Percy
"Percy, let me go," Annabeth croaked. "You can't pull me up." He gazed down at her, feeling something seize and tighten in his chest. This was so unlike her to give up on anything; she was too stubborn for that. There was always a fire burning in her storm gray eyes that gave him hope to keep fighting, but it wasn't there now. Annabeth was staring up at him with red, glistening eyes set in a pale face. Undiluted terror was written in the planes of her face. He swallowed thickly and squeezed her hand tight in his. He couldn't let her go, not like this.
"Never," he said. He looked up at Nico, fifteen feet above. The son of Hades was desperately trying to find some way to reach them. "The other side, Nico! We'll see you there. Understand?"
Nico's eyes widened. For a split second Percy saw fear flicker across his face. "But—"
"Lead them there!" Percy shouted. It was selfish and he knew it, but only Nico could do this. He felt his fingers tremble and knew that any second they'd give out completely. "Promise me!"
"I—I will."
Percy shook the memory from his head. He couldn't keep reliving those moments if he hoped to complete this quest. The demons of his past would only serve to hinder them in the long run. Yet even as he forced himself to focus he could already feel the aftershocks of the memory. His vision was tunneling and his ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton. His throat was dry and his hands had broken out into a cold sweat. Ice plunged into his veins and every step felt weighted with lead. It was like an old wound had been ripped open: the pain was very much potent.
He sighed heavily. After a few weeks he'd hoped the scars would fade and the nightmares would eventually go away, but that was not the case. Though the nightmares weren't as frequent as they had been, he still found himself waking up petrified and stuttering for breath. He still found himself looking over his shoulders for an enemy that wasn't real. He still found himself unable to look Annabeth in the face sometimes. The truth of the matter was that physical scars healed while the rest lingered behind. Even now as they approached the abyss Percy felt the familiar tug on his wounds and soul. The pit was hungry for him still and it was ready to swallow him whole.
Nico sidled up beside him and silently threaded their fingers together. His hand was small and warm compared to his own, but it fit perfectly. The warmth helped anchor him to the present. They couldn't afford for him to fall apart now; the stakes were too high. The three of them were entering a place where the gods could not help or venture to. They were literally on their own yet again. It was up to him and Nico to guide Jason through Tartarus, to Achlys. Thoughts of the wretched goddess only sent shivers up his spine.
The three silently made their way past the gates of Hades' palace, Jason bringing up the rear. Percy peeked over his shoulder at the son of Jupiter. He hadn't said much of anything since Nico told them what Hecate had done. Percy was still in shock about it. The gods had done horrible things to each other and mortals since time began, but this deliberate attack resulted in the death of an innocent bystander. He wasn't ken on trusting her, especially if she gave Nico explicit instructions on what to do and where to go. But Nico was extending the olive branch (something he rarely did) and Percy would rather face Tartarus alone than let him follow the goddess blindly.
They entered a small tunnel, the grass giving way to cold, black rock. The walls sloped upwards, glittering with gems and thin veins of gold. Their footsteps echoed as they descended deeper. The light grew dimmer the farther in they went, the air stiffer and chillier. Percy felt evil pressing in on him from all the sides; it took every ounce of courage in him not to turn around. He could practically taste blood, the rancid odor of death and decay growing stronger. It's been years since I came here, he thought. I never imagined coming back; not ever.
Nico stopped in his tracks and turned to Jason. "Don't stand too close to the edge alright? Tartarus is a living god and he's always looking to trap more people inside of him. He'll literally suck you in."
Percy felt bile rise in his throat at the mention of the ancient god. His knees wobbled dangerously underneath him, forcing him to lean against the wall. He'd faced giants, Kronos, Gaea, and countless monsters, but no one had frightened him nearly as much as Tartarus had. Percy was never one to accept death even when he was literally flying by the seat of his pants to survive, but that encounter had been different. He was sure he was going to die. "Be honored, little demigods", he hissed. "Even the Olympians were never worthy of my personal attention. But you will be destroyed by Tartarus himself!"
He willed away the mounting panic and swallowed the bile in his throat. I can't lose my grip like this, not now. Nico and Jason were standing a few feet away from him. They were just far enough away to let him breathe and calm down, but close enough for him to know he wasn't alone. The former's face was twisted in pain and regret, yet he was standing tall and unwavering. Percy felt a spike of jealousy and shame. Jealous because he couldn't seem to stay calm and collected, ashamed because he was becoming hysterical and they hadn't even entered Tartarus.
