Note: This is a work of Fanfiction, all characters of Percy Jackson Universe and Marvel Universe belong to Rick Riordan and Marvel.

A/N: The chapter took longer than expected as I rewrote it multiple times. Thank you to all those who had reviewed, followed, and favorited my story. A shout-out to qwertyuiop123214685 and namer1 for their review and feedback, I have tried to work on it. Thanks for the support. Canon followed story will end soon, so please bear with me :)

III

Annabeth knew she was screwed the moment she saw her mother's Roman form—still confused and delirious, just as she remembered her from their argument at Grand Central Station. Minerva was still muttering about Parthenos being away from Greeks, but her mind became more focused on every passaging minute. Annabeth concluded that Nico and the party were somewhere near New York City, but it was still not enough for her to battle. Minerva was just dodging the attacks.

"Mom! A little help here!" Annabeth called to now rigid Minerva who had her eyes closed – focusing and her form flickering.

Annabeth continued to parry the strikes of Enceladus, as she received silence from her mother. Enceladus was skilled, good with his spear. She was only alive for so long because of her years of training and experience. But she started feeling the exertion from her prolonged fight with the giant. Even after two weeks of coming out of Tartarus, she was still not in her prime and her mother was being of no help.

"Mom!" Annabeth called again. But again, she got no response. Annabeth doubted if she heard her at all.

Enceladus tried to thrust her spear through Annabeth's chest, but she step-sided to dodge the strike, but the edge of his spear nicked her arm. Pain ran through her arm. Giant, finding her distracted, swiped the non-lethal part of his spear, which impacted her shoulder. Annabeth fell on her knees, but giant ignored her and advanced toward her motionless mother.

Annabeth gathered her strength and took off toward her mother. Enceladus thrust his spear again, this time to pierce Minerva. Annabeth reached just in time to block the attack, but her right arm was still weak from the previous two strikes. The spear slipped down from her sword blade and hit her in her stomach.

The spear broke her armor and pierced her skin. Annabeth groaned from the intrusion of the weapon in her body.

"You puny demigod! I should have killed you earlier." Enceladus bellowed.

Bane of Athena thrust his spear further into Annabeth and pivoted his spear upward, lifting Annabeth with it. Annabeth screamed in pain as the spear hit her inside and gravity tried to oppose the lift. Enceladus punched her chest, and she detached from the spear and sailed above ground. She heard her mother exclaim something but all her mind registered was pain and words of a certain giant princess – 'Reason for your death will be lack of love.' Realization struck her. It wasn't about Percy. It was about her mother. Her love wasn't strong enough to counter her vengeance and help her daughter. She cared more about Athena Parthenos than she cared about her daughter. She was the reason for her death.

Annabeth felt numb. Her abdominal pained excursively, other than that, she felt nothing. Though she knew she was falling, she closed her eyes, waited for solid ground – which never came – instead she felt sudden weightlessness. She fluttered open her eyes, only to meet vibrant sea green. Eyes of the man she loved for gods know how long. His eyes were frantic, as he cradled her in his arms, and looked for any other visible mortal wound. She felt him patting her back lightly in different places. She saw him examining his retreated hand.

"No blood." Percy breathed out quietly to himself.

No exit wound, Annabeth concluded. Despite popular belief, blood flows out of the exit wound, then the entry wound – if there is one. They only need to deal with the hole in her stomach, which Annabeth had pressurized by her hands, to minimize bleeding. Not that it mattered, because she knew this was her end. Love had failed her.

Annabeth bought out of her musing when Percy shoved a square of ambrosia in her mouth. She saw Percy dipping several drops of nectar in her wound. Annabeth hissed at the sudden coldness of the elixir.

"You gonna be alright. You gonna be alright." Percy reassured her with a tight smile. Which she knew was for him just as much as it was for her.

