"Promise."
That what was Percy had said. It comforted Annabeth and they sat there for a while, Annabeth lying in Percy's arms. Percy said that he would stay on guard while she slept. She didn't really have a dream, there was just a voice in her head saying beware, beware over and over again. Beware! Beware! BEWARE! Annabeth snapped awake. "Percy!" she cried. Percy flinched.
"What?" he said, alarmed.
"Percy, there's something wrong. There's something really wrong."
"What?" Percy asked. Annabeth scanned her surroundings and realized what was so wrong. Arachne's dust pile was gone.
"Arachne," she murmured. Then she turned around to Percy. "Trivia question: where do monsters go when they are killed in Tartarus?" she asked him. Percy's face paled and he answered, "Tartarus. Oh gods, Annabeth. What are we going to do?"
"We're going to fight," Annabeth said, "We can do this. We have to do this… for the world." Percy nodded,
"Of course," he murmured then he shot up straight, "Gaea." Then Annabeth heard it, too. You will not die in Tartarus, my pawns, she said, laughing. No, no, your blood shall still be spilled on ancient stone and you will awaken me.
"Shut up," Annabeth and Percy said together.
"Okay, we need to move. We only have so much time to save the world," said Annabeth.
"What about your ankle?" Percy asked. Surprisingly, the bubble wrap cast had survived the fall.
"I don't know. I lost my crutches," Annabeth replied. Percy frowned.
"One second," he said and disappeared behind a few cars. Annabeth was left with nothing. Percy returned with a backpack and… a two-seat bicycle. Great. They were going to save the world on a bicycle built for two.
"What's in the backpack?" she asked.
"Food and a blanket," he grinned, "Looks like someone was going on a picnic."
"And how will biking help my ankle?" Annabeth asked, rolling her eyes.
"Oh- uh. Hold on one sec," Percy replied and left again. When he came back, he held two evenly sized boards. "Wha- la," he said and mockingly took a bow.
"Alright, Dr. Jackson," Annabeth joked, "Fix me up."
"I'd thought you'd never ask."
Annabeth hated bicycles. She and Percy had searched the other cars looking for useful things. They had found a first aid kit, water bottles, a swiss army knife (yay), matches, flashlights, extra batteries, and granola bars. They put every thing in the backpack which had peanut-butter sandwiches in air-tight bags, 2 giant bags of chips, a veggie bag, assorted fruit, a box of Oreos, and more water. Whoever packed that bag must have been hungry.
They were bouncing along the ground which must have been obsidian or basalt because it was pitch black, as was most of Tartarus. Annabeth had tied the flashlight to the handlebars of the bike with silk string to make light. It was a pretty big flashlight and allowed them to see 6 feet in front of them. Just in case though, Percy rode slow so they wouldn't, say, fall into a ravine. They had been at it for an hour now, and Annabeth finally said, "Let's rest." They set up a camp and Percy made a little fire.
"Where in the world did you get wood?" Annabeth asked him.
"I grabbed more when you weren't looking," he said smiling that troublemaker smile that Annabeth had come to love, "A demigod should always be prepared, right?"
"I'm surprised, Seaweed Brain," she replied.
"What? At me?"
"Yes. That and the fact that we haven't been attacked by monsters aside from Arachne."
"Hmm," Percy said, "Maybe Gaea is telling them to lay off. That or we're the luckiest half-bloods in the world."
"Sure we are," Annabeth replied and punched him in the arm playfully. He snorted and opened two water bottles. He handed one to Annabeth and toasted,
"To surviving the endless pit of death."
"Cheers," Annabeth giggled. They ate some granola bars and washed it down with a little water.
"Alright," Percy said, "Let's hit the road." They biked more and more and Annabeth found herself almost wishing that they met a monster along the way. Unfortunanatly, the saying goes, "Be careful what you wish for." and that's exactly what Annabeth wished she had done.
There was a giant snake slithering behind them.
"Oh gods," said Annabeth, "Pedal faster! Pedal faster!"
"Why?" asked Percy and turned around. "Apollo's lyre!" he shouted, "What is that thing?" Annabeth was thinking alng the same lines.
"I don't know," she shouted, "Just go faster!"
"I'm tryi- oh crap." Percy said...They had a flat tire.