Stolen Moments, Part II : More to the Story
Part II
Two things kept Percy from totally losing it as they were falling. One was the knowledge that Nico had survived, so the situation wasn't completely hopeless. The second was Annabeth's hand in his. He couldn't give up. Not as long as he still had her. When they continued to not hit the bottom, he finally pulled her into his arms because if this didn't end well, that seemed like the best way to go out. Plus, he'd spent months missing her. He'd take any chance to hold her that he could get.
When Annabeth wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face into his shirt, the tiniest bit of tension in his shoulders unknit. Despite the horrible situation, at least they were together. They could figure things out. How exactly, he had no idea. But they'd always managed before through other impossible situations. He tightened his arms around his girlfriend. If there was one thing he really believed in, it was their abilities as a team. They could figure out a way to survive. Together.
Somehow.
Annabeth shifted and he felt her lips against his ear. When she said, "I love you," a shiver ran down his spine, sending electricity shooting along his arms and legs. He wanted to answer, but he was pretty sure if he unclenched his jaw right now, he was going to scream, and that would just be undignified. So instead, he held her tighter. And tried not to think about what had happened the last time she'd done an "I think we're going to die" declaration and kissed him in the volcano. Hopefully they could avoid blowing anything up this time.
The thought had barely crossed his mind when the darkness lightened around them, and suddenly they were plummeting through the open air of a cavern, not a tunnel. Blood-red clouds passed by them. Great start, Percy thought drily. With his back to the ground, he wasn't sure how far they had left to fall or what the rest of the area looked like. Just as he was summoning the courage to crane his neck and look, Annabeth shouted into his ear, "Percy! Water!"
I'm right here, babe, he thought, ears ringing just a little bit. He twisted his head to see the river below them out of the corner of his eye, hurtling closer. He nodded at Annabeth, then closed his eyes, reaching out with his senses to feel the river below.
The force of the river's power hit him like a shockwave through his system. There was something seriously wrong with the water. But Percy couldn't focus on that. Using it to cushion the landing was their only shot. So instead, using all his willpower, like he had in the Atlanta aquarium (and maybe channeling some of his anger and frustration again), he called on the water to obey him.
And it did.
A geyser exploded out of the center of the river, halting their fall and cocooning them in water, softening the impact enough that they didn't break every bone in their bodies. They would probably have some pretty serious bruising, but they could handle that. Summoning the geyser sapped Percy's strength, though. He felt like he'd been punched in the solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him. The geyser collapsed when they were still ten feet above the water. They dropped the final distance like falling off a high-dive, and instantly sank into the freezing water.
Percy had never felt cold like this. Even the Gulf of Alaska had been warmer. Or maybe it was just that his water powers had protected him more there. In the rivers of the Underworld, his powers were limited.
Exhaustion struck him hard, along with the icy water, making his mind go fuzzy. On top of that, the river seemed to be full of wailing spirits. Percy tried to ignore their voices, but they were insidious. Miserable thoughts crawled into his skull and burrowed into his brain. He was jolted back to reality, though, when he realized he'd lost his grip on Annabeth. Panic shoved away the river's voices. He flailed out and found her arm, only a few feet away. She wasn't moving. Shit, a panicked whine ran through his head. No, no, no, please. He grasped her hand and her entire body jolted like she'd just woken up. Relief washed through him. He tugged on her hand as he kicked upward, pulling her along, and forced the river to buoy them up.
When they broke the surface, Annabeth gasped and another wave of relief broke over Percy. Her eyes were wide and wild with fear, but she was alive. For now, that was enough. The relief faded fast, though. The whirlpool he'd created was draining him almost as quickly as the stupid nymphs in the well. Percy tried to focus on Annabeth's hand in his, but the voices of the river were starting to invade his thoughts. Just give up, they told him. Why bother to fight this? Even if you don't drown, you're no son of Hades. You won't survive this place.
Yes, we will, Percy thought back, gritting his teeth and fighting to keep the whirlpool going, but it was starting to feel as heavy as the sky had once been.
"Land." Annabeth's exhausted voice cut through the numbing power of the river. "Go sideways."
Percy tried to nod, but he was too tired. All his focus was on sustaining the whirlpool. He had to keep that going. Otherwise, he was afraid they'd be swept away by the current.