She smiled back in return. Which came out more of a grimace. She didn't try to speak. She knew if she will, only a scream will come out, and Percy was panicking enough already. When he saw her wound not healing fast enough, he poured more nectar on her wound and a little down her throat. He didn't dare to remove her hands, though. He knew they were keeping her alive just as much as godly food was. Percy kept feeding her till they reached the limit. Any more, and she will combust.

Annabeth could only just watched as Percy played medic, he kept his eyes on her wound. Now and then he would look at her with what was meant to be a smile. And tried to reassure her. 'Nothing going to happen to you.'; 'We'll be going back home'; 'You are going to be just fine.' But she saw his hope diminishing as he realized bleeding stopped, but her injury wasn't healing any further.

She could feel the life draining out of her. She was weak, but at least pain was gone, Annabeth mused.

"Hey, is ok. Let it go." Annabeth said softly. She tried to comfort Percy, partially because he needed it, and partially because she needed it. She knew she was going to die, but it didn't mean she was ok with it. She herself was trying to come to terms with her fate.

"I'm not losing you, Wise Girl," Percy replied as he looked into her eyes. And Annabeth knew he was not having it.

Percy looked up, his eyes scanning the field, finding something. They suddenly halted. Annabeth followed his gaze and saw Piper. Her hand on her knees, she was panting heavily.

"Piper!" Percy shouted to the daughter of Aphrodite. Said daughter looked up and saw the scene in front of her. She clasped her open mouth, which Annabeth thought would have been a gasp. Piper was still away from them for Annabeth to hear her gasp.

"Get me the cure!" Percy shouted as he got Piper's attention. They had entrusted Piper to carry the physician's cure so she could administer it to one who will need it while battling Gaea. Annabeth had assigned Piper for the task, as she will be there to charmspeak her.

Piper started to walk towards them, but she stopped halfway. Annabeth saw conflict on her face as she steeled her nerves to say whatever she was contemplating moments ago. Piper opened her mouth to speak and closed again. She took a deep breath, regret clear on her face as she spoke the words which made Percy bristled beside her.

"I'm sorry, Percy." Piper's brows furrowed and her face took a guilty expression. "But this is not for her."

Annabeth wasn't sure if she should be offended by her statement or proud. But Percy didn't have this dilemma and Annabeth need not face him to know that he was downright angry. She knew him long enough to know how the air around him changes with his mood.

"Get that here right now or I swear to gods she won't be the only one needing it," Percy said sharply. All colors drained out of Piper's face, fear clear in her eyes.

This made Annabeth turn her head, and by looking at his eyes, she knew why. His eyes were pulsing with unrestrained fury and took a little darker color. The one she saw on multiple occasions down in the pit. When they were surrounded by The Arai in the dark forest; when a pack of hellhounds hunt them; and when a cyclops tried to bash her head with a club. The look meant only one thing, death. She knew Percy could be scary when he needed to be, but threatening an ally? No less a friend? It made her think back to the conversation Percy and her mother had at the winter solstice. 'To save a friend, you would sacrifice the world.' Thinking about her mother made her wince.

At the death threat, Piper yelped slightly, which made Annabeth look at her again. Piper fumbled a little as she took out the vial of physician cure and started to approach the couple. She only took a couple of steps when a big metal fireball – all too similar to the ones which blew Percy's gym class – hit the ground a foot left to Piper. The blast threw her away. She landed on her back and the vial broke on impact.

The little hope she had left broke with that vial of physician cure. She turned toward her boyfriend as she accepted her fate. Percy was staring at the shattered glass pieces, all anger washed away, defeat clear in his eyes. He looked back at her. With a look she was so very familiar with - stubbornness. He was not ready to let her go.

"I guess we won't be going to New Rome together now." Annabeth joked to lighten the mood. Which clearly didn't work if Percy's face was any evidence.

"No. we will go to New Rome. Together. You still need to help me decide between marine biology and oceanography." Percy replied, tried to hang on whichever sting he can grab.

"You'll figure it out, Percy. You always do." Annabeth said with a small smile on her face.

"No, I don't. You are the Wise Girl. I am the Seaweed Brain." Percy replied stubbornly.

