LEO
When he said the ground crumbled underneath him, he meant that it shattered. It flat out disappeared. And he free-fell down with it.
He heard Annabeth yell somewhere in the darkness.
"Annabeth!"
"Leo!" echoed back.
"Percy!" was screamed in unison. No answer.
Seriously, though. How did they keep losing each other? Walkie-talkies are definitely going to be a thing.
His hands scraped along raw stone, study stone, and he instantly became aware of the feeling of enclosure. He could feel the cold pressing in around him even though he couldn't see it, and knew they'd entered yet another danger-zone - if you ignored the falling to their deaths part.
Ground.
The wind knocked back out of him and he lay dazed on his stomach, feeling a little like he was underwater. Annabeth groaned beside him and he saw her dark shape push herself up onto her feet.
"You okay?"
"Mhm," he grumbled.
There was a skittering sound from behind them loud enough to shock them out of their stupor and they both spun around, Annabeth struggling with her sword and Leo struggling with an apparently malfunctioning tool belt.
There was a slash and a grunt and the sound of metal being dropped again and none but Percy came staggering into view.
Annabeth relaxed and walked a little bit faster towards her found (part 85) boyfriend who just smiled casually as they approached.
"Hey."
"Hey. Where's Triton?" Annabeth's voice got cold when she mentioned the immortal's name and Leo noticed something silver in Percy's hand that he hadn't before. His grip readjusted around its hilt like he wasn't quite used to the idea of holding it.
"Dunno," came the answer, clearly not what they wanted to hear, and Leo nodded to the trident.
"And you've still got that," he said.
Percy nodded cautiously, like if he acknowledged the weapon it would jump down and run away. "It fell when Triton attacked me and when I got it back, he just kind of, left. Made us fall then disappeared."
"Cool. So, he's leaving us alone?" Leo said hopefully.
"Or this is a trap." Annabeth really knew how to bast optimism.
"Right. Probably that. That sounds more like the usual. I'd really hate to break tradition."
Quite right, quite right, son of Hephaestus, the cavern said. Tradition is so important after all. Tradition is what got you three here, isn't it?
The three tensed, the voice penetrating and deep, smooth and cold.
Oh, don't worry, it continued. You don't have any chance of stopping me. But you know that, surely.
"You're wrong," Percy shot, suddenly looking very angry. "You don't have any chance of winning."
The voice of Koios laughed. "Is that so, Mr. Jackson? Are you going to stop me?" A figure appeared at the back of the cavern, wrapped in shadow, and began to approach them. "How lovely," he growled.
