ANNABETH

and then he let go.

And they fell into the darkness. She could imagine Nico's pale face as he tries to digest what Percy just did, Hazel's shock when she reaches the ladder and turns around to find Nico reaching hopelessly at the edge, Leo, Jason, Piper and Frank - when they come down to tell them the statue is secure and find no one...

and Percy.

He disappeared in the dark, but she feel his hand clamped around her wrist like stone.
You're not getting away from me. Never again.
She could tell she was pulling him down headfirst, she herself pulled down by Arachne. His free hand somehow found her, pulling her closer...
Never again.
She wished it didn't have to be said that way, when you know you have no hope. It would have been nice if they managed to get back on the Argo II and that's when he said it. But demigods don't live fairytales. Quite the opposite, in fact. But if only

...and before they made it to each other, she blacked out.

Annabeth woke up on the mossy floor in somewhere dark. The air smelled thin and fumy. There wasn't any source of light, although there were very very dim, gray blotches floating around. She could barely make out the outline of the wall facing her. She tried to sit up, but something was bound around her, pinning her arms, and the more she strained to get out the tighter it wrapped around her.

"Hey."

Annabeth jerked at the familiar voice and realised that it was actually Percy holding her in his arms. She turned around, but all she could see was the dark outline of his hair. And, if she squinted, his face.

Percy brushed her fringe out of her face. "You'll get used to the lighting, soon enough. Also, I found a couple of your stuff."

He pulled out - thankfully - her emergency supplies: dry snacks, water bottle (though two thirds empty, "I can't call the sea from here, it's too far"), nectar and ambrosia, and Daedalus' laptop ("Your knife's stuck in the card slot by the way, so I guess we'll have to survive without credit cards from now on.") from behind him. Annabeth realised they were slumped against another stone wall.

Something scuttled pass them in the darkness, and Annabeth whipped towards the sound so suddenly, she strained her injured ankle. Only slightly, but it still twinged.

"Whoa. Careful." Percy said, adjusting himself such that she was now leaning back on the wall and he was free to move. He gently adjusted her foot. "I gave you some nectar while you were unconscious, but life food doesn't work like it is down here now that everybody's, um, supposedly dead," he said.

Of course. Tartarus. Deepest depths of the underworld, where only the dead go. Until Nico. Then now, them.

Suddenly, Annabeth had this sinking feeling that she had dragged Percy into this. He could have let her go. Hung on until Jason or Frank picked him up. Saved at least himself. But he didn't. He chose to hold on to her. You're not getting away from me. Never again. It was his choice. But Annabeth somehow felt that she had something to do with it.

They were trapped way below the Underworld. And Percy didn't deserve this.

"I'm sorry," she said, voice faltering, not daring to look at him, now her eyes were adjusting to the light (she could make out his entire silhouette bent over her foot).

He turned to face her. Probably because she could sense his eyes burning into the top of her head. Finally, he said, "It's not your fault."

The fact that he sounded so sure of it made Annabeth even guiltier. Of course everything was her fault. If she didn't have to 'walk alone', everyone could have just quickly cooperated, saved Nico and get the Athena Parthenos all on time. And then Percy wouldn't have to end up here. Accordingly, the Doors of Death had to be closed from both sides, meaning someone had to stay inside Tartarus. She knew when the time came Percy would have insisted on her going through to the other side. That's his problem. Athena said it herself. "Personal loyalty. One day your fatal flaw might kill us all." She didn't know how he quest could go on without him. Then again - it was her who dragged him down here. Maybe she could have done better to make him let go. Slippery slope, but the quest would fail thanks to her.

Percy must had been up for quite a while, because he could see her eyes welling up with tears and pulled her close to him. "Hey," he consoled, "Hey. It's okay."

She buried her face in his chest and opened the floodgates. Percy was gently stroking her head. He must have read her mind as well, because after a while, he added in a whisper, "No one blames you." Which just made it worse. Her tears had drenched his shirt, but he made no effort to keep dry, which Annabeth couldn't decide was good or bad and she just cried harder. He hugged her tighter, leaning his head down on hers, and for a moment his lips brushed the top of her forehead, jolting and yet calming her down.