After a few tense minutes Percy stepped away from the wall. Nico eyed him warily for a moment before dropping his gaze. "I'm sorry for mentioning him. I forgot you actually faced him before." His voice sounded small, practically dripping with hurt. Percy opened his mouth to say something, but the boy turned and continued down the tunnel, his aviator jacket flapping behind him. He didn't look back to see if they were following him.
Jason stepped in front of him, worry etched into his frown. "Percy are you really okay? This…can't exactly be easy for you right now."
Percy met his anxious stare before dropping his gaze. That was the magic question wasn't it? Was he as stable as he need to be to do this? He didn't know. Tartarus had forced him to face his weaknesses head on, but it also showed him how ruthless he could be. He'd always questioned how others could abuse their power, had fought for the oppressed, but not that day. He couldn't forget what he'd done no matter how hard he tried. His demons would always follow close behind, whispering over his shoulder.
Jason squeezed his shoulder lightly. He released a slow breath. "I honestly can't tell you because I don't know. The last time I was there…I still don't know how I made it out alive. Annabeth was a part of it; I couldn't let her die down there…she deserves better. But she's not here now and-and I'm afraid."
Percy didn't know what he expected from Jason. He'd just confessed to an ex-Roman demigod that he, Percy Jackson-famed hero of the Battle of Manhattan, was scared. He wasn't sure if he expected the boy to laugh or mock him. He wasn't sure if he expected (or even wanted) pity. What he didn't expect was the dramatic eye roll and exasperated groan.
The blonde shook his head at him incredulously. "Well I wouldn't expect you to be all gung ho about this; you literally walked through Hell Percy. I don't know a demigod alive that'd survive once and willingly go back. I can't say I get it, because Zeus knows I don't, but Nico does. He went there too remember? Maybe Annabeth isn't here for you to protect or give you that drive, but he is. He's dealing with the same things you are and he's going to need you down there. You're going to need him too." He dropped his hand and stepped away. "Come on, we can't waste anymore time."
They hastened to catch up to Nico. He stood at the end of the tunnel, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He sighed when they came into view and pushed off the wall sharply, nodding slightly to the cavern beside him. "The entrance is right through here."
Of course Percy had been there before. It felt like eons ago that he and Annabeth had saved Grover from being dragged into the abyss. The cavern was as vast as he remembered with a soaring ceiling and smooth stone. It was dimly lit with black fire that sent creepy shadows dancing across the walls. The chasm was staring at them like a gaping mouth (that wasn't a far off description when thinking about it), at least the length of a city block.
What struck him as new and eerie was the thick cloud of smoke leaking from the mouth of the pit. It appeared to slither and crawl along the ground, long tendrils reaching up as if to grab them. Something about it unnerved him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up on end, his hands began to shake. His stomach twisted and tumbled and every fiber of his being screamed at him to get the Hell out of there. This wasn't normal, even he could tell that much. Nico didn't seem to like it either.
"This wasn't like this a few weeks ago." He shook his head and stepped back shakily. "This is how Achlys has been able to get in and out without being spotted. This is her Death Mist, only it's more concentrated."
Percy quickly pulled the smaller teen until his back was plastered against his front. It was no wonder why he was put off by the noxious cloud. I guess the body never forgets being touched by something like that. Achlys had tried to kill him and Annabeth after encasing them in the stupid mist, and although the betrayal was expected he was still upset. That little incident had made him do things he wasn't proud of. He shivered, remembering Annabeth's corpselike appearance. He wasn't keen on seeing Nico the same way.
"There has to be another way in. We can't step into that; it'll weaken us." Percy whispered. He wasn't entirely sure why he was, but he felt like they were being watched.
Nico shook his head sadly. "The only other ways I know of are Arachne's lair and the House of Hades. The latter is destroyed and I don't think we have time to get to Rome."
Percy pulled him tighter against him for fear the boy would disappear. "This stuff is dangerous. It's like the breath of Chaos; it drains you of life. We can't go through this."
"I don't see any other choice Percy." Nico snapped. His fingers closed around the crystal hanging from his neck. "I don't like this anymore than you do, but we're running on borrowed time and-"
"And that time is up little Ghost King!" someone hissed behind them. Percy wheeled around and drew Riptide. Beside him he heard rather than saw Nico and Jason draw their blades as well. "Oh how cute." the voice cooed. The figure materialized out of thin air about ten meters from them.
Percy cursed sharply and stepped slightly in front of Nico, glaring daggers at the goddess across from him. She was easily taller than both him and Nico, but a few inches shorter than Jason. Voluminous jet black hair hung to her waist in a neat braid. Her alabaster skin sparkled with black and gold dust, the exact shade of her golden eyes and black lips. Her midnight black wings folded around her snugly, the very tips just sweeping the ground. She wore a simple black dress that brushed her knees, sandals, and what looked like a whip strapped to her waist.
