How You Changed Me (Demigods In High School AU)

Chapter 38 || Our Little Vacation In Tartarus

(A/N: Percy and Annabeth are gonna have an experience in Tartarus, but it'll be AU, so not like The House of Hades)

PERCY JACKSON

Percy looked up and cursed when he saw a building fall down to seal the crack. The debris hit him multiple times as Annabeth covered her head. Well, Percy, being Percy, had his arms wrapped around her, so he could only get hit multiple times with debris, as well as a ripped out street lamp. Ouch. He bit his lip to prevent himself to cry out in pain.

No way was he letting Annabeth have to baby him. She already had a broken ankle. He could see both of her heads--wait, since when did Annabeth have two heads? He blinked a couple of times and saw her confused face.

"You okay?" she asked.

"We're falling into a pit that's f**king hell and you ask me if I'm okay?" Percy rolled his eyes, "Wise Girl, I thought you knew better!"

"Sorry," Annabeth laughed, hitting his arm affectionately.

He looked down nervously.

"It feels like we've been falling for hours," he whispered.

"Maybe we have," Annabeth said, glancing down.

"Do you have stuff on you?" he asked.

"Uh... a few ambrosia squares in my pocket and some nectar in a small energy shot drink from Starbucks but... nothing else."

Percy nodded.

"At least it's something," he said.

"Percy..." Annabeth whispered, quivering slightly.

"What?" he asked, furrowing my brows.

"What if we don't make it out of here alive? I mean... we just started dating and I was actually looking forward to having fun with someone for once. Because I actually love you."

Percy stared down at her face. That face he literally fell down into Tartarus for. And that's when it hit him. The most stupidest thing he ever thought in his life--well, it's more stupid that it came later than it was supposed to. He loved her.

"Don't think that way," He finally said, "We're getting out of here. I swear on the River Styx the you're gonna get out of here and you'll be alive."

"And you?" Annabeth whispered, looking at him.

"Annabeth, you and I both know that if I die, there's not really much grieving to do," he choked out, "I already f**ked up big time in my life."

"And you changed that, Percy!" Annabeth said, kissing his forehead. "So don't feel like you're completely done. You're just like me."

"Story time?" he asked like a toddler.

Annabeth laughed.

"Wanna hear my story?" she asked.

"Sure," Percy answered.

"My stepmom hates me," she said quietly, "She thinks I'm some sort of freak that has freakish blood that's made to be a freaking slave. The worst part? My real dad does nothing about it. Their whole world is my two stepbrothers. I don't know what to do now. All I have is Piper and school. I'm on a scholarship, Percy. That's literally it."

He was quiet as he looked into her crying eyes.

"Sorry," she whispered.

"No," Percy shook his head, "It's okay to cry."

Annabeth chuckled, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Says the person who just started crying a year ago."

He laughed slightly, but remembered the situation we were in.

"So I guess you kinda see me as a whole different person now, huh?" Annabeth said softly, "I have no one who loves me. That's why I need you."

Looking into her gray eyes, Percy hugged her, ignoring the splitting pain that went through the back of his head.

"Percy..." she said slowly, looking over his shoulder.

"Yeah?" he asked, whipping around.

"Percy, you have... blood leaking from your head. Are you okay?" she touched it and Percy hissed slightly. "Okay, that answers my question. Percy, give me your shirt."

"Uhm... Okay," he said.

When the attack had started, Percy's suit had disappeared, as it was enchanted, giving him some regular clothes. A white T-shirt with some jeans. Annabeth ripped a strip off, wrapping it around his head.

"Now you look like you have a headband on," she joked and Percy laughed.

That's when he realized how close they were to the ground.

"Annabeth..." he said slowly, "Look down."

She looked down and almost jumped out of his arms. But he held on tighter, afraid to let go in case she'd be taken away from him.

"F**k... we're so close to the ground!"

With a splash, they entered a river.

"Oh, great! We landed in a river! Damn... I don't get why it's ice cold, but--"

It's no use... a voice said.

Percy frowned, but the voices became louder.

Give up...

Don't fight. You'll be more relaxed with us. You'll get out of Tartarus this way.

So he let go. He drifted downwards, the voices clouding his mind like fog.

"PERCY!" he heard a scream and opened his eyes, looking to see Annabeth holding onto his hand for dear life.

Don't listen to her... Let go...

"Let go?" he said aloud.

Yes...

That didn't seem right. With a massive haul, Annabeth got him to the surface.

ANNABETH CHASE

"Listen to me, Percy!" she said, shaking him as his eyes were clouded over. "Think about what we're gonna do! Get married! Have kids! Finally start to date and have love!"

A little of the cloudiness cleared and he nodded. The voices hissed louder but they made it out onto the beach.

"OW!" she yelled as her palms met the sand.

They were bloody already.

"Ah!" Percy flinched when he touched the sand, rolling over onto his back. "I rate this White Water Rafting experience 0 stars."

She couldn't help but laugh, but quickly, it disappeared as she scanned their surroundings. Everything was hazy and she was shivering, her teeth chattering. She wasn't even sure if her heart was beating. Wait... then she'd be dead. She reached over, ripping a piece of Percy's shirt off to tie around his bullet wound in his leg.

"We'll be better if we just keep going," she said, adjusting the bubble wrap cast she had made on the way down there. "Dying of hypothermia rather than moving isn't good at all."

Percy nodded and helped her to her feet as they limped through Tartarus. She felt like her lungs were burning as the blisters appeared on her hands, blurred by the stinging in her eyes. Annabeth's knees buckled and she fell face first onto the ground.

"Annabeth, get up!" Percy grunted, grabbing her arm.

She groaned from the floor, feeling pain take over her body.

"Annabeth!" Percy called to her before the world went black.