Word Count: 462

Characters/Pairings: the seven + Nico; Percabeth in this chapter

Timeline/Spoilers: presumably set during HoH; major spoilers for entire series

Summary: Hypothetical scenarios exploring the possibility of each of the seven of the prophecy having to close the Doors of Death. — vii. Because they'd both rather perish together than walk out of that place alone.

the daughter of Athena

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"Let me go, Percy! I have to do this on my—" (on her own, she thinks, and it's not her hubris acting up again. he's saved the world too many times already; she cannot bear to let him suffer again.)

"No, you don't!" he thunders (ironic, for the son of the sea god). "When are you going to get it through your head that you don't have to carry all the weight yourself? (that's why i carried the sky for you, that's why i thought of you as my link to the mortal world, that's why i fell into the godsforsaken pit of tartarus with you, that's why…) That's why I'm here, Annabeth."

At those words, she stops, and their gazes link. Through expression alone he begs her to comprehend. Those sea green eyes always did have an overwhelming effect on her.

Though her heart cries for its partner, her mind, inherited from the goddess of wisdom, insists otherwise.

But it's high time she started listening to her other organs, so before her mind has the chance to catch up, Annabeth grabs him by the collar and pulls him in for a searing kiss.

Once separate (and seeing stars), she stares into his eyes a few seconds more, scanning them for some sort of answer. But sometimes there is no right response (even for athena) and you just have to go with your gut feeling. The man who stands before her now has been proving that to her since he was a boy of twelve.

Nonetheless, something clicks right then. The pair turns back to their friends, each of whom is sporting a face of fear and confusion with just a glint of hope at this new development. Unbeknownst to them, that hope is about to be extinguished.

Grasping her hand, Percy speaks up, "Tell everyone (mom, paul, tyson, grover; dad, the boys, malcolm, thalia, chiron) we're sorry. And thank you, all of you, for everything."

There is a collective gasp from the group and a sudden realization of what was about to occur. Nico is the first to snap out of the quasi-trance and surges forward, but it is too late. The doors of death slam shut on the resounding cries of the demigods left behind.

Inside, as they succumb to the darkness within, Annabeth turns to her boyfriend(? he's much more than that, at this point). He is bloody, battered, and downtrodden, but that small, insufferable grin that lights his features proves that he is the same Seaweed Brain and Kelp Head and stupid, stupid Percy Jackson she's known and loved for the past five years, and she is sure that she's made the right decision. Because they'd both rather perish together than walk out of that place alone.

.

"Let's see how far we've come."

A/N: Kind of repetitive of Percy's chapter. But honestly after he voluntarily fell into Tartarus with her, you think he'd let her go back in alone?

Not finished yet! One last chapter, guys.