Hey guys! I promised myself that I would be done with all these Tartarus stories but apparently I can't keep my own promises. So... here we go again!

Percy swung his sword through monster after monster, trying desperately to clear a path to the enormous doors towering over head. After weeks of dimly lit Tartarus sky, the doors seemed to almost glow. They attracted all eyes and demanded attention. The complete contrast to the beautiful golden doors to Olympus however, the Doors of Death seemed to radiate a dark energy. They were illuminating, yes, but in a way where you couldn't tear your eyes away even if death was hovering by with a scythe.

Eyes fixated on the doors, Percy moved several feet closer, arm growing tired from the exhausting fight. Annabeth fought along side him in the corner of his vision. The periodic flashes of her golden hair were the only things that gave him the motivation to keep pushing forward. He kept repeating the names of his loved ones in his head, a reminder as to why the doors needed to be closed, but the darkness and fear pressed in on him, making it difficult.

Finally pushing through the last little bit, Percy flung himself against the doors. He whipped around and grabbed Annabeth's arm, pulling her roughly towards him. He held her against his chest, heart beating so rapidly he was sure she could feel it, and had his back pressed against the door.

The monsters were held back by an invisible shield. They could only cross the barrier towards the doors once given permission by Tartarus himself. He granted the monsters the ability to walk towards the doors and be welcomed back into the mortal world. Percy and Annabeth, being mortals, did not abide by those rules. They were not under his domain, so could cross the barrier which offered them temporary protection. This illusion of safety was however short lived.

Annabeth, breathing heavily, gently moved away from Percy's arms to study the doors. Percy, also gasping, pushed his sweaty hair from his forehead and leaned against the door. Annabeth licked her lips as her eyes darted across every details the doors held.

"I don't know." She muttered, then looked at Percy. "I don't know how we're going to do this. Someone has to stay in here." Her voice dropped on the last sentence, as if the words themselves were the thing that indicated fear.

"Maybe they came up with a solution. We can still wait for them." Percy said desperately, watching the monsters try to rip open the barrier, hungry for their blood.

"The longer we stay here the more everyone is in danger." Annabeth back further away from the shield, wondering if it could be broken. "We can't leave these open for much longer. And I don't think whatever bubble we're in is going to last."

The monsters claws ripped deeper into the invisible wall.

"Someone has to stay." Percy whispered to himself. He had come to this conclusion a long time ago. There was no way he would let Annabeth stay here. She was the good. He fought for the greater good and she was it. Everything he did was for her. Now he had to do one last thing.

"Percy." Annabeth heard him and had probably suspected his plan anyway. She looked at him with pained eyes.

"I'm sorry Wise Girl." He tried to smile.

"Please." Her voice broke.

"I can't let it be you." He moved forward for a hug, but Annabeth took a step back.

"No. I can't let you do this to yourself. It's my fault you're down here, so I have to be the one to get you out." Percy stepped forward again and stared into her eyes.

"You know I love you." He said softly.

"Don't do this."

"I have to."

"Let it be me." She begged.

"I can't." His voice was fragil.

Annabeth looked up at him. "And what if I can't either?"

Percy pulled her into a long hug. She had her face buried into his shoulder and felt his uneven breath on her neck. He was shaking around her.

"I'm so sorry." He breathed into her neck. Then, he grabbed her shoulders and roughly pushed her through the doors.

"No!" She screamed as she dropped to her knees to prevent herself from going all the way through. She scrambled away from the doors, away from the mortal world peaking through the opening, and back into the deepest pit of the underworld. She pulled herself to her feet.

"No Percy! I can't go! I can't let you do this for me. I just can't." She stared at him in absolute terror.

Percy looked at her pleadingly and took another step forward but Annabeth drew her sword. Percy stopped walking, but Annabeth stepped to him, sword now near his throat.

"Walk through the doors right now." Her voice was shaky and choked with tears. Percy looked at the blade and then at her, his eyes also filled. In a quick movement, he flipped her sword to facing the ground and had Riptide at her throat. His hands shook as he held the hilt, never thinking he would have a weapon directed at Annabeth.

"Please. I couldn't save you the first time, let me save you this time." He was begging. He was stripped raw, every single emotion on display. He was on his knees pleading for the one thing she could never give him.

