Cut It- Part 2*

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There WILL be a part 3. Stay tuned.

Never in his life had Jason heard a shout filled with so much anguish, so much pain. He heard it just as he flew back into the cavern with Frank to retrieve the rest of his friends.

Percy was laying on his stomach dangerously close to the edge of the abyss. Hazel and Nico were each in a corner of the room. Both were trapped by an array of holes and cracks in the floor. Annabeth was nowhere to be found.

"Where is she?" Jason shouted over the cavern's rumbling. "Where's Annabeth?"

The name acted as a trigger and Percy shot up from the floor. Jason realized what was happening and was able to grab Percy by the arm just before he flung himself into the pit.

"You have to let me go!" Percy hollered. There was blood on the edges of his mouth. Scarlet droplets were flying from his lips. He must have bitten his tongue when he fell to the ground. "I have to go with her! Let me go!"

"Calm down bro! There's nothing you can do!" Jason said.  Percy was putting up one hell of a fight. If Jason didn't get some help very soon, Percy might actually get his wish and slip right into the pit.

Suddenly Percy seemed to be struggling less. His movements were slower. Jason thought that maybe he'd calmed down on his own, but knew that wasn't true when he saw Frank the Friendly Eagle digging his claws into the shoulder of Percy's other arm.

He looked into Jason's eyes, then turned his head upwards toward the ship. Jason nodded in understanding and the boys flew Percy upward.

Leo, Piper and Coach Hedge were a bit surprised when Percy was thrown onto the deck, but they didn't ask questions.

"Subdue him!" Jason shouted, then flew back into the cavern to retrieve Hazel and Nico.

After Hazel and Nico were safely aboard the ship, Frank shifted back into human form and stood protectively next to Hazel. Jason also landed on the deck and immediately embraced Piper.

"What's wrong with him?" Piper asked mid-hug, pulling away to motion to Percy's limp body laying several feet away. "I had to charmspeak him. He kept trying to jump overboard. And, by the way, Where's Annabeth? Is she below deck with the statue?"

Jason shook his head. "Annabeth...She, um..."

Piper put her hand over her mouth. "Oh gods."

"The pit's pull was too strong," Jason continued. "Percy couldn't hold on. She made him let go and...and she fell."

Hazel failed to muffle a sudden sob. Frank shook his head black and fourth. Leo, for once in his life, was completely still. His eyes were trained on Percy's sleeping form. "Annabeth. Scary-as-Hades-and-smart-enough-to-whoop-your-ass Annabeth. Gone. It doesn't seem possible."

Frank perked up for a moment. His eyes widened and he looked to Nico. "Maybe she's still alive! Nico, can you tell if-"

"She's gone." He said quietly. He twisted his silver skull ring and stared straight ahead. His dark eyes looked haunted, like he was watching her death on repeat in his mind. "She didn't survive the fall. Tartarus...It's no place for a mortal. She didn't stand a chance."

"You made it out!" Leo yelled, instantly breaking his sense of calm. "You fell into Tartarus and made it out alive! Why can't she?"

"I went in looking for the Doors of Death!" Nico shouted. His voice reached a volume Jason didn't think was possible for such a small boy. "I was almost instantly found by Gaea's forces. Sure, being held captive wasn't fun, but I was with monsters on their home turf. They kept me alive because they needed to use me as bait. That is the only reason I survived."

Piper sniffled and wiped her nose with the sleeve of her hoodie. "But you don't know for sure. If she's dead or not, I mean. You would have felt it, right?"

"I did feel it, Piper. She's...She's gone."

Nobody had noticed that Percy had woken up until he was on his feet, one hand wrapped around Nico's throat and the other holding Riptide.

"She's not gone!" Percy shouted.

"Bro, get off of him!" Leo reached out and grabbed for Percy's arm.

Jason's ears popped and a wave the size of the Argo II swept over the deck. It doused everyone aboard and then receded, taking Leo along with it. He hollered as he was thrown overboard.

"Percy, stop! Please, stop!"

Piper's charmspeak washed over Percy and his sword fell out of his hand. He backed away from Nico, but did not look happy about it.

Nico's eyes were bulging. The poor guy looked terrified. He coughed and tried to take in as much air as possible.

Jason and Frank each grabbed one of Percy's arms and forced him to the ground.

"No!" Nico choked out. "It's okay! It's okay."

Neither boy let go of Percy despite the fact that he seemed to have lost every bit of anger he had moments before. It wasn't just the charmspeak that held him at bay. His outburst has been one of quick rage, but now that it was gone all he could do was go limp in the boys' arms.

"I tried!" Percy said sadly. "I held on so tight!"

The ocean beneath the Argo rocked the ship back and fourth. The wooden hull groaned with each wave's impact.

"But she didn't want me to hold on. She wanted to fall. She wanted to die! Why would she want that?"

As Percy spoke the ocean became more and more aggressive. The waves were now splashing up over the boat's rails. Rain began pelting the crew of the ship despite the skies being blue only moments before.

Percy looked up and met his green eyes with Jason's blue ones.

"Why would she leave me?"

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