"You are a dork," Annabeth said as she let out a strained laugh.

"Please –" Percy tried to say, but Annabeth cut him off with her words.

"You need to let me go, Percy," Annabeth said softly.

"No!" Percy said stubbornly. "We promised. We're staying together. You're not getting away from me. Never again." Percy repeated his words before their fall to Tartarus.

"As long as we're together," Annabeth repeated hers.

"Yes!" Percy said forcefully. "I'm not letting you leave again. Not now. Not ever."

"You can't stop me from going, Percy," Annabeth said softly. "And you can't come for me."

"Like Hades, I can't," Percy said stubbornly. "I will destroy the underworld if it meant being with you."

The ground rumbled from his proclamation, and Annabeth knew this wasn't Gaea, rather a certain King of Underworld. Both Percy and Annabeth paid no heed to god's action as the former was busy having his stubborn fit. And latter was musing. She wasn't sure if her heart should swell by his words or she should worry for her stupid, adorable Seaweed Brain.

Annabeth lifted one of her hands from the wound and covered his mouth weakly. Moving her hand was taxing, her strength was leaving her body.

"Shh! Not now, Percy. Not now." Annabeth said as she slipped her hand further up to his cheek. Percy held her hand and leaned in on her touch as she spoke. "You still got work to do. You need to win this war. You need to help the gods and our friends. Promise me you won't try anything reckless to be with me. Promise me."

Percy's eyes were conflicted. He can't promise to stay away from her when he promised they will stay together. And Annabeth knew if anything mattered, more than loyalty to him was his promises.

"B-But…" Percy started hesitantly.

"Promise me, Percy," Annabeth said more forcefully this time.

"I promise you," Percy said, defeatedly closing his eyes.

Deep down, even if her time was ending, she knew this wasn't the end for them. Their story doesn't end here. They will unite again. And Annabeth's intuition never did her wrong. With that resolve, she voiced her thoughts to her boyfriend, who still had his eyes closed.

"We will meet again, Percy. And we will be together."

Percy shot open his eyes, looked at her with a hopeful expression. "Really?" He asked quietly. His voice was small and full of hope. Percy looked like a five-year-old to whom after-dinner ice cream was promised. But Annabeth loved this teenage child dearly.

"I swear it on the Styx." Annabeth murmured. So quiet that even she wasn't sure if she had said it out loud or not. But light thunder in the sky told her she did in fact said it.

Annabeth looked at his face – gaunt, scraped, and bloody, his hair dusted with monster dust. She took all of this in, imprinting his face for the last time. When he locked eyes with her, she thought he had never looked more handsome.

"You are bleeding." Annabeth said suddenly, as she saw a trickle of blood dripping out of his nose. Percy laughed at the irony of her statement. He looked at her lovingly and a small smile adorned his face.

"You are beautiful." Percy whispered out.

Annabeth wiped his nosebleed with her hand and in turn smeared her own blood across his face.

"Ops." Annabeth said innocently.

Percy chuckled at her antics and lowered her head. He stopped a few inches away from her face.

"I love you Wise Girl." He whispered, looking into her eyes.

"I love you too Seaweed Brain." Annabeth replied quietly.

He captured her lips on his own. It tasted like sweat, blood, dust, and popcorn – the lingering taste of ambrosia. But it didn't matter how they tasted or where they were. At that moment, the outside world gets silent. There was no clang of weapons or cries of pain. There was just Annabeth and Percy, pouring their every emotion into that kiss. Love, pain, sadness, goodbye, and most of all, promise. Promise to love each other forever, promise to unite again someday.

Percy pulled back and looked into her eyes, sea green to grey lovingly. He soaked the beauty before him. Those blonde princess curls, dirty and matted to her forehead. Those pretty pink lips, covered in blood. And his favorite stormy grey eyes, filled with wisdom and knowledge, looking back at him lovingly. He smiled at the sight.