Annabeth must have read his face because she slipped her arm around him and began paddling toward the shore, which glimmered like a mirage in the distance. He tried his best to focus on her, but it wasn't working. Exhaustion was rolling over him, the river was sapping his energy, and, suddenly, it just all felt like too much.
Just give up, the river whispered to him. Life is despair. Everything is pointless, and then you die.
"Pointless," Percy muttered. They're right. His teeth chattered. His entire body ached. What was the point? Why was he even bothering to fight this? They were dead. Better a peaceful death, washed away in the water, than torn apart by some monster. Right?
Dimly, he heard Annabeth call his name. He hated to let her down, but there was no use in fighting. He'd been stupid to ever hope for…whatever it was he'd been hoping for. There was nothing. Everything is pointless, and then you die. Sounded about right.
"It's made of pure misery," Annabeth said.
"Misery," he repeated. That's it. Smart girl.
"Fight it!" she insisted. But Percy couldn't. Despair was unfurling in his lungs, crushing the air out of him. He was so, so tired of fighting. Especially after the last few weeks. All he wanted to do was close his eyes and let go.
Annabeth tugged him closer. When she put a hand on his face, her skin was cold and clammy against his. But her breath was warm when she kissed him. He could taste the faintest, lingering hint of ambrosia on her lips, reminding him of a chocolate cupcake that looked like a brick with blue cement icing.
The kiss sent a shockwave through his system, burning through the despair suffocating him. His limbs still weighed a thousand pounds apiece and exhaustion made his brain buzz like a fluorescent light. But suddenly, he didn't want to die.
"Tell me about New Rome." Her gaze, fixed on his, was fierce. Gods, her eyes were beautiful. That thought floated dazedly through Percy's mind as Annabeth said, "What were your plans for us?"
The voices of the river were still wailing in his ears, making it hard to concentrate. "New Rome…For us…"
"Yeah, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth's fingers dug into his back. "You said we could have a future there! Tell me!"
The urgency in her voice started to cut through the fog of the voices in his head. New Rome…Annabeth…the future. The city. He'd thought she might like the city. "Architecture," he mumbled. "Thought you'd like the houses, the parks." Another memory came back to him, of the night after the battle with Polybotes, when he'd been wandering through New Rome on his own, wishing his girlfriend was there. "There's one street with all these cool fountains."
It suddenly came to his attention that Annabeth was struggling to keep her head above water. The whirlpool had died, and he was dead weight. A spark of determination fizzed through him and he forced his heavy limbs to paddle through the water, following his girlfriend's lead toward the distant shore.
Annabeth sounded out of breath, but she still managed to ask, "College. Could we go there together?"
Oh yeah. The memory dawned on Percy. That had been his plan, right? "Y-yeah."
Annabeth licked her lips, determined gaze focused on the shore ahead. "What would you study, Percy?"
Huh. He hadn't really thought that far. "Dunno."
He could feel Annabeth's movements slowing down, so he tried to pick his own pace up so he wasn't such a drag on her. The voices in the river were fading the longer he focused on her words. Enough clarity had returned that he could recognize what she was doing, and he loved her for it, even as he felt guilty that she was having to work so hard to help him.
"Marine science? Oceanography?" she offered.
"Surfing?" he suggested, hoping to at least pull a smile from her.
Instead, she laughed, and Percy's heart soared. The miserable voices in the river faded to useless white noise. Hope surged back through his veins, giving him the energy to drag himself the rest of the way across the river until he could feel the bottom under his feet.
Sure, things were bad. Really, really bad. And there was a strong possibility they would only get worse from here.
But Percy wasn't done yet. He had Annabeth. They were together. They would find a way to survive, somehow.
Because their future was worth fighting for.
So they weren't dead yet. That was something, Annabeth thought. By a miraculous stroke of luck, they'd fallen right over a river, which Percy was able to control enough to keep them from dying on impact. Then they'd managed to stumble their way to the banks of the Phlegethon and drink fire (disgusting, but life-saving). And when Arachne attacked Annabeth, Percy neatly dispatched the spider with Riptide. Three for three. Annabeth figured that was a decent start. She just wasn't sure how long their luck would hold.
Percy helped her to her feet and they set off down the river. They'd only gone a few yards, though, when a thought occurred to Annabeth and she stopped Percy with a hand on his chest.
