Heroes Of Olympus: House Of Hades (By Rick Riordan) [COMPLETED]

Percy (Part 3)

Last Chapter Recap:

Arachne turned around and started charging toward them. Percy and Annabeth finally entered the tunnel and the creature a few feet away from them. And because the spider was too big for the tunnel the moment she entered it, the whole walls started crumbling and shaking.

"Faster, come on!" Percy yelled. "We're almost there!"

We wouldn't make it, we wouldn't make it! Annabeth thought.

 

Then the two of them managed to get out safely, with the tunnel collapsing into nothingness behind them.

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Chapter Twenty-Two: Percy (Part 3)




"That was..."

"Horrible." Percy finished the sentence for Annabeth. They slowly stood up, looking at each other's arms, legs and face if there were any signs of wounds or bruises, smoothening their tattered clothes and picked their weapons up. Excluding the huge wound on Percy's back (which was nothing but a scar now, thanks to ambrosia and nectar) and Annabeth's sprained ankle, they were absolutely fine.

No, let me rephrase that. They were lucky. So lucky they can still smell a breath of fresh air. (Well, not really fresh since they're in Tartarus, but whatever.)

"Are you okay?" Percy asked her, whilst untangling the dirty, messy hair Annabeth has right now. They smiled widely at each other as they hugged ever so tightly, glad that they made it through the tunnel. He reached through Annabeth's backpack as he handed her ambrosia and nectar.

The two demigods felt a rush of relief. Finally, they can breath calmly after a long time. Finally, they can feel a sense of safety and protection. Maybe not forever, but what matters is that they survived the collapse of the tunnel, for now.

Talk about vicissitudes of fortune.

Percy had never imagined that they would still be alive after a couple days of falling into the dark, eerie depths of Tartarus. It is nothing but a place filled with nightmares and horrors that would haunt you for all eternity. A place of horror that can suck out your soul in a matter of seconds if you don't toughen up and fight to the death. A place of monsters as old as time can kill you without mercy and justice. No amnesty. No taste of your last sunlight. In their state right now, even them being considered as one of the most powerful demigods that ever lived, excluding Hercules and Perseus, of course; surviving in Tartarus would be impossible. What more if the two of them were just normal demigods? They don't stand a chance.

He had always fantasized about living a normal, happy life. No monsters to try and kill him every waking second of his life. No gods to ask him for help in times of need that might even cost him his life. Sure, it was cool that he can talk to horses. Or that he can turn into a hurricane. Or that he has a pegasus of your own, but, being a hero is not a privilege. It's a commitment. You have to take up all of your responsibilities as one and if you failed to do so, you might as well be dead.

Well, speak of the devil.

Death is a very complex thing. Percy never understood its principle, or why it happens or how it feels. But, Life is only meaningful because Death, itself, exists. Those two things come together. They would never even have a proper connotative definition if one of them is non-existent because the other gives the meaning, itself, to the other.

Percy's thoughts swiftly directed to what Mars had said before their quest to Alaska. Imagine life without death. Wars would be never-ending and exhausting because their opponents cannot be killed. There is no victory. No justice. No rest.

Don't get the wrong idea. It almost sounded like he thinks about death like it is so expedient, and that it's such a relevant thing in the world because it's the reason why life is so precious; but, no. It is also the most horrifying thing that ever existed, at least for him; the Hades/Pluto kids had a different perspective since they're children of the death god, but that's another story. That's why it is so complex. That is why he never really thought about death. He isn't like Annabeth who had the wits and the knowledge, and he didn't want to go all loco just because he tried to be all psychological.


Despite the thousand thoughts running in his mind, Percy let out a huge smirk as his lips crashed into Annabeth's; soft and gentle at first but gradually picking up pace. Right then and there, he felt like he was about to burst out, because he had been longing for the touch of her lips; longing for the sensation that made him forget all his problems. And now, the moment and the feeling was right, though kissing in Tartarus isn't really romantic and fourth-of-july-ish but, what can he do?

As he pulled out, adrenaline surged throughout his body. Though it was dark, he can still see Annabeth smiling at him, ear to ear. He kissed her forehead one last time as he pulled her into a warm and tight embrace once again.

"I told you we can make it." He whispered softly into her ear, feeling her shuddering at the warmth of his low, husky voice (You can't blame him. Blame puberty and the stupid hormones XD).

Annabeth pulled away and snorted in a very unladylike fashion. "Like I doubted about it earlier."

I did doubt about it, Annabeth thought.

"Stop lying, Wise Girl. The expression on your face is giving you away. Besides, judging from the way you reacted earlier inside the tunnel, it seemed like you were praying to every single god." Percy said, letting out a chuckle.

Annabeth's mouth was agape, but she recollected herself anyway. Standing tall and proud, her hands up in surrender, she talked, "Okay, you got me. I did doubt about it. But, not being able to make it through the tunnel was my focal point at that time. You really can't blame me if that's what I thought."

Percy smiled like a ten-year-old. "Okay, I get you." He said. "But, I have a question," He asked her like he was in a middle of a class discussion.

Annabeth nodded the slightest. "Okay, hit me."

Percy was about to open his mouth, but closed it tightly shut. He shook his head. "Nah, forget it. You might laugh at me, or criticize me, or be all Einstein and stuff."

Annabeth gave him a look. "Stop stalling, Seaweed Brain."

Percy took a deep breath and looked at her.



"What's a focal point?"

Annabeth stared at him like he turned into an ugly, crazy baboon; or maybe into Voldemort's face (Lolsies, that one is funny. BTW, I'm also a Potter fan ;) ) Her face was incomprehensible. Deep inside, Percy had already admitted he was, well, a Seaweed Brain.

Suddenly, Annabeth started guffawing that her laugh echoed throughout the vast space. The echoes ricocheted off the stone-hard walls, and it made it seem like there were five people laughing, which is kinda creepy.

Annabeth wrapped her arms around her stomach to keep her from laughing. Her laugh was so infectious that he also started cracking up.

It felt good. It felt great. No, It was beyond great. He had never laughed like this before ever since, well, he couldn't remember. He laughed like there was no tomorrow; like there wasn't any war going on; like he was actually living a normal life; like he wasn't inside Tartarus. He wouldn't have traded it for the world.