Chapter 2

"PERCYYYYYY!"

The room went dangerously quiet as Percy fell. The hole, the only way in or out, closed, getting rid of any hope left. The vines holding onto Nico, Thalia and their friends disappeared and they fell to the floor, exhausted by their efforts. The Olympians who were stuck to their thrones, could now get up, but they didn't. They were still processing what had happened just now.

The Greek and Roman campers were all transported to their respective camps, but Percy's friends stayed behind. Annabeth left with her cabin, too ashamed to look at her former friends' disappointed faces. And then there was silence.

The silence was broken with a scream of rage. Everyone turned to look at the source. It was Nico. Before anyone could do anything to stop him, he sprinted at Zeus. Right as he was about to reach his uncle, He was lifted into the air. Not able to move anywhere, he opted to shoot a death glare at the Olympian. Him being a Son of Hades certainly helped and Zeus inwardly cowered from the boy.

"Did you even think to check his memories, you idiot?!" Nico snapped. A series of gasps went around the room. Zeus looked around the room, discomfort clear on his face. He turned to Nico.

"Why didn't you tell us before Percy was sent to Tartarus?" Zeus questioned his nephew, wearing a smug look.

"I would have, if I hadn't been blasted across the room!" Nico scowled.

His friends looked at one another with worry about Percy. He didn't deserve this. He would be traumatized forever, going into literal hell, not once, but twice.

"Okay, fine," Zeus drawled, not bothering to believe anything they said. "We can check his memories, but there is no difference."

Thalia rolled her eyes and scoffed, furious with her father.

Mnemosyne, the goddess of memories, was flashed into the room.

"My dear Mnemosyne, can you please show us Percy Jackson's memory?" Hera kindly asked. The Goddess nodded her head and closed her eyes.

An image, just like an Iris message, appeared in front of the occupants of the room.

It was Percy. He was surrounded by a gigantic hurricane, created by him. He was on his knees sobbing into his hands. Eventually, the storm ceased. Percy wearily got up, his knees visibly shaking, and walked towards his cabin. He climbed up the steps and entered the room. He closed the door behind him and rested his forehead on the cool wood of the door. Closing his eyes, he sighed. Percy opened his eyes. He turned and walked to his bed. Getting under his sheets, he curled into a ball. He closed his eyes again and a lone tear escaped, running down his cheek.

The memory fast forwarded a few hours.

Percy was still under the covers, but his cheeks were wet now, from crying. The room was dark. It was nighttime. It seemed like he didn't go to dinner. He got up from his bed and walked to his bathroom. He switched on the light and looked at his mirror. A pale, tired face looked back at him. His vibrant sea green eyes were now dull. His dark, raven hair was a mess. Well, more than usual. Percy put his hands on his face. He was shaking. He backed up, his back hitting the bathroom door. His chest rose and fell rapidly. He clenched his jaw and fisted his hands. He looked back at the mirror. He suddenly raised his fist and punched the mirror. Shards of glass flew everywhere.

Everyone watching gasped, never seeing Percy angry before. He was always so calm that people assumed he had no problems. They were so wrong. The memory played again.

Percy swiped everything off the counter, making them come crashing to the floor and causing a series of resounding thuds. He took a step back, bewildered by his own actions. His breathing sped up. He leaned against the sink and controlled his breathing, trying to calm down. As soon as he did, he exited his destroyed bathroom and sat on his bed. Getting up, he walked to his dresser. He opened his top drawer and took out something. He turned around. It was a ring attached to a chain.

With closer inspection, Everyone could see Percabeth etched on the band. Aphrodite sighed, still sad and disappointed that her favorite couple was broken up. Athena and Poseidon glared at each other, the latter angry at the wisdom spawn for breaking his son's heart.

Percy closed his eyes, as if making a decision. Opening them, he exited his cabin from the backdoor, clearly not wanting to be bothered by anyone, and headed towards the beach. Arriving at his destination, he walked up to the edge of the water. Percy grabbed the necklace out of his pocket, and looked at it, one last time, before flinging it into the ocean. He turned around and went back to his cabin. Not bothering to switch on the light, he went to bed.

