"Jason! A little help over here!" Percy called out, he was sword to sword with the last of the Gegenes.

The girls were fighting off the last wave of empusa while Nico, Frank, and Leo took care of the last of the centaurs.

With one last slash and jab the Gegene was turned to dust. Percy ran to help Annabeth while Jason went to flank Leo.

Finally, Percy thought as he slashed the last of the empusa. After months of preparing for his own death it was finally here.

He wasn't a fool. He knew that in order for the doors to close it must be done from both sides, and he wasn't going to let anyone else sacrifice themselves.

Finally as the fighting stopped the eight looked around at each other for the first time, Piper rushed forward and threw her arms around Annabeth while Nico clapped Percy on the back.

"We missed you so much!" Piper sobbed into Annabeth's shoulder. "And I swear if you ever do anything like that again..."

Piper kept on mumbling feeble threats at Annabeth as Percy moved toward Jason. There was one thing he knew he had to do, and Annabeth wasn't likely going to let him do it. Not after all that they had been through...

"Percy, I know what your going to do." He said as they moved away from the group.

"I'm that predictable?"

"Annabeth won't let you do it. She'd sacrifice herself before she put you back tartarus."

"She won't have a say if I can do anything about it. She may not like it, I don't like it either, but it's what needs to be done. And I refuse to stand by while anyone else does it."

"So you expect us to? Come on Percy. They won't let you."

"They? You mean you don't care?" Percy shook his head and gave a small laugh "Gez Grace, you're as unforgiving as your sister."

"Of course I care. But I know you, and I know there's no talking you out of something once your mind is made up. Especially when it comes down to Annabeth."

"I love her too much to let anything else happen to her."

"But do you really think she'll be okay with it? You're sacrificing yourself, and she'll never be able to see you again. I'm pretty sure she would allow the entire world to fall into Tartarus before she let happen."

"She might not be okay at first, but eventually she will be. I have to at least think that she'll be okay, even if I don't truly believe it myself. I don't think I could live with myself if she died and I lived. But you have to promise me something."

"Anything." Jason looked somber.

"That when I go through those doors you keep Annabeth from following me. Or anyone else for that matter. It's what needs to be done. And also, take care of her. I need to know that somebody will be looking out for her."

"I promise." Jason looked at Percy before holding out his hand, "You are the bravest demigod I've ever met and I wish that I could have know you longer."

Percy took his hand "Me to man. I wish there was a better way." They stood there for a moment before they dropped hands and walked back towards the group.

"Come on guys, we have to get these doors closed sooner rather than later." Jason said.

Annabeth looked confused "There isn't a way to do that though, not when they have to be closed from both sides. Right? Right?"

"Not exactly." Percy said, walking towards the doors.

"NO!" Annabeth gasped realizing, and she surged forward. Jason caught her around the waist just as she made it to the doors. "Let go of me!" She yelled at Jason as she tried to free herself.

Piper tried to help calm her down but it wasn't working.

"Frank, Nico, Leo, will you help me?" Percy asked nodding towards the doors. They closed the door just enough to where Annabeth couldn't manage to squeeze herself in and Percy nodded to Jason who released her.

She shot to the small opening in the doors and reached inside and took his hand. "You can't just leave me." She said, tears rolling down her face.

"I have to," he said reaching out with his other hand to touch her face "I need to know that you're safe. And that means closing the doors."

"No you don't. You can't. We're supposed to have a happy life together. This was supposed to be out last quest. We were supposed to go to college together. Fight over which apartment to get in the city. We were supposed to grow old together." She fought back a sob.

"I'm sorry. It's not like I thought. It's not like it should have been."

The other six watched as Annabeth clung to Percy as much as humanly possible. One hand in his and the other gripping the front of his shirt.

Frank stood silent holding a sobbing Hazel while Nico stood glaring at the floor, he knew what would happen to Percy in there. Leo was busy helping up Piper who's knees had given out on her.

"Please. You can't - you can't leave me," Annabeth had started sobbing "And I won't let you die like this. Giving you as some sort of bait for the monsters, it's wrong! I won't let you die for me!"

"Annabeth look at me." He looked into her stormy grey eyes, he wanted to remember them always even if his death was only minutes away. "I love you so much. But this is the only way to protect you. This way, and another way," he released Annabeth's face and took Riptide out of his pocket and pressed it into her palm. "It won't return when another demigod has it, or when I die. I want you to have it. To have a piece of me. To protect you after I'm gone."

"No, I - I can't."

"You can, and you will. I need you to."

"Then you have to take this." She reached up and undid the tie to her leather necklace. She slipped off the seashell Percy had given her and handed him the necklace, her fathers ring dangling. Percy followed suit taking off his own.

Annabeth slipped the seashell onto his necklace and tied it around her neck.

She couldn't see anything behind Percy, but she heard a loud roar.

He glanced over his shoulder and face turned white as a sheet. He looked at Annabeth's horrified eyes, "You have to go, now."

She grasped his shirt, "I'm not leaving you."

Percy pulled her hands away and kissed them, "I love you so much." He looked at Jason and nodded.

Jason grabbed her around the waist, "PERCY! PLEASE NO! PERCY!" She kicked and screamed trying to shake off Jason.

Nico, Leo, and Frank walked up to the opening of the doors.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Nico asked. "We could still find another way."

"Yes, I'm sure. There isn't enough time if we all wanted to get out alive. I would rather it be me then any of you." Another roar came from behind Percy. "Hurry guys. We don't have time."

Nico looked at him and nodded. "I always considered you to be my big brother."

The four boys closed the doors, and Jason released a screaming Annabeth who started beating against the doors.

She finally have up and crumpled to the ground, gripping onto Riptide for dear life.