Chapter 4: Mistake
Disclaimer, I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, or Heroes of Olympus, Rick Riordan does.
Annabeth POV
I was wondering through Tartarus with Percy. The only reason I'm not insane from everything yet is him. I'm so amazed at how he's kinda taken control of the situation without fear. To say he's not scared is stupid. But he wasn't afraid to be the one in charge, especially since I don't have a weapon, he kind of had to. We were at the River Phlegethon, or the phlegm river as Percy calls it. When Percy was ripped from my grasp, and drug to the river and I couldn't move to help him. I sat there crying his name over and over as he was being drowned and burned in the river of hell. As he disappeared under the surface, the ground trembled, and about the river, a massive humanoid shape started to form. It was 40 feet tall easy, and as it came together, I noticed the disgustingly purple skin, and the light from the fire didn't do any better to the skin toning. His face was a swirling vortex that brought only one emotion to my mind, fear.
"Annabeth Chase," said the primordial, Tartarus himself, "You have come so far, only to have what you love most ripped from you. Outside of this dream state, it is you, who is being ripped from others. Perseus is near the brink of insanity, he is desperate enough to return to my domain for the cure to your wound. My army and I are very prepared for him, and will kill him slowly, just as you are dying slowly."
He finished that with a sick and twisted laugh that turned my insides. It sounded like a car being shopped through an airplane engine.
"You've already lost Tartarus. We defeated your little giants. Gaea is destroyed, what can you possibly do now?" I asked.
"I have more tricks up my sleeve than you think Annabeth Chase, I am not the only god to have awoken." He said.
With that, a form of pure blackness showed up next to him. It started to form a what would've been a very beautiful woman, but with white skin, and black hair that severely contrasted her skin tone. Not to mention her obsidian colored eyes.
"Nyx." I said.
She laughed coldly. "Yes Annabeth Chase, that form of me you saw when you were here was a false manifestation of mine. My children pulled a prank and created a false image in the hopes of terrorizing you. Although, they didn't do very well, as I am much smarter and meaner than that prank version." she said.
Great, Nyx and Tartarus are sided together, we're fucked. Completely and utterly fucked.
My dream started to fade as Tartarus and Nyx were laughing at the look of fear on my face.
Percy POV
"Hey."
I woke up from my sleep and looked around to see who had said that.
"Psst, seaweed brain." Annabeth said.
"Hades sweaty gym shorts," I just about jumped out of my pants, "you're awake!"
"Yea, dummy, you're going back to Tartarus?" She asked, almost angry sounding.
"Yea, how'd you know?"
"I had a dream with Tartarus, he said he already knew you were going back there. He's ready with an army to face you. That's not all, Nyx has sided with him."
"Fuck." I simply said.
Percy, you can't do this, you'll be killed by the time you've set foot there. Please, find another way for me." begged Annabeth.
"I'm sorry, Apollo himself said the only cure was down there. I have to go, for you." I said, planting a kiss on her lips.
"I love you Percy, but gods your stubborn as all Hades." she said with a smirk.
"I love you too Annabeth. I should really get going though, I don't want a send off." I said.
"How are you getting there?" She asked.
"One of our friends is death breath, I'm sure he can help out." I said, kissing Annabeth one more time before I left her.
I went to the Hades cabin to meet Death Boy. It was still only about 6am, but Annabeth jarred me awake faster than cold water. Not that I'd mind, its water, and I'm the son of Poseidon, forget it. I got to the Hades cabin and knocked. After a minute, a very dead-looking Death Breath Boy appeared.
"What do you want?" He asked, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"Transportation to Tartarus. You got any ideas?" I asked.
He looked at me like he was still asleep and in a dream or something.
"Very funny. I'm going back to bed" He said.
"I'm being serious. If Tartarus is the only place a possible cure for Annabeth exists, then I have to go. Can you help me?" Very deadpan I said.
His eyes widened as he realized I wasn't fucking around.
"Okay, I got an idea. Calls Mrs. O'Leary, ask her to shadow travel there. That's the only thing I can think of" he said.
"Thanks." I said.
With that he closed the door, and I went to the sword arena where my 2-ton hellhound slept.
"Hey girl. How ya doing?" I asked.
She looked up from her sleep, saw me, and ran at me. I made a very big mistake. When she got to me, which took about two seconds, she promptly jumped on me, and gath me her famous bath.
"Hey, I'm happy to see you too. Gah! I think you got me clean girl! That's enough! I said hi!" I managed to stutter out while getting covered in hellhound saliva. She decided I was finally clean and got off me.
"I need a favor, think you can help me?" I asked.
Woof!
"I'll take that as a yes. Think you can shadow travel me to Tartarus?" I asked.
She cocked her head sideways as if to say, You want to go where?!
"Yea, I know, I need to try and get the cure for Annabeth, and that's where I have to go to get it." I said. My dog was smart, and can understand full sentences, I'm lucky like that.
Woof! And she bowed her head, letting me know to get on.
"Alright girl, we need to get to Tartarus, okay?"
All of a sudden the world went black, and I felt like my face was peeling off.
When the world opened up beneath me, the air was tinged red, and in my view was a river of fire. The River Plegmathon? I think that's what it was. I hopped off of Mrs. O'leary, and turned to her.
"Thanks girl, I think I got it from here. You go back to camp, I don't want you to get hurt."
She whimpered in protest, turned a circle, and stomped her paws. I want to stay with you.
"You can't stay, this is home for monsters, and I know you're technically one, but you're a good monster. I don't want something to happen. So will you please go back to camp?"
She didn't do anything but stomp her paws again. Damn my dog was stubborn.
"Fine, but if we get into trouble, I want you to bail, okay?" I said
Woof!
"Good, let's get moving." In all honesty, I felt better having her by my side.
We walked along the shore of the phlegm river, with Mrs. O'leary bouncing around like this was home. In a way it was for her, and that was a weird thought. My dog, a hellhound, is from hell.
"Perseus Jackson," said a deep masculine voice. It sounded everywhere. "We've been waiting for you." The voice started laughing, and with that, dozens, if not hundreds of monsters came out of the shadows of the cliffs.
I've made a very big mistake coming here.
Gasp! The suspense is killing me! Much cliffhanging! In all honesty I'll probably have a new chapter up by the end of the day/weekend. Constructive criticism is welcomed, but if you're gonna be an asshole about it, I will not take it to consideration.