The Curse of Oenone (Daughter of Olympus II) - [Leo Valdez xF!Oc]

I Use the Power of Love (Goes Wrong Too)

When they reach the bottom, Annabeth is staring down a ridge in the middle of the cave. Percy pulls her away from it and hugs her. Annabeth sobs against his chest. 

"It's okay, we're together," he eases her.

"Annie," Ara reaches for her T-Rex. "Your leg..."

Ara gets to work quickly while Leo follows her instructions and takes the Athena Parthenos. Hazel and Piper come down with Nico as well, and Ara wants to yell at them to go back, but she keeps it quiet, they're trying to help them get out of there faster.

"Your leg," Piper crouches next to Ara. "Oh, Annabeth, what happened?"

Annabeth starts telling them about her quest, and Ara half-listens, her heartbeat so loud she can barely focus on fixing up Annabeth's ankle. Jason joins them while Leo lifts the statue into the ship.

"Gods of Olympus," he says, listening to the final parts of Annabeth's story. "You did all that alone. With a broken ankle."

"Well... some of it with a broken ankle."

"You made Arachne weave her own trap?" Percy smirks. "I knew you were good, but Holy Hera—Annabeth, you did it. Generations of Athena kids tried and failed. You found the Athena Parthenos!"

"Yeah, good job—now eat," Ara places a piece of ambrosia in Annabeth's mouth. "How're you feeling?"

"My ankle isn't throbbing anymore," she gives Ara a teary but grateful look. "Mike would be proud."

"You have no idea..." Ara strokes Annabeth's cheek, pulling most of the anguish out with her empath touch. "Percy, help me get her out of here."

"On it."

"We have to take her with us to Greece," Annabeth points at the Athena. "The statue is powerful. Something about it will help us stop the giants."

"The giants' bane stands gold and pale," Hazel hums. "Won with pain from a woven jail... It was Arachne's jail. You tricked her into weaving it."

"What about you guys?" Annabeth looks around, still covered in cobwebs that she doesn't seem to mind at the moment. "What happened with the giants?"

"You can talk about that on the ship," Ara urges them. "Get up!"

Percy pulls Annabeth to her feet. "Maybe you can talk some sense into Ara, she's been—"

The floor cracks, reminding the group they're not in a safe place. Jason takes Piper back to the ship, and Hazel holds Nico. "This floor won't last! The rest of us should get to the ladder."

"Great idea," Ara replies. "Nico and you first. Percy—take Annabeth."

"What about you?" He frowns.

"I'll be right behind you," she lies.

"Do you promise?" Her brother presses.

Ara can't, of course, and she doesn't get the chance to, because Annabeth gets yanked away from them screaming. 

"Annabeth!"

The cobwebs are dragging her down, probably stuck to some debris that's fallen into the pit. Ara pulls Almighty out of her pocket and runs to her friend.

"You catch her!" She yells at Percy.

The boy throws himself and grabs Annabeth's hand, Ara slashes across the floor and cuts the cobwebs, but her sword cuts through the ground as well, making it more unstable. The girls lock eyes, and Annabeth sees right through her just like Lily would. Her expression shifts into one of pure panic.