The goddess' lip curled when they landed on him. "Hello again Mr. Jackson. It is a pleasure to see you again." Her voice made his lungs freeze and Percy bit back the urge to choke.
"Eris." He snarled. The last time he'd seen her she'd been flitting around with the other Keres around the battle field tricking the demigods into turning on each other. They'd all gotten away weak but more or less unscathed, leaving the rest of Gaea's army to fend for themselves.
Her grin widened. "Now now, let us behave ourselves little demigod. Can we not discuss matters like old friends?" she asked, batting her ridiculously long eyelashes at him. Once again her voice had him desperate for air. He felt like a small child under her gaze, like the frightened little boy he'd been when his mother had dated Smelly Gabe. It reminded him of every sleep deprived night where he heard his mother crying and his yelling. It reminded him of the bruises they both sported when Gabe got a little too rough. Everything that had ever caused him pain or hurt came wailing on him remorselessly. And he couldn't swing back.
Nico's hand closed over his wrist tightly. "I'm betting you're here to capture us. You're going to give us the cliché villain monologue about how resistance is futile and come quietly, right? You're going to insist that you don't want to hurt us when we all know that major bull."
Eris cocked her head to the side, studying Nico for a moment before chuckling. "You are intelligent little Ghost King, but arrogant. You see, I was sent here to retrieve you, not Mr. Jackson or Golden Boy over there." She cut her eyes to Jason who bristled at her nickname. "Although I do like this one. I am sure my mother will allow me this trophy for bringing you safely to my sister."
Percy lifted Riptide and pointed it at her throat. He felt raw, unadulterated anger swelling inside his chest. "You won't touch him." His voice echoed through the cavern and tunnel, the challenge and threat bouncing off the walls. He gripped the hilt of his sword so tightly his knuckles were whiter than bone. "I won't let you have him." he vowed darkly. He had little doubt in his mind that the "sister" Eris referred to was in fact Achlys, but he'd kill the goddess before he allowed her to touch Nico.
At his threat Eris chortled so loud the tunnel rumbled. She wiped an invisible tear from her eye, her teeth gleaming in the darkness. "Oh how I would enjoy killing you Mr. Jackson, but alas my mother wishes to see to you personally. The death she has planned for you is cruel even by her standards, but then again I simply love to hear screams of despair." As she spoke she took a step forward, her clawed hand on her whip. "The strife of others soothes me. It is the sweetest delicacy. And yours? That will be the sweetest."
Percy resisted the urge to strike out at her. That's what she wants you to do. If you're not careful she'll make you do something you regret. "I have no plans of visiting Nyx. I'm more of a morning person."
Eris stopped, her eyes were dancing. "Oh you will, especially if it saves him." Her fingers closed around the whip and she raised it above her head. Percy's jaw dropped and he panicked, realizing too late why he remembered it so clearly. It belonged to Nyx, the goddess of Night, and a simple snap of it could plunge them into blackness. She cracked it and Percy couldn't see.
He reacted instinctively and reached to pull Nico to his side as a heavy weight slammed into him. He flew into the tunnel wall, Riptide slipping from his fingers when his head crashed into the stone. Percy blinked and tried to let his eyes adjust to the darkness, but it was impossible. He could hear Nico and Eris fighting somewhere to his left and Jason stumbling about. He had to find a way to light the tunnel again if they were to have a fighting chance. He needed to somehow get the whip.
"Come now little Ghost King, you're wasting your strength. I am immortal, more powerful than your pathetic Olympians. Do not force me to hurt you." Eris hissed.
"Yeah, because what Achlys has planned for me is going to be so comfortable right? I'm just going to love it." Nico retorted hotly, followed by a grunt of pain. "If she wants me so bad she can come get me herself."
Percy choked back a laugh. Only Nico could be a complete smart ass at a time like this. At least he was able to fight back unlike Percy and Jason, both of whom were groping blindly in the dark. At camp Chiron had insisted that the demigods learn to utilize all of their senses to their fullest capability. Thinking about now made Percy wish he'd actually tried to hone his other skills. He had 20/20 vision, but it was useless like this.
A hand closed tightly around his forearm and jerked him backwards. His back collided with the stone wall knocking the breath out of him. He barely had time to register the sharp stab of pain to his spine before a rough and irritated voice whispered in his ear. "Watch yourself Jackson. Are you trying to get yourself killed? Eris almost clawed your had off."
Percy blanched. "Jason?" How was he able to see in the dark? "Jason how can you see?"
