(A/N: all of rights go to Rick Riordan, nothing belongs to me.)
Percy gripped Annabeths hand tighter "It'll be fine," he muttered.
Looking up, she saw grappling lines shoot from the Argo II and wrap around the Athena statue. One lassoed Athena's neck like a noose.
Leo shouted orders from the helm as Jason and Frank flew frantically from line to line, trying to secure them.
Nico had just reached the ladder when a sharp pain shot up Annabeths bad leg. She gasped and stumbled.
"What is it?" Percy asked.
She tried to stagger towards the ladder. Why was she moving backwards instead? Her legs swept out from under her and she fell on her face.
"Her ankle" Hazel shouted from the ladder. "Cut it! Cut it!"
Annabeth's mind was woolly from the pain. Cut her ankle?
Apparently Percy didn't realise what Hazel meant either. Then something yanked Annabeth backwards and dragged her towards the pit. Percy lunged. He grabbed her arm, but the momentum carried him along as well.
"Help them!" Hazel yelled.
Annabeth glimpsed Nico hobbling in their direction, Hazel trying to disentangle her cavalry sword from the rope ladder. Their other friends were still focused on the statue, and Hazel's cry was lost in the general shouting and the rumbling of the cavern.
Annabeth sobbed as she hit the edge of the pit. Her legs went over the side.
Too late, she realised what was happening: she was tangled in the spiders silk.
She should have cut it away immediately. She had thought it was just loose line, but with the entire floor covered in cobwebs, she hadn't noticed that one of the strands was wrapped around her foot - and the other end went straight into the pit.
It was attached to something heavy down in the darkness, something that was pulling her in.
"No" Percy muttered, light dawning in his eyes. "My sword..."
But he couldn't reach Riptide without letting go of Annabeths arm, and Annabeths strength was gone. She slipped over the edge. Percy fell with her.
Her body slammed into something. She must've blacked out briefly from the pain. When she could see again, she realized that she's fallen partway into the pit and was dangling over the void.
(A/N: this is where it changes)
Percy had managed to grab on to a ledge just a foot beneath the top of the chasm.
His other hand was clasped tightly with Annabeth's, and he showed no signs of letting go, but the pull on Annabeth's ankle was too strong.
"No escape," Arachne's voice vibrated through the cavern. "I go to Tartarus, and you will come, too."
Annabeth wasn't sure if the voice was in her head or if it was actually Arachne, but the message was clear. She wasn't getting out of this one.
The cavern shook and Percy was the only thing keeping her from being pulled in. But his handhold was no bigger than a bookshelf, and it wouldn't last under the strain for much longer.
Nico was leaning over the side, his hands on Percy's wrist, but there was no way he could pull them both up.
Annabeth's stomach filled with ice at the idea. She knew that she was going down, there was no doubt about it, but that didn't mean Percy had to go down with her.
She vaguely heard Hazel yelling for the others, but there was nothing that they could do to help her.
Annabeth's leg felt like it was being pulled from her body. The pain wiped everything from her mind except for one thought. Save him.
Her eyes met Percy and she could see that he already resigned himself to her fate. He was going to let go of the ledge and fall with her.
She looked past him and saw that Jason had finally joined Nico at the end of the chasm. He looked ready to fly down to cut her free.
"No!" She screamed. "If you try to fly down it will just pull you in with us!" Even from her position below them, she could see Jason's eyes widen in shock. His head whipped around looking for something, anything, to help his friends.
"Jason," she called, her voice cracking slightly. His attention focused back on her. "Promise me that you won't let him do anything stupid."
She felt Percy stiffen in her grasp. "Annabeth-" he began, his voice was low, like a warning.
"Promise me!" She shouted louder. Jason nodded shortly and looked at her with respect.
Percy was still struggling to keep his hold on the ledge. "I love you." She said quietly. These words were for him and only him. "And that's why I can't let you do this." Her eyes welled with tears. "Well see each other again. I promise."
His eyes widened and she could tell that he had finally figured it out. He was about to protest, maybe even let go of the ledge, but she didn't give him the chance.
She let go.
Her hand slipped through Percy hold and she plunged down into the abyss.
Her fall seemed to happen in slow motion. She heard Percy scream her name, pain and anguish present in his voice. She saw him let go of his ledge, trying to follow her, only to be stopped by Jason's grip on his upper arm. He struggled, shouting her name again and again, up until the point when he was hoisted up and over the edge.
Annabeth allowed herself a smile.
Saved him.