"Goodbye Percy," Annabeth said sadly, and reality hit him. He isn't ready for goodbye just yet. He needs more time with her. Few more minutes. Few more moments. He is just not ready.

"Please don't leave just yet. Hang in there." Percy begged her. His eyes filled with desperation. He wanted to kiss her again. He wanted to fall asleep taking again. He wanted to snuggle at the beach again. He wanted to hold her again and never let go. He wanted anything but to say goodbye again.

"Please don't leave me. Please don't leave me." Percy chanted the words again and again. Tear welling in his eyes.

"I love you, Percy. Goodbye." Annabeth said softly as her own tears fell from her eyes. Annabeth smiled at him one last time. Her hands went limp and fell on the ground as all lights left her eyes.

"NO!" Percy screamed as he held Annabeth close to his body and tears fell freely from his eyes. The earth quaked under him as he cried for her lover's death.

Hazel was not having a good time. After dealing with a peculiar eight-foot-tall Laistrygonian giant with a bicep tattoo of 'JB luvs Babycakes' who kept throwing flaming metal balls at her. She went to help goddess Athena, or who she thought was Athena as she kept changing her form from Athena to Minerva, who was battling her bane Enceladus. At the corner of her, she saw Percy cradling Annabeth – must have been tending her wounds. Hazel didn't get to see it clearly as Athena needed her help.

Even with the combined efforts of both Hazel and Athena, they didn't get the upper hand in the fight. Suddenly entire Acropolis shook as an earthquake hit the city. Both warriors lost their footing at the intense shake and Enceladus took advantage of the situation and hit Athena with the butt of his spear and backhanded Hazel. Both of them fall several feet away from the giant.

"You pesky gods cannot perish me. As I am Enceladus, wisest of all the giants and bane of Athena. You all will fall by my hand as that wretched daughter of my bane felled. I will kill you all just as I killed her!"

Hazel was shocked at his proclamation. Emotions overwhelmed her and her eyes watered. She was so indulged in her fight with the giant that she didn't feel Annabeth's soul leaving the plane of living. But even before she can properly process this new information, a geyser of hot water shot from the ground right in front of the giant's face.

Enceladus staggered back a little before he could control his balance, water wrapped around his torso, making him momentarily immobile. Hazel looked back at the source of the water tendril. Percy Jackson standing beside the limp body of Annabeth, her drakon bone sword in his one hand and Riptide in another. When she looked at Percy's face, Hazel involuntarily shivered. His face was impassive – vacant of any emotion. But his eyes, that's what terrified her. His once vibrant soft sea-green eyes, which held joy and safety, were now glowing poisonous green containing unrestrained rage and hatred and now promised doom. She knew she never wanted to be on the other side of Percy's ire.

"Your kettle water cannot stop me, demigod. I will kill you and will bathe Mother Gaea with your blood!" Enceladus bellowed as he struggled to get free from water bonds.

Percy fixed a death glared at the bane of Athena, which Hazel was sure would have made Lupa proud. She felt merit to her conclusion when she saw giant flinch.

"You spend eons crushed under a mountain, Enceladus. It's time for you to drown." Percy's voice was cold and quiet, but had a certain edge to it.

Percy didn't let the giant retort as another shot of water broke out of Earth and captured the giant's throat and rise to his nose, covering the lower region of Enceladus's face, suffocating him. Giant dropped his spear, tried to grab and yank the water tendril out. But his all attempt was futile as the giant's hands passed right through the water and resulting in scratching his own skin.

Water encasing the giant's face took a tinge of golden color as ichor seeped out of Enceladus's scratched skin and mixed with water. Hazel looked in horror as two more water tendrils shot out from either side of the giant and water wrapped around his both arms and tried to stretch them out. Enceladus tried to resist Percy's attempt by using his own superior strength, but Percy stabbed both swords next to his foot, look in his eyes intensified as he extended his both arms forward and clenched his fist to exert more control over his element. To Hazel's surprise, it actually worked.

