The crew descended next to Annabeth.
Hazel and Nico were the first to reach her because they had already been on deck. Nico had refused Hazel's offer to go to the mess hall and eat something. Sure, his stomach screaming at him, but Nico would rather crawl back into the jar than go join the little party everyone was having.
Percy hugged her tightly and Nico knew he had never seen him look at anyone else with that look. It made his heart ache. Which was bad enough because his whole body still ached.
"It's okay," Percy said. "We're together."
"Your leg." Piper knelt next to her and examined the Bubble Wrap cast. "Oh, Annabeth, what happened?"
Slowly she began to explain about her quest from the very beginning, up until the Argo II burst through the ceiling. By the time she finished, everyone's faces were slack with amazement. See, Nico didn't hate her, she was amazing, and wonderfully capable, but he still couldn't tear his eyes away from her fingers entwined with Percy's.
"Gods of Olympus," Jason said. "You did all that alone. With a broken ankle."
"Well...some of it with a broken ankle."
Percy grinned. "You made Arachne weave her own trap? I knew you were good, but Holy Hera—Annabeth, you did it. Generations of Athena kids tried and failed. You found the Athena Parthenos!"
Everyone gazed at the statue. Nico was awestruck, it was beautiful. He didn't think anyone could correctly capture how the gods and goddesses looked, they were divine beings after all. But this particular statue came the closest.
It had an aura around it, Nico could tell. It was powerful, it was magic.
"What do we do with her?" Frank asked. "She's huge."
"We'll have to take her with us to Greece," Annabeth said. "The statue is powerful. Something about it will help us stop the giants."
"The giants' bane stands gold and pale," Hazel quoted. "Won with pain from a woven jail." She looked at Annabeth with admiration. "It was Arachne's jail. You tricked her into weaving it."
"And talking about the prophecy..." Percy looked like he didn't know what to make of Ajax. Finally he settled on- "We found the the son of Hecate."
Annabeth's eyebrows shot up. "Who is it? Where did you find him? what was he doing in Rome?"
Percy raised his hands to make Annabeth calm down, "It's a long story, you'll find out soon enough"
Leo raised his hands. He made a finger picture frame around the Athena Parthenos like he was taking measurements. "Well, it might take some rearranging, but I think we can fit her through the bay doors in the stable. If she sticks out the end, I might have to wrap a flag around her feet or something."
Nico shuddered at the mental image.
Annabeth asked about the giants and about Ajax again so they all dove into the story. Nico didn't add anything, just listened. Truly, he couldn't find it in himself to care for the new guy. He looked lost more than anything, how was he supposed to help?
Percy told her about rescuing Nico and Ajax, the appearance of Bacchus, and the fight with the twins in the Colosseum. Percy explained about his memory loss and how he thought Ajax could be trusted. All around him the others agreed.
Nico was glad they had left though, even the satyr- Coach Hedge had wandered off somewhere. And it was finally then, that Nico broke down. For a terrible, horrible moment, he imagined it was Bianca holding him and not Hazel. She held on to him so tight, like she would personally fight the gods for him. He didn't care if he seemed weak, he was. He didn't care that he was letting her see the ugliest parts of him. Good, she should know. And then she would leave and Nico would be alone again. It seemed that no matter what happened, Nico always ended up there- alone.
For the time being, he pretended Hazel would never leave him.
After the breakdown, he had shame crawling up his body. He was the older brother, he should be comforting not the comforted. But Hazel didn't seem to mind.
"He knew Luke?" Annabeth's words drew him out of his thoughts. "That's got to mean something. He's clearly the one from the prophecy"
"In that case, he's really important" Piper said. "That's what Jason thought too"
Nico couldn't shake off the feeling that something was completely wrong about the boy. He may have everyone wrapped around his finger, but not Nico. Nico wouldn't give him the benefit of the doubt. He'd find out every dirty secret he had.
Percy went on about how Nico had found out about the Doors of Death, and how they had to be closed on both sides. Even with sunlight streaming in from above, Percy's news made the cavern seem dark again.
