Chapter 22

Percy's P.O.V.

"Well, I think we all can agree that Coach Hedge just saved the day today. So, thank you, Coach," Leo told the satyr as he brandished his club proudly. They were sitting on the deck, and Percy really had to control his worry. The closer they were getting to Annabeth's location, the more nervous Percy got. They had gotten rid of Ephialtes and Otis, and at least Rome was not going to be destroyed. Not yet, anyways.

Percy absentmindedly glanced at Nico. He wasn't sure whether he should be going to talk to him or not. He was sitting on a chair in one corner, Hazel and Natalie kneeling next to him as Frank passed Natalie a first aid box. Jason and Piper were sitting beside him, as Piper bandaged Jason's arm. Percy was unscathed, though. Not that he wasn't grateful for it. He was ADHD, and it was getting really hard for him to just sit and wait till they reached Annabeth, so he made up his mind and went to Nico.

Nico looked terrible. His askew hair were longer than the last time, which made him look more terrible. His eyes had dark bags beneath them, and he was so thin that Percy was surprised he still had the energy to sit on the chair. Numerous scratches and bruises covered his arms and face, but the worst part was his eyes. Though not injured, they were like empty pits of sadness and horror. Percy could see the trauma through his eyes. Hazel soothingly held his hand as Natalie wiped blood from his scratches with a piece of cotton.

Percy kneeled next to him. "How're you feeling?"

Nico was very still, but he slowly turned his head to face Percy. Natalie glanced uneasily at him. When Nico met his eyes, Percy saw such horror on his face, that he almost had the urge to hug Nico, which was weird, since they had never exactly been on 'hugging' terms. He remembered the first time he had met him with Bianca, when he had been childish, innocent and annoying. Percy vaguely remembered Nico asking him if Annabeth was his girlfriend.

"I'm fine," he rasped. "And sorry."

That made his heart pang. Nico's words cut through his heart like needles. He had promised Bianca that he would take care of her brother, but here was Nico, not at all fine. And yet, he was apologizing to him.

"Nico," Percy kept a hand on his shoulder. Nico flinched, but he did not pull away. "I don't blame you for anything. I know you didn't tell me anything for a reason, and I don't want to know it if you don't want to tell me."

"Nico," Natalie said softly. "How did this all happen? Can you tell us?"

Nico turned to look at her, then nodded. Jason and Piper came towards them, so did Coach Hedge and Leo. Nico coughed a bit, but Hazel offered him a glass of water. Nico took a deep breath. The water seemed to have made him somewhat stronger than before.

"I went looking for the Doors of Death in the underworld. I just kept going, trying to find them. Into the deepest parts of the underworld."

He took another breath and shuddered.

"Did you find them?" Piper asked.

Nico nodded. Jason looked at Percy, and they shared the same thing. At least they had some clue now. After all that had happened, Percy and Jason had now agreed to a mutual understanding. They were like the co-leaders of the team. Jason from the Roman side, Percy from the Greek.

"And where did you find them?" Hazel asked.

Nico's voice was barely audible, but Percy realized immediately what he had said. That one single word had made his heart plunge. He could feel Natalie tense beside him too, and he understood why.

"Nico, can you please repeat what you said?" Jason asked him. Percy knew they hadn't heard him properly, but he had. And he did not think Nico would like to say it again and again.

Natalie shifted a bit. "Guys, Nico has been through a tough ordeal. We should let him rest a bit."

"But–," Jason started.

Natalie gave him a death glare. "We should let him rest a bit."

Jason looked confusedly at her, but nodded. "Yeah sure. Why not."

After Hazel had taken Nico to an extra room on the ship, Jason turned to them.

"You guys understood what he said."

It was a statement, not a question.

"Yeah, we did. Didn't you? The deepest parts of the underworld?" Percy hinted.

"Yeah, but where exactly?"

"You're still not getting it," Percy said.

"That's because you're not telling it."

Natalie looked Jason straight in the eye. "Tartarus."

Silence hung like mist over all of them for the next few seconds. Jason's eyes widened. Percy knew he had realized. After all, he had been there, even though not conscious, when Natalie had been on the quest.

Leo laughed nervously. "You don't mean the Tartarus, do you? Please tell me there's a place by that name beside Texas or something."

"No," Hazel said darkly. "He means the Tartarus. The deepest and darkest part of the underworld. It only fits. Gaea can easily transport monsters to the mortal world if she has the doors there. Plus, the giants were the offspring of Gaea and Tartarus. Don't you think he might be helping Gaea as well?"

Natalie just shook her head. "But, I mean, how come Nico actually went there and survived? It's impossible."

Percy knew what she was thinking. Piper spoke, "Yeah, Natalie, but Nico didn't exactly survive, did he?"

"I mean," she quickly added when Hazel glanced at her. "He was captured by the giants. Perhaps he made it because Gaea wanted to use him as bait for us."

