*ANNABETH*

Annabeth tore off her shredded jacket as they continued to walk through the darkness, she was boiling. They had only been walking for about two hours and not encountered much besides Arachne, who had been trying to kill them (but without pincers, she stood no chance). At first she thought that she was just getting hot because of the amount of walking they had done, but as time passed she could feel the stagnant air around her begin to get hotter. She glanced over at Percy, who was panting as sweat beaded at his brow. He saw her watching him and forced a smile;

"Is it just me or is it getting hot in here?" He smirked. She grimaced, if only, she thought.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I doubt its you." She rolled her eyes as he smiled, "What do you think it is?" She asked quietly, he turned his head away from her and squinted out into the darkness. "Well its kind of obvious isn't it?" He asked, still facing away from her, so that she had to strain to hear his voice. "Obvious? Gods, Percy how could anything by obvious in Tartarus?" She groaned, annoyed that whatever he thought was obvious, it hadn't occurred to her.

"Well, we're in Tartarus, aka Hell. And unless I'm mistaken, Hell is known to be hot, like a volcanic pit of fire and Hell is pretty universal so..." He trailed of thoughtfully as Annabeth absorbed this information. How had she not seen it? Percy reached for her hand and squeezed it, the look in his eyes settled her whirring mind, his eyes were like the calm before a storm. And even though there was a storm coming, the calm was still, well, calming. She needed it too, ever since they had started walking she had felt weaker and weaker, which had just made her freak out even more. His mouth quirked up at the corners, almost as if he could hear her heart slowing down, as if he knew how helpful he was to her. She blushed and turned her head looking out into the oblivion. Riptide cast a blueish glow across the smooth rock floors, making their location even more eerie than it already was. Her eyes trailed the floor of the cavern (at least that's what she assumed it looked like), as she looked for anything helpful she caught something glint out of the corner of her eye, she turned her head slowly as she prepared for another ambush from Arachne. Then she saw it, an owl.

*PERCY*

Percy had been watching Annabeth, her long gold hair curled around her shoulders as she swung around, looking for clues to a way out. He was exhausted and the darkness was beginning wear on his mind. He tried to stay alert but it felt like his strength was being sapped out of him, he assumed it was Gaia, but there was no place for him to climb, no sea for him to swim in, he was trapped on the ground where she was strongest. Percy felt slow, like he was trying to run through mud and see through fog, it was dragging him down. Percy. Percy. Percy! Percy jolted as he woke from his stupor, Annabeth was calling his name. He glanced around and found her standing next to him worriedly;

"Are you okay?" She asked, as she extended one hand to grasp his. He tried to remember what happened, all that came to him were jumbled thoughts though. "I'm fine, sorry I'm just tired I guess." He shook his head, trying to jolt his brain back into place. She glanced at him, concern written all over her face.

"Annabeth, I'm fine really, what did you need?" She watched him for another few seconds and nodded to herself.

"I found an owl Percy, the Mark of Athena. My Mother must be helping us somehow." She said excitedly, he frowned, "But the gods can't come to Tartarus."

"Percy, everyone has said they don't go into Tartarus, that doesn't mean that they can't." As her words washed over him he gasped. A smile broke across his face as the facts clicked together, "Shes showing us a way out, isn't she?" Annabeth grinned back, "It seems like it." As the hope of their situation flared up inside of him he moved forward in two large strides and grasped Annabeth in a hug, energy surged through him as he held her close, rejoicing in the hope of their escape. Then she went limp in his arms.

*ANNABETH*

Annabeth wavered in and out of consciousness, her energy came in frequent surges until she was awake enough to open her eye. She peeked between the lashes and saw the glow of riptide cast across her skin. She opened the other eye and propped herself up on one elbow, sitting across from her, almost engulfed in darkness was Percy. He had his head between his knees and was pulling at his hair with his hands so that it stuck up in chunks here and there. Annabeth slowly got up on her hands and knees and began to crawl towards him. He put up his hand, motioning for her to stop and proceeded to lift his head.

"Don't come closer, I swear I- I- think I'm losing it Annabeth." His words slurred at the ends, just enough that she barely caught it.

"Percy- what's wrong, what happened?" She was terrified at what she had missed as she was unconscious. Percy looked at her, mirroring her expression.

"I don't know, I've been feeling foggy ever since we started walking and then when you told me about the owl I felt good again, like I was before. Then you passed out when I hugged you and I was foggy again but it gotch worsh." He slurred his last two words like a drunken and held his head between his hands. She began to crawl to him, to comfort him, but he looked up suddenly, terrified.

"Stop!" He said, putting his hand up again. "The closher yo'ar the worshe it getchs." He said as he scooted back farther into the darkness. She looked at him, her heart broke to see him so tortured and vulnerable, and to know that it was because of her. She stood up but thought better as she crouched to the floor, in case she fainted again. As she crawled back to riptide she considered what Percy had said, and mulled it over in her head. Then using Riptide as a crutch she stood, but she didn't need Riptide, she couldn't even get up on her knees, her legs trembled violently as she wobbled precariously on all fours. Maybe Percy was right, the distance between us is affecting us both.