[Edited as of: 2016-03-16]

A/N: Um… I haven't updated this in a while, have I? *laughs nervously* So, as stated in the description (which I will change soon, I swear), I'm gonna edit this. And yes, it's only one chapter, but I need to edit it to write the second chapter (which will come up soon, I hope). So there we go. I'm throwing the story back in time, and Percy (and Annabeth) is (are) still in hell. Figured I need a little more backstory. I'll be rereading it, so any "mistakes", are generally on purpose, but I definitely will miss out some.

I'll try to work out a schedule on the updates. Keyword, TRY. I completely and totally blame the source of much blame as well, school. Yup. Let's blame the all-time reason.

And yes. I know Waterboy is Leo's nickname to Percy. It's done on purpose.

Disclaimer: Well, I kinda forgot about this (nah, I was just too lazy and time-constricted [Is there such a word?]), so here we go. Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus all belong to Rick Riordan. I only own my (one only, hopefully. I don't really like OCs either) OC, and the plot. Of my fanfiction.

The air hung low with that poisonous, blood-red (Oh gods, please, stop, nomore) cloud. Percy stumbled blindly (eyes blindfolded, unable to see where the next lash came) across the sharp glass which made up the ground (thepainmakeitstopplease). His throat burned (flames dancing across his arms as he screamedandscreamedandSCREAMED) from dehydration and his stomach growled ("Doesn't it smell wonderful, demigod? If you tell me what their plans are, I'll let you eat.") from being starved for so long. In the distance (everything seemed so far away), he thought he could see a shrine, but the heat must be making him delirious. A shrine, in Tarta- (NO!) here?

He fell down, knees finally giving in. Percy tried to pull himself up weakly ("COWARD!"), but the days (Months, it felt like. It seemed like. It was like) without food and water had finally taken its toll on him. And as darkness (The room wassodark), started to crowd in his eyes, he thought of his team, and of how much he wished that he was like them. They haven't seen the world in its truehorror yet. (Minds still so innocent)

Jason, their (not his anymore) blonde superman, complete with his shocking powers (He would have laughed at the bad pun if he was still the old him).

Piper, and her beauty that she always tried to hide (heiscominghidenow!). Her charmspeak, able to wake an unactivated metal fire dragon (flameslickinghisarms)

Leo, and his firestarting abilities (it burns so much). His magical tool belt, able to pull out just about any tool (toolslikewhipsanddaggersandswords?).

Frank, the shape shifter. (Day shifting into night, pain all day long. Or is there even a day here?) His (The weapon's) various shapes and sizes, all so useful in battle (but useless in mental battle, right?).

Hazel, the girl who can summon gems (and pierce him through). She had died (Death was smiling at him), and then was reborn with the help of Nico, her brother (The skeletons climbing out of the earth, slowly pulling him down, chokingsuffocating him).

And Annabeth. His sweet, sweet Annabeth. Perhaps not so pure anymore, but still better then he was (cuttingburningdrowninginscreams). Annabeth…

He closed his eyes, trying to conjure an image of Annabeth before this whole mess started. He wanted to fall into eternal sleep (tryingtosleeponthecoldcellfloor) with Annabeth as his last thought.

With acceptance of his fate, he will greet Death (Thanatos smiled as he opened his door) like old friends.

Annabeth didn't know what compelled her go outside. But an instinct guided her out, and leaving Bob the Titan in Hermes's shrine, she left the protection of the shrine and back out into the horrors beyond.

And she was glad she left. As she looked around, wondering what was causing her to come out, she saw the body in the distance. Startled, for it wasn't the body of a monster, she trudged over.

What she saw caused her to gasp in shock.

On the ground was Percy.

Hurriedly, she carried Percy back to the shrine, fear for her beloved lending her strength.

Oh gods, please let him be alright.

Someone was talking. Whispering his name, over and over again. (Quietly, he comes when least expected) Quietly, and silently, like when HE came for the interrogations. Surely, he wasn't back THERE, (whip bearing down on him, screams filling the air) was he? Surely, the Fates couldn't be that cruel, could they? But the floor was so cold, just like his cell. (He shivered, each breath visible. He imagined that each breath would be his last.)

He was back there. (PLEASEMAKEITSTOP)

That thought alone was too horrible to bear (eyes closed, wishing he was safe). He spent so much time trying to escape, planning it so carefully, and now, he was back here (but where was "safe"?).