Annabeth flipped his sword too, but he blocked her as she aimed for another stale mate. They stared at each other for a second before Annabeth tried to pair his block and push him backwards. He spun his sword around to match her's. With every swing of their respected swords, they were trying to disarm one another and push each other further towards the doors.

Never before had they thought they would be fighting each other, but here they fought, not to the death, but to the survival. Whoever lost this fight would be granted salvation, delivered to the mortal world, while the victor, trapped forever in hell. With each strike of their swords, their desperation grew greater. Neither could live with stepping through those doors. There were indeed things worse than death.

"Please, Percy." Annabeth gasped through the effort, the fear of loosing dragging on her words. Every beg out of her mouth was physical pain to Percy. All her wanted was to protect her and it was causing her more pain.

Tears were streaming down her face as she swiped with her knife again, trying desperately to disarm him, gain at least some upper-hand to get him through those doors, but he was a smart fighter. He blocked her every move it and it was all she could do to block his.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a monster's claw break through the shield and her heart leapt to her throat. At the same time, she felt a searing pain on her side. Percy's sword cut right below her ribs, not deep enough to kill, but enough to drop her to her knees. In her distraction, she didn't block his strike.

"Annabeth!" Percy gasped and dropped his sword immediately. He ran to her side and placed a hand against the wound.

"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry." He was panicked, frantically trying to stop the blood flow. Now laying in his arms, Annabeth's head was spinning.

"It's okay. You're okay. It's fine." She breathed, blinking over and over, trying to clear the spots from her eyes.

"No." His voice broke as sobs racked his throat. "I hurt you. I'm so so sorry." He was crying now.

"It's okay." Annabeth said quietly. She placed her arms around his neck in a hug. At least they were done fighting now. Maybe they would sit here long enough and their friends would finally arrive on the other side of the doors. Maybe they knew a solution. Maybe the shield would never break and her and Percy could sit in their protective bubble forever.

"Just stay with me." She breathed against his shoulder, closing her eyes. She felt his arms hold her and she could almost produce the illusion of safety. Then, she felt him begin to lift her.

"Percy." Her eyes flew open and her blood went cold. He was carrying her towards the doors. Immediately, she began to frantically move in his arms, trying desperately to throw herself to the ground, get away from the mortal world. Every move she made was tendrils of pain through her side, the sword cut proving its damage.

"I'm so sorry. They'll find you, they'll help you. I'm so sorry. I love you so much, Wise Girl. You have no idea how much." He cried as he carried her through the doors and into the stone room on the other side.

"PERCY! PLEASE DON'T! PLEASE!" Annabeth screamed, but as he set her down gently on the floor, her lightheadedness stopped her from doing much else.

"I never meant to hurt you, believe me. Tell the others I said I love them, okay? And my mom, please?" He stepped back through the doors.

Annabeth, laying on the ground, blood forming a puddle around her, tried to get her arms to drag her across the floor. She clawed at the stone, dragging her self an inch, two inches, maybe three inches closer to Percy. He hesitated with his hands on the doorframe. More than anything, he wanted to run to her, try to help her, but he couldn't. The grief and guilt of what he had accidentally done was tearing him apart, and seeing the person he loved most laying on the ground, covered in blood, begging him to come back, was almost convincing enough. But he knew in his heart that the only way to help her, without or without injury, was to keep her from the hell pit forever.

"I love you." His voice was shattered, barely audible, but Annabeth heard every word. Percy swung the doors closed just as Annabeth screamed his name once again.

Annabeth sobbed into the stone floor, pain etching every inch of her face. She stared at the doors, still shaking with the effort of being forced open by the chains. The chains. They needed to be cut on both sides and Percy had just thrown his life away for the Tartarus side. Hyperventilating, Annabeth continued to drag herself across the floor, her shirt slick with blood rubbing against her cut. She grabbed the knife Percy had laid next to her and cut the chains. They shattered like glass and the doors disappeared in a pop, meaning Percy had completed his side.

Annabeth collapsed back on the ground, chest hurting from the crying, side hurting from the cut and she hoped to all the gods that the sword went deep enough to let her die, right there, on the floor.

Percy shattered the chains on his side and took a step backwards, entire body shaking from what had just happened. Annabeth's pained scream still echoed in his ears. Oh gods. What had he done?

But none of that mattered because then the barrier around the doors finally shattered and the monsters rushed in, determined to tear Percy Jackson apart.

Please review!

Sorry it was super dark!