"What's wrong?" he asked, eyes darting around, Riptide already raised.
"Nothing." Annabeth did a quick check around, but she didn't see or hear any immediate monsters. "I just need to do something." Then she took his face in her hands and kissed him, fiercely.
Percy seemed surprised for a moment, then he put his free hand on the small of her back, drawing her closer. Annabeth knew they couldn't let their guard down long, but she also knew they both needed this.
When she drew back she said, a little breathlessly, "For luck. It's a tradition, right?"
Percy smirked. "Best one we've got."
She smiled at him, her hands sliding to his chest. "Plus for, you know, some other reasons, too." She kissed him briefly again, more tenderly this time. "And besides, who knows when the next time we'll get to brush our teeth will be."
Percy snorted a laugh, then said, "Well, in that case…" He pulled her in again for a last deep, lingering kiss. It felt like a fire was kindling to life inside Annabeth. When they broke apart, Percy added, "Now let's keep on not dying."
Annabeth gave a small laugh and took his hand. "Good plan, Seaweed Brain. Let's go."
It was a good thing they gave themselves that moment, because the rest of the walk along the river was miserable. Running into the empousa Kelli and her crew didn't make Annabeth feel any better, despite the fact that it was helpful in directing them toward the Doors of Death. She did understand a little better how Percy could have been so vengeful towards Arachne, though, because she felt something similar when Kelli talked about going after Percy.
By the time they started to climb down the cliff beside the fiery waterfall, Annabeth's legs were shaking and it was all she could do to keep putting one foot in front of the other. She hated to be the first one to call for a break, but about halfway down the cliff, she realized she could either rest or fall to her death. She chose rest. Her voice came out weaker than she wanted when she said, "Stop, okay? Just a quick break."
Percy looked up at her, possibly a little surprised because she never called for a rest first, but then concern crossed his face as he saw how shaky she was. "Yeah, definitely." He scanned the cliff, then nodded toward a small shelf of stone. "Can you make it to that ledge?"
"Yeah." Just the idea of sitting down for a few minutes gave Annabeth the energy she needed to make her way over to the ledge. When Percy helped her down, her ankle threatened to give way, so she quickly shifted her weight to her other foot. The ledge wasn't that wide; losing her balance would mean taking a head dive off the cliff. And she'd had enough of falls for the month, thank you very much.
When they sat down on the ledge, legs dangling over the side, Percy put his arm around her and she let herself sag into him. Her entire body was trembling. Probably she needed food and sleep, but those weren't an option right now. Sitting here with Percy was something, though. Especially since she'd spent six months wishing she could just sit somewhere with her boyfriend for a while.
She glanced up at Percy. He was staring off into space with a slightly brooding expression on his face. She thought it was hot, but she could also see how it could make teachers target him as a troublemaker. If she had to guess, he was either thinking about how in the heck they were supposed to get across that plain, or he was thinking about food.
It hadn't escaped her that he was here because of her. If he'd let her go, he could be safe and fine on the Argo II, eating breakfast—or whatever meal fit the time that the surface world was on. But instead, he'd chosen to be here, miserable, starving, and in danger. For her. It kind of blew her away. Of course, if the situation had been reversed, she would have done the same thing. But that didn't make his choice any less incredible.
So, given that, Annabeth felt like the least she could do was try to look on the positive side of things. If there was one. She leaned her head on his shoulder and said, "Things could be worse."
"Yeah?" Percy's enthusiasm sounded a little bit forced, but she appreciated the attempt.
She snuggled against him, one hand moving to his chest, the other slipping around his back, covering the spot that used to be his Achilles' heel. "We could've fallen into the River Lethe," she offered. "Lost all our memories."
Percy shuddered. "Yeah, the Lethe. Not my favorite."
Annabeth remembered the story Percy and Thalia had told her after they'd gone to the Underworld with Nico to retrieve the stolen sword of Hades. They'd fought a Titan on the banks of the Lethe. The fight ended when Percy doused the Titan in river water, wiping his memory. "What was the Titan's name?"
"Uh…Iapetus. He said it meant the Impaler or something." His hand ran lazily up and down her arm.
"No, the name you gave him after he lost his memory." It was something straightforward, but Annabeth couldn't think of it. "Steve?"
"Bob."
Only Percy, Annabeth thought with a tiny laugh. "Bob the Titan."
