Percy Jackson meets... the Avengers?

Chapter 10

Percy's POV

Tartarus walked through the door. I hate to admit this but I was scared. I didn't know what he was going to do next and I didn't want to find out.

He walked over and I caught a glimpse of what he would be using next. It was a metal bar with a wooden handle, the metal was red. Not as is the colour of the metal was red, no it was hot, it was literally red hot.

"Admiring my toy are you?" Tartarus sneered. "This one is different to the last one I used on you. You see this one has something on the end. Do you want to take a look?" No thank you, I do not. He pulled my head back so I could see and showed me. It had a capital 't' on it which was red as well. I felt myself shiver from fear and I knew he could see it in my eyes. Tartarus chuckled and let go of my head. I looked at Annabeth and remembered our conversation. I was doing this for her.

I hadn't even noticed Tartarus was behind me until I felt the heat radiating off the iron near my back. I kept my eyes on her like I did before and clamped my mouth shut. I wasn't going to scream. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.

A moment later the iron was pressed into the small of my back.

It was nothing I had ever experienced before. White hot agony spread through my body making me convulse in pain. I hadn't even noticed I was no longer standing.

Annabeth's eyes were beautiful.

So much pain.

I love Annabeth.

I want to scream.

She loves me back.

I can't scream because it would hurt her.

Annabeth.

My Annabeth.

Eventually, after what seemed like millions of years, the iron was removed. I was so tired I couldn't even keep my head up to look at Annabeth. My head lolled down in front of me. I didn't even have the strength to stop it from hitting the whipping post in front of me. I was still in a lot of pain but no where near as it was before.

"So, weak!" I heard Tartarus say behind me. "I don't know what she see's in you."

That got me angry. I tried to look around to find where Tartarus was now and was surprised to find him next to me. Right next to my ear looking at Annabeth.

"Maybe I should take her for myself. I don't think she would mind." Tartarus sneered. With loads of effort I turned my head so I was face to face with Tartarus properly and did the one thing I could. I spat at him.

He flinched back and swung at my face with his fist. What ever strength I had failed me and now I was limp. I had no fight left in me. I wasn't giving up, I was just too worn out to fight him at the moment.

I stayed like that for what could have been hours but it was probably only a few minutes. Water was flung on me again filling me with new found energy and partially healing my cuts. Although I had energy, I couldn't fight him, the most I could do at the moment was look around. I didn't even have the strength to stand up.

Tartarus undid my chains and I collapsed to the floor. I wanted to sleep. I needed sleep badly but I knew I couldn't. A moment later something had grabbed me by the ankles and was dragging me out of the room. I couldn't care less, as long as I wasn't being tortured. We entered a room that looked almost identical to the last, the only difference being that there was a pool here.

Tartarus dragged me over to the pool and flung me in. I felt safe. This was my domain. I could feel my cuts healing more although I knew the water wouldn't stop them from scaring, Tartarus made sure of that earlier. I swam to the bottom of the pool and laid down breathing deeply. I wanted to shut my eyes and sleep but I knew something was wrong. Tartarus wouldn't put me in here unless this... was my next punishment. I swam to the surface but for some reason couldn't get to the air. I know I can breath underwater but this is Tartarus. What if...

I looked around and saw something green start to spread in the water. Suddenly it got difficult to breath. Oh no! Not this again. I took a few deep breaths then held it. I tried to break the surface of the water but couldn't. I was starting to see black. I couldn't help it, instinct took over and I took a deep breath in. I was in agony again. I could breath but it was difficult and painful. The green stuff entered my body filling me with pain. I felt like my insides where burning. I screamed and screamed but nothing stopped the pain. The water healed me and the poison hurt me. The water was keeping me alive and I could do nothing about it.

Eventually I was dragged out of the pool and slowly the pain dissipated. I was panting for breath on my knees in front of Tartarus but I didn't care. As long as Annabeth was safe.

The torture seemed to go on for years and it had been. Time runs differently in Tartarus. I still looked the same as I would in the mortal world but in actual fact I had lived about 1000 years although I pushed that thought from my head. I was hardly living all that time, this was not living.

I was aware this was a dream and my mind was only playing me the worst moments but it felt like more.

I was suddenly on the battle field again.

Of the seven only Annabeth and myself where still alive. Annabeth! I looked around for her but she had vanished. As I looked around I saw my friends' mangled corpses lying on the ground. Jason was on the ground lying on top of Piper with a spear impaling them both. There was nothing to be seen of Leo except a hand clawing out of the earth. Frank had been cut in half; the top half of his body lay to the left of me and his legs to the right. Hazel lay on the ground with her throat slit, diamonds and gold surrounding her corpse.

Then I saw her, she was running to me, she must have been looking for me too. Then she froze. No, no, no! The earth had grabbed her by the ankles.

"Annabeth!" I yelled sprinting towards her.

"Percy!" She yelled back in fright. I could see the fear in her eyes.

"Noooo!" I screamed when Gaea appeared behind her and grabbed her by the throat.

"I love you Seaweed Brain. Move on, I know you can. I believe in you! Keep on living, for my sake." She said so quietly I could barely hear her.

"NO, ANNABETH," I yelled tears spilling freely down my face.

"I love..." She started then Gaea snapped her neck and threw her at my feet.

***

I woke up panting. Everyone was around me; even Thor. Well, no, they were sitting next to me looking at me with a TV in front of them showing... the last thing in my dream... her death. I stood up and left the room, not without glaring at them first. I needed to see her. I had saved my trip to see her in Elysium until I couldn't handle myself anymore and needed her advise; I could only see her once a week and only for an hour. I definitely needed her now. I needed to see my Annabeth.