"So the mortal side is in Epirus," she said. "At least that's somewhere we can reach."
Nico grimaced. "But the other side is the problem. Tartarus."
The word seemed to echo through the chamber. The pit behind them exhaled a cold blast of air. Oh gods no, Nico took a step back, he had gone through it once and once was one time too much.
"Bacchus mentioned something about my voyage being harder than I expected. Not sure why—"
The chamber groaned. The Athena Parthenos tilted to one side. Its head caught on one of Arachne's support cables, but the marble foundation under the pedestal was crumbling.
"Secure it!" Annabeth cried.
Her friends understood immediately.
"Zhang!" Leo cried. "Get me to the helm, quick! The coach is up there alone."
Frank transformed into a giant eagle, and the two of them soared toward the ship.
Jason wrapped his arm around Piper. He turned to Percy. "Back for you guys in a sec." He summoned the wind and shot into the air.
Of course, Nico didn't have a flying boyfriend or one that could turn into an eagle, so he had to do with hobbling away towards the ladder that fell from the ship, guided by Hazel. How embarrassing.
"This floor won't last!" Hazel warned. "The rest of us should get to the ladder."
Looking up, he saw grappling lines shoot from the Argo II and wrap around the 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 Annabeth gasped and stumbled.
"What is it?" Percy asked.
Her legs swept out from under her and she fell on her face.
Dread filled Nico as he saw why Annabeth was being pulled back. Why hadn't they thought to cut the spider silk around Annabeth at first?
"Her ankle!" Hazel shouted from the ladder. "Cut it! Cut it!"
Apparently Percy didn't realize what Hazel meant. Then something yanked Annabeth backward and dragged her toward the pit. Percy lunged. He grabbed her arm, but the momentum carried him along as well.
"Help them!" Hazel's voice snapped Nico out of his trance and he hobbled towards the two as fast as he could, which unfortunately wasn't that fast. Every step he took hurt, but he was pushing himself. He could do it. Come on... just a little further.
Annabeth's legs went over the side of the pit.
Percy was trying to pull her back up, but it was of no use.
Nico wasn't much of a help either, his mind was yelling at him to do something, but he wasn't sure what to do.
The floor seemed to sway under Nico... this wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening. He wouldn't let her fall, he couldn't...
He was a demigod, there had to be something he could do. But there wasn't. He was too far away to help.
Annabeth slipped over the edge, and Percy fell with her. The alarm bells in Nico's mind were ringing even louder now if that was possible.
Not Percy. Gods he was ready to go into Tartarus again, but not Percy and Annabeth.
Gods no.
Nico leaned over the edge of the chasm, thrusting out his hand, but he was much too far away to help. Percy was about fifteen feet below him, holding a ledge with one hand and Annabeth with the other.
Hazel was yelling for the others, but even if they heard her over all the chaos, they'd never make it in time.
Annabeth said something, and Nico realized that she was still in pain. Possibly she was asking Percy to let her go, but she knew Percy.. there was no way he was letting her go.
Percy's face was white with effort.
He looked up at Nico, fifteen feet above. "The other side, Nico! We'll see you there. Understand?"
Nico's eyes widened in horror and realization. He couldn't be serious. It was literal hell. "But—"
"Lead them there!" Percy shouted. "Promise me!"
"And trust the new guy, trust Ajax.. Please" So his distaste for the son of Hecate was that easy to see?
There was no convincing Percy otherwise.
"I—I will." Nico promised, he was helpless to help them and he hated it.
Percy tightened his grip on Annabeth's wrist.
"We're staying together," he promised her. "You're not getting away from me. Never again."
No. No. No. There had to be another way. There had to be something Nico could do... he wouldn't wish going through Tartarus on his worst Human enemies, the thought of Percy and Annabeth going there was...
"As long as we're together," Annabeth said.
"No!" Nico yelled, "No, just hang on... LEO! JASON! SOMEONE! HELP!"
Behind him, Hazel was yelling too, but there was too much going on, too much confusion. This really was happening.
Then Percy let go of his tiny ledge, and together, holding hands, he and Annabeth fell into the endless darkness.