The teen scoffed somewhere to his left. "I was raised by Lupa remember? Wolves hunt at night." Jason sounded different then, more animalistic than human. It made Percy uneasy to stand next to the demigod. He felt weaker in comparison, like prey. The son of Jupiter was powerful in his own right. He had elite training from a camp that thrived on the ideals on the Roman Empire, arguably histories strongest civilization. He was a natural leader that could read Greek and Latin, and knew his way around a sword. But he hadn't always been at camp. His years at the Wolf House were a mystery to everyone, and the aura of mysticism was unnerving. Not that it didn't give Percy an idea.
"Jason do you think you can get that whip from her? We need to even the odds a bit." He tried to keep his voice low and steady, but it was difficult. Nico was holding his own, but Percy knew he was tiring. He could hear Eris' grunts of exertion and irritation. If they didn't hurry she'd use her full power on him.
The son of Jupiter was silent for only a moment before squeezing his forearm. "Stay here. Don't move." he ordered sharply before releasing Percy all together. He bristled at the command but held his tongue. He felt blindly for the wall and leaned against it heavily. Jason's light footsteps echoed lightly in the cavern, but they were easily drowned out by the raging duel just feet away. All he had to do was just get close enough to grab the whip and then maybe, just maybe, they could level the playing field.
"Jason watch it!" Nico yelled. The sound was followed by a furious snarl, a pained yelp, and the sound of flesh slamming into rock. Percy instinctively reached into his pocket for Riptide although it occurred to him that even armed there wasn't much he could do. Still, he couldn't risk one of them getting killed and do nothing. He gripped the hilt tightly in his hands and charged towards the sounds of the scuffle.
"Percy what are you-"
"Swing right!" Nico shouted, cutting Jason off. Percy reacted instantly, slicing Riptide through the air as Nico instructed. The blade collided with something hard like marble and there was a pained/enraged howl.
"Damn you! I shall have your head!" Eris' voice had taken on a darker edge, the hissing turning into a deep, chilling rattle.
Percy danced out of the way of what he assumed was Eris' claws as the goddess lunged at him. He raised his sword and swung it blindly in a wide arch, all the while trying to maintain his balance. He stumbled but managed to catch himself as she dove at him again. He wasn't so lucky dodging that time. He felt her claws dig into his shoulder and rip through his flesh as easy as butter. It was harder to fight an enemy you couldn't see. He saw a flash of white and rolled to the left just as the air exploded where his head had been. The brief burst of light allowed him to see the goddess stalking towards him, her lips moving but no sound coming out.
There was an unsettling silence in which Percy became acutely aware of another presence. The hairs on his arms and back of his neck stood on end and the breath froze in his lungs. His mind slowed down substantially and his ears suddenly felt stuffed with cotton. A cold, undiluted terror settled over him, pooling and knotting in his gut. He felt hands ghosting over him, fingers closing around his neck and squeezing lightly before releasing. A heavy weight pressed against him and he found himself staring at the cold ground gasping for breath. And then the floor fell from under him.
Nico
Nico gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, the Stygian iron glinting menacingly in his white knuckles. He could feel his knees shaking from exhaustion, cold sweat rolling down his back and forehead. His ribs ached where his heart thumped against them and his lungs were painfully sucking in air. His nerves were on end, his instincts everywhere at once. He could feel his dark power rearing its head and clawing at the cage he'd stored them in, his control gradually slipping. He was treading a very fine line; he wasn't sure how much more he could take before he lost it completely. His resolve almost cracked when Eris had Percy at her mercy. He'd seen red in that moment, but the last ounce of rationale he had went into shrouding the boy in thick shadows. It wouldn't conceal him for long, but it'd protect him from her deadly magic.
Eris cocked her head at him, her fiery eyes narrowed suspiciously. He met her stare levelly and roughly tore his sword from the ground. The jagged fissure snapped closed, only a faint scar staining the Earth. Jason stepped up beside him with his sword raised at the dark goddess challengingly. Her black irises swiveled between the two of them and she snarled viciously. Her perfect teeth sharpened and lengthened into pearly fangs; her gnarled claws dripped with what Nico assumed was some kind of poison; the shimmering dust peeled away from her body and hardened into a spear. She raised the weapon, baring her teeth. That was all the permission Nico needed.
He ran towards her and swung his sword in a wide arch. The tip of his blade barely scraped across her skin which, he noticed with a grimace, was as hard as marble now. Eris hissed and grabbed for him. He nimbly danced out of the way when Jason surged forward and sent a bolt of lightning directly at the goddess' heart. She easily deflected the attack and sent a curse of her own at the son of Jupiter. Jason dropped to the ground, rolling out of the way as she raised her spear to strike. Nico lunged at her again and slammed the flat side of his sword into her weapon, a move he immediately regretted.
