Why did you leave me (Percabeth)

Chapter 2

I am thinking a chapter every week or so if you are reading this share this story and i will up lode the next chapter early hope you like it now lets get started.

Nico Di Angelo stood and watched as Percy Jackson brought death and destruction to the dark entrance of the Underworld.

The army of the dead are arrayed in the larger caves behind him. So are his father, stepmother, and his siblings- all the strength of the House of Hades, with the exception of Hazel Levesque. Countless warriors, vast and incalculable amounts of magic, and a few of the strongest demigods on the planet... and yet, Nico watched the walls cracking with cold sweat.

The man beyond those stones is not the same Percy Jackson he faced when he was a young boy. This is the man who slaughtered Tartarus. A man who defied fate and wrestled the mastery over all oceans against his father- one of the oldest and strongest gods- and won.

The man making his way to invade the Underworld is not the boy he used to love.

"Whoa. So he actually did it?" Will Solace whispered beside Nico.

"It would appear that he did, indeed," Chiron answered. The three of them gazed to the enormous crack at the end of the tunnel. "To think that he could break through Hades' realm with sheer force..."

Nico shared a grim look with Will and Chiron. "How many did you bring?"

"All of the senior counselors. New Rome sent two of our cohorts," Reyna Ramirez-Arellano came from behind them.

"Reyna. Thank you for coming," Nico said. The Roman praetor nodded and placed her hand on Nico's shoulder- a gesture she rarely displayed. Nico usually hates to be touched, but Reyna is different.

"Don't be. Percy deserved better than the swords of the dead," she gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. "We will stop him here."

Reyna's words brought some steel to their tired party. Chiron's hooves dig into the ground. Will gave Nico a tight hug and ran back with Chiron. "Good luck, Death Boy!"

Nico and Reyna drew their sword. The crack is now spraying saltwater to the tunnel. On command, the skeleton soldiers drew their weapons in unison.

The silence of the Underworld is now slowly overcome with the unmistakable roar of the sea. With one great roar, a gigantic torrent of water blasted through the crack and went straight through the armies of the dead.

Reyna swirled her cloak- infused with the strength of Athena and Bellona- and Nico raised his hand. Silently, the combined force of three Olympians erected a protective wall to fend off the raging torrent, breaking the water harmlessly to the wall and the ground.

For a few moments, the combined armies of the underworld, Greeks, and Romans cheered.

Until they realized that although the torrent blast was stopped, the water still flowed rapidly, expanding what used to be a few small puddles into a large body of water.

"Retreat! Avoid the waterline! " Reyna shouted to the troops, who quickly but orderly backed away to higher ground in the enormous cave. Far behind the lines, Hades is busy reducing the flow of water and repairing the dimensional breach. Nico knew that it's a good strategy, but Percy's destructive power was too big. The breach will last a day, at least. A day that Percy would use to storm their defenses.

The water is now waist deep where Nico and Reyna stand. Their armies are lined up nervously, but so far no enemy has shown up.

A lone warrior walked out of the tunnel.

He was wearing a full Greek armor, its black surface constantly swirling with red veins, like lava- Tartarus' own armor. His cape was Nyx's, a dark empty space that enveloped his shoulder. On his right hand, Riptide shone with the sharp glint of Celestial Bronze. Firmly gripped with his left hand, Poseidon's trident glowed with a blue and green aura. His eyes that used to shine with the green coolness of the shallow seas now shined with otherworldly strength and pain.

Yet, Nico and Reyna saw clearly the dark lines around his eyes. And that behind that helm, Percy's hair has turned completely white. He was supposed to be twenty five, but he looks much older and bitter. He looked completely exhausted.

"Percy!" Nico shouted with worry, and for a moment had forgotten his men. "Percy, you have to put the Trident down! Your body can't keep up with it!"

"Percy, you need help," Reyna said, calmly. "We can talk it over. Just put down your sword and we can still sort this out."

The warrior stopped walking. Standing in the water, his eyes pierced the pair in front of him.

"What's up, Nico? And you too, Reyna," he greeted them casually, without a smile on his face. "Where's Annabeth?"

Nico's heart was twisted with pain upon Percy's words. "Percy... do you... can you remember what happened two months ago?"

"Annabeth's death is pretty hard to forget, Nico," Percy answered impatiently. "No matter. I've prepared everything- now I just need her soul. She's here, isn't she? Where did Hades hide Annabeth's soul?"

Nico was at loss for words. Reyna stepped forward toward Percy, but Percy immediately pointed his sword toward her. "Not a step forward, Reyna. You're good, but not that good."

"Percy, Annabeth isn't here. She was never here. When Tartarus stabbed her, she fell to Chaos. There is no going back from there... not even her soul. I'm very sorry."

Percy's eyes glinted dangerously. "Not you, too," he muttered with a low voice.

"She's telling the truth, Percy. I'm sorry... Annabeth was... she was my friend, too. But she's not dead, she's gone. And you can't come here- the longer that hole opened, the entire world would..." Nico desperately tried to explain. "You saved the world twice, Percy. Let's do it again. For Annabeth."

"ANNABETH ISN'T GONE!" Percy screamed with the zealousness of a madman. "I WILL FIND HER EVEN IF I HAVE TO TEAR DOWN THE UNDERWORLD WITH MY BARE HANDS!"

Responding to his power, the hole connecting the sea and Underworld grew larger, breaking whatever barrier Hades tried to put earlier. A greater torrent blasted the cave once again, and several cracks the size of Cyclops opened behind Percy. With the water, gigantic forms are swimming and walking through the cracks. The great elder Cyclopes, Briares and his brothers, and countless monsters are swiftly flooding the cave. Here and there, a glowing form of minor sea gods are walking among Percy's troops.

Percy raised Riptide and the Trident against Nico and Reyna. "You were my friends. Step aside. Please. I need to find Annabeth."

Nico drew his Stygian Iron blade for the first time in a long time. Reyna raised her Imperial Gold sword.

"We're sorry, Percy. But we can't let you destroy the world."

"I will resurrect you guys later. For now..." Percy growled under his breath. "Die."