How You Changed Me (Demigods In High School AU)

Chapter 40 || The River Phlegethon

ANNABETH CHASE

Annabeth groaned, feeling a splitting ache in her head as she woke up. Percy was knelt before her and she felt heat radiating from somewhere. She rolled over and Percy yelped in alarm, grabbing her before she could roll into a fiery river.

"Where..." she realized where they were. "The River Phlegethon?"

Percy nodded.

"I... I dunno. I just remember when I was learning about this place in camp, Chiron mentioned something about how drinking the River Phlegethon could help you in ways... if you survived."

"Well that's great," she rolled her eyes, "I'll burn to death. What a great way to end your life. I mean, you'll survive. You're a water boy. But me? I'm all brains."

"Which is why," Percy touched her and she felt colder, "I'm using my water powers to make you a water girl while you drink the fire. So do it before it fades away!"

Annabeth cupped her hands in the river and began to drink, some of it pouring down the sides of her face and burning it. She gasped in pain, but she could see the welts start to fade from her arms and legs, her vision clearing. She took a deep breath and sighed with relief when she found herself able to breath without her legs feeling like they were being dipped in ghost pepper Tartar Sauce.

"Do it," she gasped, "It helps!"

Her face scrunched in a wince when she saw the welts on Percy's arms and legs. He cupped his hands, bringing the fiery liquid to his lips. He gagged at first, but began to choke the liquid down.

"OH MY GODS THAT TASTES LIKE GASOLINE--"

"PERCY LOOK OUT!" Annabeth screamed when she saw an eight-legged figure tackle Percy to the floor, her fangs digging deep into his side.

Annabeth took out her dagger, beginning to fight her, first starting by cutting off one of her legs.

"ATHENA SPAWN!" she screamed.

They fought for a long time, Annabeth clashing her dagger against her sharp fangs.

"AH!" she screamed when she pushed me into the river.

So Annabeth grabbed her leg, pulling Arachne in with her. But it was weird. The river didn't burn her like it did with Arachne. It sat around her. The fire lifted Annabeth out of the river and she collapsed on the shore, bleeding from some of her cuts. She hobbled over to Percy, who groaned, his hand clapped firmly on his side.

"Percy..." Annabeth gasped in pain as one of her cuts split further open.

She grabbed a piece of her shirt, ripping it into small strips.

"I totally forgot I have washi tape from my project I was doing before this!" Annabeth exclaimed, grabbing it and taping the shirt pieces to each of her cuts.

Colorful designs? Yeah. But when you're in the pit of hell, there's not many choices on how to stay alive. Taking the larger piece, she taped it onto Percy's bleeding wound, putting as much pressure on it as she could to stop the bleeding, her limbs being so weak after just a day in Tartarus. Percy coughed, looking over at her.

"You okay, Wise Girl?" he choked out, "You're not burnt from the River, right?"

She shook her head.

"Good," he croaked and Annabeth helped him to his feet.

"Come on," she said as they both limped through the pit.

"Annabeth?" Percy suddenly froze.

"What?" she asked, looking around them.

"We don't have a map. There's no way to know where the Doors of Death are."

She paled knowing this. But Annabeth had to stay strong.

"Then... Then let's follow the river. Rivers have to go somewhere, right?"

"But what if it leads us away from--"

"Sh!" she hissed, throwing Percy behind a boulder, going with him.

A group of monsters were hiking along the river, noisily chatting amongst themselves.

"That Perseus Jackson person was having their performance," a monster grumbled, "No demigod should be able to live peacefully! Especially when we live in such turmoil!"

"And that Annabeth Chase girl is like a little devilish witch with a big head! Did you know, she tricked Arachne into weaving her own trap?"

"I still can't believe that," another said, "No one should be able to beat Arachne!"

"When we attack the camp--all of us monsters--nothing will stop us as we kill those demigods. Then, we can ask Arachne to join us. There's no way she'd turn us down."

They cackled, leaving the couple in silence.

"Attacking with all the monsters?" Percy asked.

"So this is a war with monsters?"

"All the monsters," Percy corrected, "So there's no primordial or titan behind this..."

"Then it shouldn't be that bad, right?" Annabeth frowned.

"No, that makes no sense," Percy shook his head.

"Then what makes sense?" she asked him.

"I don't know, but if it's just monsters attacking, I don't see why we're in Tartarus. There's gotta be some more... elaborate plan. I don't know what it is yet... duh, I'm a seaweed brain, but I'm pretty sure you can figure it out. Something's not right."

They both sat there, looking at the blood soaking the ground.

"The monsters should know how to get out of the doors somehow. If they're following the river, we should, too. It's our best chance."

Percy nodded.

"But... what if we're caught? I mean... if there are so many monsters around, we're putting ourselves at risk! And there's not really much we can do now that we're all battered up."

Annabeth looked down at her ambrosia pieces. She had 17. So she took one, splitting it in half with a snap. She shoved the half in Percy's mouth, taking the other in her own. The color returned slightly to both of their faces as she licked her lips for any crumbs.

"It's our best plan," she said.

Percy nodded, grabbing her hand as they hiked along the River. And Percy's words kept ringing in her head.

Something's not right...

Wow, she was really rubbing off on him, wasn't she?