Festus clicked from behind. Leo looked at Percy. Percy knew what he was going to say, but he let Leo do it anyway.

"We're just above Annabeth. And the place below us seems to be…," he looked at Festus, who clicked again. "A parking lot."

Percy went near the railing and peered down. "How're we gonna get to her?"

"Well," Leo smiled mischievously. "If you guys don't have any problem with just a little bit of public damage, I have a plan."

*****Line Break*****

Percy did not have any problem with 'just a bit of little damage' if it meant they could get to Annabeth. He had blown up the Gateway Arch, destroyed big and luxurious cruises and had caused a volcanic eruption that had awakened Typhon, and resulted in millions being evacuated. Just causing a little hole in the center of a parking lot in Rome? Smooth.

Leo, Hephaestus knew what he did, managed to just make a hole of about the size of a medium sized roundabout, without the floor caving in the hollow space below, which was filled with darkness. They lowered a rope into the hole, and Percy was the first to go down.

His eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness, but as sunlight filtered in, he could see everything. A huge section of the floor had caved in below in a pit that looked endless, and seemingly sinister.

"Tartarus," Natalie whispered to him as she dropped from the rope on the floor. She tapped the floor twice.

"Hey guys?" she called up, shielding her eyes from the direct line of the light.

"Yeah?" Leo's voice came from above. "The floor seems unstable, don't send anyone else after Hazel on the ground."

"Then how're we gonna get this thing up there?"

A slightly pained voice asked them from behind. Percy turned to see Annabeth sitting on the floor, one of her ankles in a makeshift splint. Just behind her stood a tall statue, made of ivory and bronze, adding slightly to the total light of the room.

"Yeah, it's the Athena Parthenos," Annabeth said as Percy, Natalie and Hazel rushed towards her. Percy immediately hugged her. He would have kissed her, but he didn't think she would like that right now. Annabeth hugged him back, looking for comfort in him.

"You did it, Annabeth," Natalie squeezed her shoulder and smiled. "How did you break your leg?"

Annabeth winced. "I sort of fell on it."

"Hey Leo! Drop that bag of nectar and ambrosia!" Hazel called up.

A pouch fell down from the hole, and Hazel caught it. She offered a square of ambrosia to Annbeth, who ate it. "Thanks."

"Ask Leo to use those celestial bronze cables and attach them to the statue," Annabeth told them. Percy smiled. She was still the sensible leader of the group. Focused on the work.

"Heard it," Leo called from above. Soon, Jason and Frank were hovering from the cables, attaching and securing the statue.

"How do we get Annabeth back up? She's in no condition to walk," Natalie said.

"Just help me stand," Annabeth said. Percy flung her one arm over his shoulder and helped her up. They went near the rope they had come down from. Annabeth shivered, seeing the abyss that lay just a few feet beside them. Suddenly, Percy tensed. The hair on his neck stood up. It was like something bad was about to happen. Hazel was already halfway up on the rope. Natalie was just about to go when–

"Annabeth your ankle!"

Natalie willed her sword in her hand and was just about to slash a piece of thread that stuck to Annabeth's cast when another one wrapped around her hand. Percy felt something tug him, and he saw another thread near his leg. Before he knew it, Natalie was dragged along with Annabeth into the abyss. Percy immediately caught Annabeth's hand as he was dragged along with them. Annabeth had done the same for Natalie. Hazel screamed from above. Percy held on to a tiny ledge, trying to hold the three of them together.

"Jason, Frank!" Hazel was screaming. Nico had dropped down. He was near where Percy held the ledge from his right hand, the left supporting Annabeth.

"Annabeth!" Natalie shouted. "Let go of me! You two can go up! Go!"

"No!" Annabeth yelled. "I won't let you die like this!"

"Annabeth please! Try to understand! Let go of me or you'll fall too!"

"No!" Percy said. "We're not leaving you like this!"

That's when Ella's words echoed in his mind. The same words that he had heard her speak a few nights ago, back in the unicorn stables at Camp Jupiter. 'Three heroes of age shall fall into the abyss.'

He understood what they had to do now. That line was a part of the prophecy, and the three of them were the heroes. Percy knew that he could not hold on long enough for them to get out. But he knew he would not let anyone die. He steeled his determination, and looked at Nico.

"Nico, you said the doors have to be closed from two sides, one in the mortal world, one from Tartarus. Get them to the doors. We'll meet you from the other side;"

"No, Percy wait–,"

"Promise me! Promise me you'll lead them there."

"I – yeah I will – just hold –,"

"We'll see you on the other side. I promise."

Percy didn't know why he made suxh an impossible promise. He didn't even know if he could keep it. But he knew what he had to do. His whole life had led him up to this point. And it was either to accept, or die. He took the harder one. He accepted.

And that's when Percy let go of the ledge, and the three of them tumbled into eternal darkness.