Percy spread his arms outwards and water mimicked his action. Enceladus roared in pain as his arms stretched outwards and threatened to break free from his shoulders. But his roar came out a gurgle as his face was masked in water.

With a sudden yell from Percy, he felled down on one knee; the water surrounding the giant's mouth and torso dissipated as both of Enceladus's limbs were torn apart from his body and flew at two ends of Acropolis. Icor sputtered out of his both shoulder like a fountain and giant wailed in pain.

Hazel looked away. Even after being a child of Underworld she felt uneasy. She had spent most of her time at the edge of Field of Asphodel near Field of Punishment. She had heard the cry of imprisoned souls when she was dead. But she still wasn't able to look at the scene in front of her.

Hazel had considered Percy only had the better nature of the seas – powerful, but gentle and helpful, a person who would guide ships safely to the shore. But after watching Percy brutalizing Enceladus, she realized he had the other side of the seas too – vicious and merciless, one that would capsize and crumble away ships, one that meant to destroy.

She remembered Porphyrion's words, 'The earth is too powerful here. Even your father wouldn't be able to summon more than a salty spring.' she wondered how powerful he was right now if he can create geysers of water so easily and injure a giant so severely without even picking up arms. Hazel broke out of her thoughts at Percy's bitter voice.

"Looks like it was your blood which bathed your mother." Percy cocked his head and stood up.

Hazel glanced over at Percy. His face was still expressionless. The poisonous glow in his eyes had died down, but they were still cold and brutal, filled with fire and rage. Ready to wreak havoc again.

"Say Tartarus my hello."

With one swift motion of his hand, Percy gathered his previously dissipated stream and shot them at still wailing Enceladus's chest. He sailed a few feet back and fell into a recently opened ravine. Straight to Tartarus – alive and limbless.

Leo never thought he would feel pity for a giant. No less for the one who kidnapped his best friend's dad at Mount Diablo. Leo looked around the battlefield as the giant eater's jaw closed and the cries of Enceladus died. Most of their enemies were dead. Frank and Ares were demolishing what was left of the giant's army. Jason and Zeus were nowhere to be seen. Hazel was lost in thoughts and Piper had tears running down her eyes. Percy was standing beside Annabeth's body, pain clear in his eyes, and Athena few feet away rigid, which Leo deduce still in shock.

A moment later, Athena glowed faintly. As the glow died down, she approached her dead daughter. And to Leo's surprise, Percy leveled his sword at Athena.

"Don't you dare touch her," Percy said in a warning tone. His voice was quiet and cold.

"Lower your sword, Perseus. I'm not someone you should trifle with." Athena replied with equal steel in her voice. And Leo thought there must be bad blood between them.

"Oh, I know exactly who you are, wisdom goddess," Percy said it with so much venom that for a moment Leo was rather doubtful at where does Percy's loyalty lies. "You are a pathetic immortal who doesn't care about anything but her pride." Percy continued.

"Careful what you say, demigod. Remember, I am a goddess and you are still a mortal."

"You need us, Athena. You need us demigods so you can sit on your thrones up there. Without us, you are nothing but an immortal species who just exists. You need us to function, Athena. You need your little soldiers to take the brunt of blows that are meant for you. Just like your daughter did. Maybe that spear belonged to Enceladus, but you killed her Athena. You killed your daughter. You killed my Annabeth." Percy spoke with his voice filled with hatred.

"She felled in the battle, death of a hero in the name of Olympus. She died for the gods and a better future. She did her duty." Athena replied haughtily.

"SHE DIDN'T HAD TO!" Percy roared. All attention was now on them, Leo noticed. "If you had done your duty, she didn't have to. She died because you were moaning about a lost piece of ivory."

"Romans took away my identity. They took away –" Athena started, but Percy cut her off.

"Yeah, they took away your domains. Hera took away my eight months. Should I run her through with my sword?"

"You sea-spawns are delusional." Athena riposted.

