Hey guys. Long time no see. You may recognize this chapter from one of my other stories, and that's because it is. I just didn't want to write the scene again, but the rest of the story will be different. All rights to Rick Riordan. See you guys soon.

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Jason

Jason paced up and down the crumbling room. The towering doors before him trembled with the force of the chains. He glanced nervously at the ceiling, silently begging it to hold for slightly longer. He glanced at his friends who had helped him arrive to where they were now. Piper, his girlfriend, love of his life, was sitting. Arms around her knees, pulled to her chest, she gripped her dagger, kaleidoscope eyes slowing loosing hope as she stared pleadingly through the doors. Leo, his best friend was standing guard. His hands were light with fire, casting the flickering flame over the dark room. Every small sound caused to him jump around. His foot tapped nervously on the ground. Every now and then, they would lock eyes, a million silent words drifting between them.

Hazel was close to tears but was trying to hide it. Her young, wide eyes were filled, nothing yet falling. She ripped her fingers through her hair, pacing along side Jason. He heard her muttering under her breath, pleading. Frank was leaning against the wall, tending to a wound in his arm. He watched Hazel pace, pained expression on his face, mirroring all the others in his constant glance to the shaking doors. Jason stopped pacing for a second and locked eyes with Nico. Nico's dark slightly curly locks hid most of his forehead, but his dark paranoid eyes continued to dart around the room freely, finally resting on Jason's. Jason tilted his head slightly. A silent indicator for a question that had been burning in his throat for almost a month. Are they alive?

Nico gave a small nod. Jason started pacing again. That nod was the only thing keeping any of them there. A large crumbling sound and Leo's flames leapt higher in fear. The place was crumbling around them. They needed to leave soon. But none of them suggested it. They all returned their gazes to the floor. Jason turned towards Piper. he slowly inched down the wall and sat next to her. She looked at him, eyes filled with unshed tears.

"They have to be here." As she said it, her voice trembled. A single tear slipped out of her lids. Behind those words were weeks worth of hopes being crushed. For weeks they hoped and prayed they would be here. Not even that, they relied on the fact that they would be here. And here was Jason, but not them. Jason put his head in his hands. Where were Percy and Annabeth? Suddenly a scream ripped through the silence of the room. Hazel was standing rigidly, wide eyed, pointing through the doors. Leo turned around, ripped his hammer from his tool belt on high alert. Jason and Piper stood quickly, brandishing their own weapons. Despite his wounded shoulder, Frank drew his bow. Nico pulled out his long back sword, shadows rippling out of it. But two words changed all of their reactions as quickly as they had come.

"It's them." She was breathless. Jason raced to stand next to her. In the fog that shielded them from seeing Tartarus were two figures. They were close together, hard to determine appearances. He refused to look away. Everyone was standing next to each other now in a line, waiting to greet the two people who they prayed were who they thought they were. Then they stepped through the fog, and every piece and Jason's mind seemed to click. Almost a month of feeling something was missing, a month of trying desperately trying to hold together their crumbling team, they were here.

Percy and Annabeth were holding each other, it was impossible to tell who was supporting who. Blood trickled down Annabeth's face and into her beautiful golden hair, which was now coated in dirt and grime, from a head wound. Percy's lip was split and his Camp Half-Blood t-shirt ripped and stained. They looked horribly, but when Percy saw them, his face lit up in the biggest smile imaginable. He nudged Annabeth and pointed at him. Even from far away, they could hear her laugh. Relieve and almost hysterical, but a laugh. They limped faster towards them, finally falling through the doors and into their friend's arms, finally reunited.

Percy hugged Leo first, arms tightly around each other. Leo was yelling something Jason couldn't hear, nor wanted to. It was their moment. Annabeth went to Piper and Hazel and they had a group hug. All three of them were sobbing into each other's shirts.

"Dang Aquaman you smell." Leo laughed as Percy went over to Frank. Nico was standing awkwardly next to them before Percy dragged him over to share in the hug. Finally Percy came over to Jason as Frank, Leo and Nico went over to greet Annabeth. He held out his arms, one painfully bent, and Jason gladly went into them. It felt good to hug Percy after all this time, but something felt off. Percy was too stiff. Percy tilted his head to Jason's ear and started talking in a quiet yet fast voice.