The minute the Stygian iron touched the spear Nico was thrown back against the cave wall. He distantly heard a sickening crunch just before blinding pain exploded from his shoulder. He crumbled to the floor in a heap of sore muscles and a few broken bones. But that was just the beginning. The pain started as a dull pang in his sword arm, like hundreds of needles being shoved into his skin. It was uncomfortable to breathe and his vision was graying at the edges. He could only hear a high pitched ringing in his head, one that drowned out any thoughts of self preservation. He tried to climb to his feet only to collapse gasping in agony. A fire had erupted within him, incinerating his bones and greedily sucking away the little oxygen he had. He couldn't feel his arm anymore, a thought that frightened him, and he felt himself slowly sinking into an abyss of unbelievable anguish.
Cold hands gripped his chin roughly and jerked his face up. He blinked, at first unable to recognize the gnarled and ferocious face of Eris, but there was no mistaking those evil eyes. Her lips were twisted up in a cruel smile. "Look at me little Ghost King." she ordered in a silky smooth voice. "I want to see the pain in your eyes as I kill you." Her claws dug into his cheeks, drawing thin trickles of blood. He bit his lip to keep from gasping out in pain, but the deeper they dug in the harder it became to hold back.
The witch's lips curled in a sneer that quickly morphed into a small scream of pain. She snatched her claws from his face and twisted around snarling at Jason. The golden haired teen danced out of the way of her spear and thrust with his sword, catching her just beneath the ribcage. She howled and clutched at the wound. Golden ichor flowed from between her fingers and dripped on the floor. "Damn you. You will regret that son of Jupiter."
"You sure about that?" Nico quipped before plunging his blade deep into her back between her shoulder blades. Her back arched, an inhuman wail tearing out of her throat. He jerked his sword out of the goddess' body and watched impassively as she fell to the ground writhing and cursing. His knees wobbled dangerously and his head swam. He distantly heard himself whimper and in the next second his body was sagging against Jason's muscular body. The teen wrapped an arm around his waist and gently sat him against the cave wall.
Nico swallowed and forced himself to watch Eris' body twitch and convulse. Golden ichor pooled beneath her body, the gold and black dust dotting the precious life flow. Her eyes flickered between steel black and burning gold as she gazed at him. She bared her teeth weakly at him before devolving into a coughing fit. Midnight black flowers bloomed around her, their stems curling around her body as it began to dissolve. "I await you in my sister's realm little Ghost King. For eternity…I shall have my revenge…"
The last of the dark goddess disappeared and Nico felt the tension drain out of him completely. He looked up at Jason through lidded eyes, a delirious and triumphant smile breaking over his face. "Well that was exciting. We haven't even gotten to the fun part yet."
Jason frowned and gripped his shoulder. "Are you alright? That was a nasty hit you took." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small drawstring pouch. He shoved a small square of ambrosia into Nico's hand and tucked it away again. "We need to find Percy and get out of here before we're ambushed again." he said seriously. He glanced at the spot Eris had been just moments before. "She was waiting for us. Chances are there's something worse down there." He gestured towards Tartarus before standing to his feet.
Nico leaned his head back against the wall and squeezed his eyes shut to ward off the nausea in his stomach. His head was pounding and his limbs felt unusually heavy. I guess I overdid it. He opened his eyes and numbly tugged at the shadows surrounding Percy. At first they held fast, encasing the son of Poseidon and then they sluggishly pulled away from him. Jason's jaw dropped when Percy materialized before them completely unscathed and slightly pissed off.
"What the Hell Nico? Why in the name of Zeus would you trap me like that?" He stomped over to the son of Hades and crouched in front of him. Nico tried and failed to keep the grin off his face. Percy looked absolutely adorable with his brows furrowed, lips pursed, and eyes shifting between emotions faster than Nico could read. He brought his hand up and cupped his cheek, his thumb running over the bruise forming there. "How can I protect you if you don't let me?" he whispered, dropping his gaze.
Nico reached up and gripped his hand, holding it there. "She was cursing you. I couldn't understand the language, but it was going to be bad. I would do it again." He chanced a glance at Jason who was looking away pointedly, but the tips of his ears burned red. "You may not like it, but I'm not going to let you protect me all the time. I can handle myself. Trust me." His chest seized at the half lie. Percy didn't know that Nico would surrender himself once the time was right. He didn't know that there was a strong chance Nico wouldn't survive.
Author's Notes
Super sorry about the delay, but college life is new and exciting as I'm sure many of you know. I hope this next block of chapters is worth it though.