The memory ended here.

Zeus was shocked. Poseidon buried his head in his hands with guilt and sorrow. Athena sat emotionless, but everyone could see the regret in her stormy grey eyes. Ares and Dionysus couldn't care less about the fallen hero. Hephaestus and Hermes wore a remorseful expression on their faces. Even though she had done plenty of bad things to the Son of Poseidon, Hera still felt remorse and pity for the young hero. The Gods who had chosen Percy's side were grim.

Perseus Jackson, Son of Poseidon, Slayer of Medusa and the Minotaur, holder of the sky, Savior of Olympus, Bane of Gaia, Defeater of Kronos, Slayer of Giants, Survivor of the Tartarus, Carrier of the Achilles Curse, Former praetor, One of the Seven and many more was sentenced to Tartarus for a crime he didn't commit.

Stabbed in the back by the people, who he thought, could trust.

"We have to bring him back!" Hazel exclaimed, turning to her father. "You're the God of the Underworld, can't you bring him back, dad?"

"I have no control over Tartarus," Hades contended, shaking his head. "The boy has to get out himself. I'm sorry."

"There has to be another way, right?" Jason reasoned, placing his hand around Piper.

"The only way to get out of Tartarus is through the Doors of Death." Hades explained.

"It can't be!" Frank proclaimed, starting to pace around the room. Then, within seconds, a pug stood in Frank's place. The Seven rushed to the bewildered animal and stared at it. They would have laughed if it weren't for the grim situation. Frank transformed back with a red face and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "What? I got stressed!"

Focusing back onto the current situation, Jason said, "There has to be something in the Olympus library. It has solutions for everything!"

"I'm gonna go with Jason to look for any answer to this," Piper stated, and the couple exited the room, hurriedly.

Before anyone could say anything, they heard a sob echo throughout the room. They looked at Poseidon. He was quietly crying into his hands, with his elbows resting on his knees. They turned away, knowing that he would want to be alone. Zeus sighed and ran a hand down his face.

"Everyone go back to camp," He said, waving his hands aimlessly. "We will meet again tomorrow to discuss this."

The demigods reluctantly were flashed out of the room to their respective camps. A tired Jason and Piper followed, when they came back from the library without any answers.

When they arrived back at the camp, Annabeth ran to them.

"Where were you guys?" Annabeth questioned, tilting her head ever so slightly. "What took you so long?"

Jason and Piper shot her a look and left, too restless to talk. Nico looked at Thalia cautiously one more time before heading back to his cabin.

"Well?" Annabeth asked, her ADHD acting up. Thalia rolled her eyes and glared at her.

"The gods finally got their heads straight and realised that Percy was sent to tartarus for no fucking reason!" Thalia seethed, clenching her fists tightly.

Annabeth gasped.

"W-wait.. What!?" She said, taking a step back involuntarily. "But- but there was proof!"

"Y'know for a daughter of Athena, you really are a dumb little bitch." With that Thalia pushed through the crowd that had gradually formed around them, to her cabin, slamming the door shut behind her.

The whispering started.

By the time dinner came around, the whole camp had heard the news. They did not take it well.

After weeks of meeting up with the Gods, trying to find any way to get Percy out of his prison, there still was no answer. Percy's friends became restless. Their hair was a mess, bags were worn underneath their drooping eyes, and none of them could sleep at night. Jason refused to get out of the Olympus library, not even to eat or sleep, until he found something. Anything. Piper tried many times to convince him to come out with charmspeak, but he was still in there. Frank and Hazel were at Camp Jupiter, also trying to find a way to get their dearest friend out of hell. Thalia and Nico constantly went to the underworld, looking for another entrance, an exit, to Tartarus. Whenever Nico could feel a death, Thalia and him rushed to Hades to make sure it wasn't their cousin.

But he was still there. He was alive.