Percy gave her a light squeeze. After a few more moments of peaceful quiet, he kissed her forehead. "We should keep moving. You want some more fire to drink?"
Annabeth made a face. "Ugh. I'll pass."
"Yeah. I might literally kill for a Coke right now. And it doesn't even have to be blue."
Annabeth laughed again. "That sounds incredible."
"Alright then." Percy pushed himself to his feet, then held out a hand to help her up. "First thing we do when we get out—find the nearest vending machine and get a couple of Cokes."
Annabeth squeezed his hand. "Or just hit up the magic ice chest. You know, where you can find 'the horror of Diet Coke.'"
"Oh yeah." Percy smiled at her and her tired heart briefly picked up its pace. "That works too. I actually don't even know if Greece has vending machines."
"They probably do. But we can find out when we get out." Annabeth kissed his cheek. "Come on, babe. Let's keep climbing."
Annabeth hadn't thought it was possible for the second half of the climb to be worse than the first half, but it was. When she reached the bottom and Percy helped her down, her knees gave out and she collapsed onto the ground. Percy dropped down next to her. They didn't even say anything, just sat there trying to rest and catch their breath.
The respite gave Annabeth a chance to take in the landscape, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing. It looked like, well, hell. Between the fiery river, the caves from which apparently monster heads occasionally popped out to grab a snack, and the blood-colored clouds above, it wasn't somewhere Annabeth would have voluntarily chosen to hang out. There was a more significant problem, too, she realized. She stood, scanning the terrain, wanting to make sure her assessment was correct. "We're going to be completely exposed, crossing this plain."
After watching a telkhine be devoured, Percy looked less than thrilled about their upcoming journey. "Oh, yeah. This'll be fun."
Annabeth held out a hand to help him up, and he took it. He glanced back at the cliffs, then they set off walking along the river, keeping as close to the bank as possible. Annabeth felt jumpy. At every step, she imagined a monster head shooting out of a cave and snatching one or both of them up. She tried to decide what the worst possible option for that was, and came to the conclusion that it would be worst if it ate Percy and left her, because then not only would she lose him, which would be horrible enough in and of itself, but she'd also have the guilt of knowing he was only in that position because of her. Not to mention, she'd then be left in Tartarus alone, at which point she might just sit by the fiery river and give up. While she was following this miserable train of thought (which maybe was influenced more than a little bit by her physical exhaustion and the horror-show landscape), she'd simply been trudging along, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other and trying to keep her footing on the uneven, rocky landscape. It wasn't until Percy grabbed her arm to stop her and said, "The empousai. Where are they?" that she remembered they'd initially been following the demons.
Stupid, she mentally cursed herself as Kelli and her crew appeared from behind the rocks, slavering and grinning. This is not going to be good.
It wasn't. She and Percy held out as long as they could, but they were in no shape for this fight. They were dead.
Until Bob the Titan appeared. He swept up the demons, declared himself Percy's friend, and decided to be their guide across Tartarus. And then he led them to a Hermes shrine where food from Camp Half-Blood appeared. The weirdness of the whole situation threatened to make Annabeth's head explode, but she figured she could either accept it and move forward, or run around screaming like a lunatic. The second option was tempting, but she decided to go with the first.
At least she'd been able to send a letter to camp, hopefully. If they could get her message to Reyna, maybe there was still a chance everything could work out. At the very least, if Connor received her message, their friends would know that she and Percy were still alive. She'd made sure to include that information at the beginning of the letter. She took a deep breath, trying to relax and prepare for the next part of the trek, but it didn't really do the trick. The sulfurous air stung her nostrils and she could feel it burning all the way down to her lungs.
As they left the shrine of Hermes and crossed into the dark clouds, Annabeth nudged Percy with her shoulder. "Thanks for letting me sleep. But next time we rest, I take first watch and you sleep."
"Deal." He shot her a quick smile, then took her hand, lacing their fingers together as the darkness thickened around them.
A/N: Welcome back for part two, missing moments from the House of Hades! This story will be shorter than the first one, just because the book follows Percy and Annabeth pretty closely, so there wasn't much to add. But there were a few scenes that I wanted to look at from the other person's POV, so those will be in here. This story is 5 chapters total, and each will be posted towards the end of the week. Thanks for reading!