AN: Percabeth didn't fall into Tartarus in this story.
Jason stayed facing the wall, his eyes closed but awake as he listened to Nico and Annabeth's conversation. When he was sure he couldn't trust Nico, Annabeth left. As quickly as he could, he got up and walked above deck.
"Jason!" Piper ran into his arms, looking at his head. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Jason kissed her cheek before breaking the hug. "Are we by the House of Hades?"
"A couple minutes until landing. Leo just told us to go below deck." Piper explained, leading him to dinning hall, everyone there but Leo and Nico. She sat down, pulling him into a seat next to her.
"Nico's going to join us through the House of Hades." Annabeth said, breaking the silence around the table. "If anyone objects, than they're not going. Because I can't work with someone that does that."
"Okay, Annabeth." Percy held her hand. "We're not going to reject Nico in anyway. We really need his help, anyway."
"Yeah, you do." Nico was in the doorway, leaning against the frame in pain. After a second, he made his way over and collapsed in a chair. "There's ghosts and spirits down there that will trick you when you're at your worst. You have to stay focused on reality or you won't make it. And my side came unstitched."
Annabeth frowned, turning to Piper. "Can you-"
Piper nodded, getting supplies before going next to Nico. He took his shirt off, allowing her to do it.
Jason frowned at the injury, looking at it closely. "How did that happen?"
"Stitches come undone, Grace." Nico snapped, his eyes dark.
"He meant how you got the injury." Annabeth explained before glancing at Jason. "I accidentally shot him in a battle."
Nico frowned, whispering to her. "Why are you lying?"
She smiled slightly at him before putting her hair in a ponytail. "Anything else we have to go over?"
"Hazel will go first." Nico added. "The paths are unstable. She will lead us through the safest way."
Hazel nodded in agreement.
"Nico, can you tell us how the Doors of Death work? So we know for when we get there." Jason asked.
Nico frowned, looking down at his lap. "They're almost like an elevator." he spoke quietly. "When someone's in them, the button needs to be held for twelve minutes or they won't make it. There is chains attaching it on each side, or level. Both need to be cut to free them."
"So...the chains in the Tartarus side need to be cut?" Frank asked. "So someone will have to go in?"
Nico nodded.
"And how are they going to survive that?" Jason asked.
Nico looked at him, his eyes cold and emotionless. "I never said they would live, did I?"
"We're not worrying about that right now." Annabeth broke the tension. "Right now we're-"
She was cut off when the ship landed, the bell above them ringing for them to come above deck. She stood up, looking at all of them. "Are you all ready?"
They nodded, each getting up one by one. That started to head for the deck, Nico trailing behind. He walked slowly, every breath and every step aching. After a couple minutes, Percy came up to him. "Want me to carry you? Just for now."
Nico scowled. "I don't want your help."
"Well, Annabeth's making me." Percy explained, kneeling in front of him.
Nico sighed, crawling onto Percy's back after a second. Percy's steps jolted his side, but it was much better than walking the whole way. When they finally got to land, all the others had already been there for a couple minutes.
"Are you ready?" Annabeth asked, standing amongst the old ruins. Everyone nodded, their expressions grim with what was to come.
"T-This way." Hazel said after a second, starting to lead them by some tourists. They climbed over the ruins and into a trench, coming to a door going into the hill. They stopped, Hazel looking through her book bag before pulling out barley cakes, passing them out.
Percy set Nico down, eating some before handing the rest to Nico. Once they were all finished, they opened the door. Percy picked Nico back up, and they headed in.
They walked before Hazel moved a stone out of their way and they headed down a flight of stairs. There, they found a golden chalice.
"Let me down." Nico ordered, pushing against Percy. The son of Poseidon did as he was told, stepping back when Nico was on the ground.
Nico difficultly walked up to the chalice, taking a drink before handing it to Annabeth. She drank it immediately, but it took the others some convincing before they did. During while they drank, Nico frowned as he heard Jason and Leo's conversation.
"So, that's the poison, huh?"
"You're really going to trust it."
"Annabeth does."
"Annabeth also calls him her friend. He could be killing us."
"I know, but we have no choice."
Nico got on Percy's back as they started to walk again, going deeper below the earth. Hazel led the way through twists and turns, always seeming confident where she was going. Nico, however, was having a much worse time. His vision was getting blurrier with each step, the ribs he had left feeling like fire in his chest.
Percy only noticed something was wrong when he heard the younger one's labored breaths.
"Nico, you okay?" Percy whispered, not alerting the others. He stopped for a second, looking at him.
Nico nodded slightly, closing his eyes.
Percy frowned, stopping. "Annabeth!"
They all stopped, turning to face him. "What?"
"Something's wrong with Nico."
Annabeth's eyes widened as she ran up to them, helping Percy lay him on the ground. She checked his pulse, frowning. "Nico, where does it hurt?"
He moved a hand to his ribs, coughing.
She sighed in relief, looking up at Percy. "It's just the state of his ribs with the foul air down here. We can keep going."
Percy nodded, picking him up again. Looking at the others, they looked annoyed, but he didn't care. If Nico died, Annabeth would be horribly upset. So he had to protect Nico.
And he had promised that to Bianca, a long time ago.