haunting ＊ percy jackson

xiv. they go to hell (literally)

After a very traumatizing experience with another mythological figure — why they had decided to trust a guy named Crusty, Amos wasn't sure, but the stretching that he, Annabeth, and Grover had endured had left him sore and possibly an inch taller — they were finally headed to their destination, the Underworld. They had known that this was the plan the whole time, but as they neared the entrance, being directed by a map Percy had found in Crusty's office, Amos couldn't help the nerves building up inside of him.

There were a couple of well-known myths about mortals traveling to the Underworld; Orpheus going down to try and save Eurydice, Adonis traveling there to be a lover for Persephone, and Persephone herself being taken there and made queen of the place. The stories that Amos knew were grand, with the mortals that traveled down to the Underworld being exceptional in one way or another — Orpheus with his musical talent, and Adonis with his supposed incredible beauty. When he thought about the four of them, well... As self-deprecating as it sounded, Amos wasn't sure they measured up to those mythological figures. It made him nervous, anxiety settling in the pit of his stomach and weighing him down. He kept these thoughts to himself though, scared that if he mentioned it to his friends, he'd bring down the mood or worse, jinx them.

When they reached the building, which was opulent with its black marble and gold lettering, Amos realized he wasn't the only one who was nervous. Percy looked pale, his green eyes wide with worry as he stared through the window and into the crowded lobby. "You guys remember the plan, right?"

Beside him, Grover bleated nervously. "The plan. Yup... I love the plan."

The plan in question was actually pretty stupid, but they were short on time and no one else had any better ideas so they were sort of stuck with it. They were supposed to sneak in and act like normal spirits headed to the Underworld. How they were supposed to fool anyone, Amos wasn't sure, but he just hoped they didn't get killed in the process and end up in the Underworld for good. "So, quick question," Annabeth began, trying and failing to act like she wasn't scared at all. "What happens if the plan doesn't work?"

"Don't think negatively." Percy tried to brush her off, probably because he didn't actually have an answer to her question.

"Are we seriously heading down to the Underworld and just winging it? No backup plan?" Amos' face was grim as he spoke. It really was a terrible idea. It'd be stupid to go through with it but they must've been a bunch of idiots because they were doing it anyway. Amos put his hand in his pocket, gripping his retracted spear tightly in an attempt to soothe his nerves.

Percy stared at the pearls in his hand for a moment, deep in thought, and Amos instantly felt guilty for letting his fears control him. The quest was for the bolt, sure, but really they were there to rescue his mom. Amos figured she must've been a pretty amazing woman, to have Percy fighting so hard trying to get her back. How lucky she was, to have Percy love her with such fierceness.

Annabeth gave Amos a sharp look due to his insensitivity and placed a hand on Percy's shoulder. "It'll be fine. The plan will work, we'll make it."

"Yeah," Amos rushed to agree in an attempt to correct his mistake. "Sorry, I'm just nervous, but it'll all work out. We trust you." He nudged his friend lightly with his elbow in an attempt to bring his mood up slightly. "We'll get the master bolt and save your mom and be out of there in no time. Maybe we'll even set a record or something."  Amos joked, smiling as he saw the corners of Percy's lip beginning to twitch upwards.

Percy rolled his eyes, but Amos could see that his shoulders were much less tense now. Slipping the pearls pack into his pocket, Percy smiled gratefully at all of his friends. "Let's get in there and kick some Underworld butt."