouldn't let him go. Not again.
Percy grunted in pain from being pulled from Annabeth below him and Nico above him. But he wasn't going to let go of either of them.
"Guys! Help me!" Nico cried out and sounded more desperate than he thought he would. He couldn't be without Percy.
The son of Hades could feel his grasp slipping no matter how hard he tried to hold on tighter.
And Percy could feel it too. "Nico," he grit his teeth in pain. "we'll meet you on the other side. Lead them to the doors. Promise me you'll lead them." Percy's eyes were full of pain and desperation.
"I-I promise. The other side…"
The son of Poseidon forced a smirk, though it looked more like a grimace. He winked at Nico and with that, he let go.
Nico screamed and grabbed helplessly at the space where Percy used to be.
"No, no, no. No. NO!" He felt the others run up behind him too late. They were too late. And Percy and Annabeth were gone. They were in Tartarus.
Piper and Hazel stifled sobs begins him. Jason cursed repeatedly. Frank was silent in shock. And Percy was gone.
"We have to meet them on the other side." Nico pushed himself of the ground and walked away from the pit.
Jason huffed, "What for? They won't survive down there. They're gone Nico. I'm sor-" Jason was cut off when Nico shoved him against the wall, his arm st Jason's throat.
"I said we're meeting them on the other side. I promised Percy. I promised." He faltered. "They're alive and they going to make it to the doors. And we have to be there to get them out."
The group silently agreed.
(In Tartarus. After fighting the Arai)
"Bob!" Percy watched as Annabeth wandered dangerously close to the edge of a cliff. Bob picked her up and brought her over to where Percy lay.
Percy's vision faded in and out, but he stayed awake for Annabeth.
"Ouchie.." Bob put the palm of his hand on Annabeth's forehead. The foggy haze over her eyes cleared and she looked at Percy.
He had never been in more pain. He never realized how many awful things he did to monsters. His hands put as much pressure on his wound in his side like he'd given Geryon- which wasn't much. He felt like someone was twisting a dagger in his stomach. He felt like he was being blasted with a blowtorch. His blood was chilled. And countless other curses rampaged in his body.
He could barely feel his body. Subconsciously he felt Annabeth and Bob touching him and jostling him to help him, but he couldn't respond. He could literally feel his life slipping away. Like he was watching his soul be pulled from his body. But Percy couldn't find it in him to care about that. Or anything else for that matter. He couldn't think of anything else expect the pain raging through his body. He had never felt so much pain.
Bob touched his forehead the way he had Annabeth's, and some of the pain went away. Enough that he could register things around him, but he still writhed in pain.
"Too many curses. Percy has done many bad things to monsters." Bob said. The titan lifted Percy on his shoulder, and Percy passed out from the pain.
(Annabeth and Percy escaping Tartarus)
Percy and Annabeth were so close. They only had to fight through a few more monsters and they'd be out the doors.
"Annabeth!" Percy lunged forward to protect Annabeth's back from the Arai that tried to attack her from behind. He knew he'd be cursed, but he had to protect his friend. He slashed Riptide, and she dissipated into dust.
Percy felt the curse immediately. The poison raced through his veins.
Annabeth took care of the last couple of monsters, and she dragged Percy though the Doors of Death where their friends were waiting. The doors slammed shut behind them.
"Percy! Annabeth!" The six friends raced to the two and immediately realized what was happening.
The daughter of Athena collapsed from Percy's weight. She gently placed his head in her lap and sobbed. "You idiot! We were so close… we were so close, Seaweed Brain!"
There was a strangled sound behind her. Nico.
"Percy!" Nico pushed past Piper and Jason. He dropped to his knees next to the son of Poseidon.
Percy's usually messy black hair matted to his forehead from sweat. His face was clenched tightly in pain. Nico wiped the hair out his boyfriend's face.
"Percy? Come on, look at me Percy, please. I kept my promise. I got them here. I'm here."
At first, Nico wasn't sure if Percy could hear him through the pain, but then he opened his eyes and looked desperately at Nico.
His sea green eyes were filled with so much pain, Nico had to clench his teeth to bite back sob that threatened to escape his throat. "M-made i-it.
Hearing Percy gasp out his words like his lungs were full of fire was enough to make Nico lose all his reserve to be strong for Percy. He hiccuped out sobs and gently cupped Percy's cheeks. "Yeah, Perce you made it. You saved Annabeth. I'm so proud of you."
Percy's face shifted, and it looked like he was trying to smile. But it didn't ease Nico's heart like it normally did. "Didn' m-mean t-ta g't po'sned. A-accid'n-nt." His voice was raspy and quiet. His breaths were shallow and slow.
"Shh, it's okay Percy." Leo handed Nico the small bit of ambrosia they had left. It wouldn't be enough, but maybe it would relieve some of the pain. "You gotta eat this for me, okay?"
Percy strained and tried to lift his head to Nico's hand but he barely even moved. It was like he couldn't control his body anymore. Like it wasn't even his anymore.
Seeing Percy so weak broke Nico's heart. Percy hated feeling weak. "Hey, sh. It's okay. You did so good. I'm so so proud Percy." While he spoke, Nico helped the son of the sea god eat the small pieces of the godly food.
Percy choked out breaths and eventually settled down enough to whisper words barely loud enough to hear. "C'n't l-leave y-you 'l-lone."
Nico was too clenched with sadness to speak, so he instead settled for resting his head against Percy's clammy one. Eventually he spoke. "I-it's okay. It's okay Percy. You're gonna be fine, it's just a little poison, not so bad. You've held up the sky before, this is nothing for you."
But Percy didn't respond. Nico lifted his head and his world shattered. Percy's beautiful eyes were the same color. But now they started lifelessly past Nico. It was wrong. Percy's eyes were always so full of life and you could read all his emotions through them. But now they showed nothing. They saw nothing.
"H-he needs the ocean. There's gotta be water around he somewhere. The water can heal him. He'll be okay. Jason get some water for Percy. He loves the water. It will fix his eyes." Hazel grabbed Nico's chin gently and held it to look in his eyes.
"Nico… he' gone. The water won't help him now, you know that." Her eyes were spilling over with tears as well. Percy had been her friend.
Nico vaguely heard Annabeth explaining through tears what had happened. The Arai he had killed to save her had cursed him with the Curse of Phineas. But it didn't matter to the son of Hades. Percy was gone.
Percy Jackson was dead. And his world was shattered by one little curse.