He wanted to scream, (like he did so often) he wanted to cry (like he did so often). Why do the Fates hate him so much? Why couldn't they just spare him to smallest mercy, and let him die? (She slowly spirals to the floor, eyes wide open but very much dead)

Then the hand touched his shoulder. (He laughs, savouring his pain) It brought back so many painful memories, like that glowing red-hot- (STOP!) Percy didn't care anymore. He couldn't, wouldn't spend another day in this hell (WHY WAS THE WORLD LIKE THIS?). Jumping up with a cry, he blindly bolted out, adrenaline pumping hard and fast in his veins. (WHY WERE THE FATES SO CRUEL?) He ignored the startled voice calling out for him, to stop ("Stop, Demigod. Surrender now, and you will live."), to wait, but he was not going to listen and he was done being their slave and he was going to be free and he was NOT GOING BACK! He was never going back there with all that painhorrordeath, and if he must die to achieve it, he will.

Running, he barely registered his surroundings, (unconscious, not registering anything.) shutting out everything but his need to escape. The grey landscape turned to red (like blood), and suddenly he realised that only a high wall loomed before him now ("You're trapped, Waterboy!" he sang).

He was trapped. (THIS IS ALL WRONG!)

"Percy!" (HE calls for him, taunting him as he tries to hide from his all-seeing eyes)

Fearful, he turned around slowly. ("Pathetic," he hissed.)

The world around him had morphed back into the corridor he thought he had escaped from (feet pounding on tiles, the duo tries so hard to escape, but it WASN'T ENOUGH!), the cell he thought he had escaped from ("Come on," he whispers, "We can escape together,"), everything he thought he would escape from ("IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT SHE'S DEAD!").

He tried, he really did. (Too little,)

But it was not enough. It never would be, right? (Too late.)

Percy could hear the menacing, evil, dark laughter resonating from HIS throat, louder and louder and LOUDER. [She cries, telling him to snap out it.] He could see HIM, slowly stalking towards him, eagerly drinking in his fear. [She shakes him, and hugs him.] In HIS hands, something glinted, [Her drakon bone sword drops from her hands] and Percy shrunk back, recalling all those times, in his cell as the whip repeatedly came upon him, his skin on fire, the dagger glinting cruelly as it struck down on his skin like a snake, once, twice, so many times. [She sobs so hard now. And she tries again.]

"Percy, calm down, please! You're scaring me, Percy." [Somehow her words cut through the haze in his mind] An arm was wrapped around his waist, gentle. (What?)

Percy was confused now. Gentle? THEY were never gentle. (There was no pain. No death. What was going on?) Slowly, the world came back into focus (reality's sharp focus), and someone blonde materialized in front of him. (He thought he felt his breath stop.)

He couldn't dare hope. Perhaps the Fates were not that cruel after all. (Or perhaps they were just less cruel then the world.)

In front of him, face tear stained, (he dared not hope) eyes wide and shock, (he dared not dream) skin caked in blood and grime (but perhaps, it was true?), but very much there, was Annabeth.

A/N: Not satisfied. Of course, it's not done yet. I'm gonna try and hit at least 5000 words before I even consider it done and worthy (for me to move onto the next chapter), and it's only about 1200 words right now. But I'm gonna update/post this now, cause it's an alright place to end of for now, and that gives me time to work on improving it.

A/N: Um… Whoops?

But how?

Why?

"An-Annabeth…"

Percy's voice trailed off; he couldn't find any words.

Annabeth had her hands on his arm. She was shaking so badly. After all, she just witnessed her boyfriend, her strong, unbreakable, fall into pieces in front of her. The two stared at each other, deep into each other's eyes. Annabeth tried to hide her tears, she really did, but they slipped down anyway. Percy's eyes were so… so… empty. So dead. And so different from those before he was captured, those joyful and full-of-life eyes.

They stared. Percy was shaking too, scared and relived at the same time. Then exhaustion seemed to finally overtake him, adrenaline faded from his veins and he collapsed.

Annabeth carefully carried him back to the shrine (and was greeted with cries of shock from Bob). Percy was so light. Lighter than what was healthy for him. It disturbed her oh so much. What did he protect her from? What had scared him so deeply that he couldn't even recognise her? Her, his love interest? Her, the one who he fell into Tartarus for?

Annabeth wasn't sure she wanted to find out, but for Percy and her sanity, she must.

A/N: Sorry! It's so tiny, this update. I'm gonna work on the next chapter now, I promise. Raghhhhh... *groans*

I'm gonna start another fic soon, so... yeah.

R&R!