𝙩𝙪 𝙢𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨 - p. jackson [₂]

𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒙𝒙𝒗𝒊𝒊.

―✧―

𝐈 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆.

as soon as percy had let go of that ledge, i felt myself tire of it all. i could deal with this. i could manage with putting myself through tartarus, with probably dying down there. 

but i couldn't handle percy and annabeth doomed to the same fate as me.

the three of us had been falling for too long. percy pulled me close, hugging me as we continued our descent.

annabeth was cocooned in my arms, and i didn't even want to ask how she was feeling. theo healed her ankle a little with his magic, but i was sure it faded by now. her eyes fluttered as she drifted between consciousness and unconsciousness.

the air grew hotter, damper, as if we were falling into a giant furnace. my arms throbbed, the weight of carrying annabeth, and being suspended in air with only percy holding me up was getting to me.

i still couldn't see a bottom, but even if there was one, a small part of me didn't see us getting out of this situation. we went through so much together, the three of us, and now we were going to die on impact if we ever reached tartarus.

thinking of the past made me miss grover, but i was only glad he wasn't here with us. if he was going to have to die with us, i think it might kill me again.

my thoughts drifted towards my dad. he told me to call often, and i only hoped nico would be able explain everything to him. i was never going to see him again. i would never get mcdonalds with natasha, or teach thor and steve how to play video games, or make the lab explode with bruce, or chase clint in the tiny toy cars we raced in. a small sob escaped me as i realized i would never free bucky from his mind control.

i wrapped my arms tighter around percy, adjusting annabeth so she wouldn't slip out. i knew being a demigod wasn't easy, but this wasn't fair.

we had gone through so much in the past few years. ever since percy disappeared, it was only worse for me. my house was destroyed, my dad kidnapped. i was later kidnapped. i was operated on, my boundaries violated as extremis was forcefully injected in me. to make it worse, i had to wear an arc reactor for months before my power was stable enough. and just when i had percy back, we're forced into tartarus.

i rested my chin on percy's shoulder, "i love you."

i wasn't even sure if he could hear me, but i needed to say it. at least once before we died.

percy's grip on me tightened, and annabeth looked awake for the first time in a while. if it was only me, it would be okay. but i couldn't let them die.

i was a stark. i needed to make a plan to get us out.

i grit my teeth, trying to call on my powers. but like before, i wasn't focused enough to call them. maybe falling in a pit of death was messing with me.