"Look, Jason, don't even try to argue. I have to close the doors. Someone has to and I can't let it be anyone else, especially not Annabeth. But, you know Annabeth and she's not going to let me leave willingly, so... I..." He faded out, not needing to finish his sentence. Jason's body was cold. He just got him back, he couldn't loose him again.

"I... please Jason. You're a roman. You guys are big on the whole sacrificing thing. Please..." Jason could hear Percy's stuttering breaths. He was close to tears. He could feel his body shaking against his. Someone had to close the doors.

"Percy... you're in no condition... let me."

"No." Jason knew he meant it. There was no way Percy Jackson was going to let anyone else do this but him. Jason hugged him tightly, blinking back tears.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered. Percy swallowed deeply and stepped back. He gave a small smile, eyes swimming with tears. He mouthed thank you. He walked over to Annabeth and put his arm around her shoulders. He smiled up at him, grateful to be alive. He kissed the top of her head. Jason saw a tear slipped off of his face and fall into her mess of a ponytail.

"Percy are you okay?" She started to say, but then Jason stepped to her. He tapped her shoulder and held out his arms. She smiled at him and gently disentangled herself from Percy's arms. Jason's heart was thumping wildly. He wondered it she could feel it. His hands were shaking, but he held them around her. He watched Percy bite his split lip and slowly back towards the doors. No one noticed. This was Jason's last chance to stop him. But he didn't move. He was such a coward.

Annabeth tried to step back, but he panicked and held her tighter.

"Jason what're you-?" Nothing much get's past Annabeth. He whole body went ridged.

"Percy!" She whipped around so fast Jason lost his grip on her. He managed to grab her again, but she had managed to turn around. She struggled against him, trying to push him away from her, but he held on tight. The others noticed what was happening. Piper clapped her hand over her mouth, tears slipping down her knuckles. Leo tried to take a step forward, but Nico grabbed his arm. Nico looked at the ground, tears falling. He knew this was going to happen. Or at least suspected.

"I'm so sorry Annabeth." Percy's voice cracked. He stepped into Tartarus, glanced behind him and then locked eyes with Annabeth again. "I'm so sorry. I never wanted this to happen, but-." More tears slipped. "I-I can't let it be anyone else."

"PERCY! Please don't please please please!" Annabeth was begging in Jason's arms, still fighting him. It took everything he had in him to hold on.

"I'm so sorry." Percy was sobbing now. He grabbed the edge of the door and started closing it. Then Annabeth made a move that only someone who spent their entire life training could pull off. She twisted her body and Jason's arm in two different directions and then pushed off of him. Jason cried out in pain and fell to the ground. He lunged out and tried to grab her again, but she was already on her way to Percy. He caught her in his arms.

Jason thought Percy would try to push her away, but he held her tightly, sobbing into her shoulder. He was saying words to her that Jason couldn't here.

"Percy you promised. Never again you promised." She had her arms around him. They were both a mess.

"I can't let anyone else. I-I can't." He pulled her face to his and kissed her. Jason realized tears had started to fall on his face. This would be their last kiss. Finally they broke apart and Percy look devestated.

"I'm sorry Wise Girl. I'll always love you!" And he pushed her to the ground and slammed the doors.

"NO!" Annabeth screamed, but it was too late. Hazel, despite being a puddle on the ground, managed to rise and close the other sides. Annabeth was on her knees, hands on the wall where the doors once stood, sobbing a brokenhearted sob. Jason stood trembling at what he'd just done. He looked around. Nico and Leo hadn't moves. Leo was still one step forward, Nico still staring at the ground, holding him back. Frank stood silently, pale in the face. Shaking. Hazel was next to the broken chains, the links still in her hands. She had thrown an arm over her face. Piper was staring at Jason like she had never met him before. He opened his mouth to explain, but there were no words left.

Nico was the first to break the silence. "We have to go." Followed by more crumbling. Without another word more, they all stepped together in a circle and Nico shadow traveled them out. Jason felt suffocating darkness, and then an explosion of light. But nothing mattered anymore. Percy Jackson was gone.