"Maybe we are. But those very sea-spawns were the ones who took you in and nurture you to be an Olympian when you were just a godling. My brother raised you as his own alongside Pallas." Athena winced at the mention of Pallas. "My father gave you refuge in his domain. And how did you pay them back? With hatred. You fear the seas, Athena. You always had. And you mask it as hate. You hated us so much that you never accepted me being with Annabeth." Rage in Percy's eye died down as they took a pained look. Percy looked away from Athena for the first time. Looking at Annabeth's lifeless body longingly.

"Some nights she would talk about you, how you don't approve of our relationship, how you would have thought of her as a disgrace for dating me. We were happy together, but you never saw her happiness. All you saw was a guy who had seas in his blood. All she ever wanted was to make you proud. But she never knew that price for proudness was death."

Percy looked back at Athena again, coldness back in his eyes. "Just like for all your other kids."

"They did what they should do. They sacrificed themselves for their mother. For her honor." Athena replied, raising her head high.

"That's your wounded pride under the name of honor Athena. Your children suffered because of that pride. For millenniums you send your children after the mark, all alone to a quest full of pain and suffering. Few went mad, and those who were lucky – they died. All after a quest that could have been avoided. Annabeth had to endure Tartarus because of her pride. She took curses of Arai down there, she drank the water of Phlegethon to stay alive, she ventured to Mansion of Night, and she was almost poisoned by Misery. She survived all of that just for you to turn your back on her." Percy's eyes were misty, his voice hoarse at the end. He took a long breath. "And you know who dragged her down there? Arachne. The very lady who you turned to monster because she challenged you to a weaving contest."

Athena was silent for a long time. She had lost her favored daughter to her bane. Annabeth was her pride, but knowing Annabeth thought herself a disgrace, pained Athena. She never took it easy when her children died and she felt guilty that she couldn't do anything to save this one. But she didn't voice her feelings, because she was still a goddess.

"Every hero has their story, Perseus. Not every story ends with happiness. Few have tragedies too. Their stories were fated to end that way. There is nothing anybody could have done about it." Athena replies somberly.

Percy chuckled darkly, and chuckles turn into laughter and it sent a chill up Leo's spine and it really made him question Percy's sanity.

"That's pathetic reasoning, even for you. This will not wipe the blood on your sword, Athena. You are the one who sentenced them to their demise. You are a murderer." Percy declared.

"Watch your tongue, Perseus. War or not, I will kill you for your transgressions," Athena replied in an icy voice.

"I'm not afraid to die, Athena. I have nothing to lose now. You kill me and I'll go back to Annabeth. But you, you will lose against your pride. Again. Just like Daedalus lost all those millennia ago. You branded Daedalus with the mark of a murderer. Where is your mark, Athena?" Percy asked in anger.

"Perseus," Athena said in a warning tone.

"You will know what I have lost, Athena. And you will know my pain, all of their pain. Whenever you will rest, you will hear their cries for help. You will see the pain and suffering you caused to every wisdom child for Athena Parthenos. You will be bereft of having another demigoddess and will feel the birth of every half-blood girl. I curse you in the name of my love to Annabeth for all eternity until your redemption."

Thunder boomed over the Acropolis as Percy finished his words. The battlefield fell silent once again. Nobody could comprehend what had just transpired before them. A mortal had cursed an Olympian.

The sound of colliding rocks broke everybody out of their shock. Turning toward the source of the sound drained the blood out of everybody's face. Hundreds of yards away, a twenty-foot-tall figure of a woman stood – clapping. Her dress was woven from blades of grass, her skin as white as quartz, her hair brown and tangled like tree roots. Her solid green eyes were hard as stone, and a cold and distant smile adorned her face.

Gaea was awake!

.

A/N: And Period. The next chapter will be up soon. About Percy and Athena's argument. Was Percy right? Well, not entirely. Though his opinions held credibility, his overall approach to the situation was still faulty. Poseidon and his children are known for their short temper, which resulted in him lashing out at Athena. Please review what you think about it. Constructive criticism is appreciated :)