The Mighty Fall | Percy Jackson Headcanon Thing

Prolouge

"I'll be right back, okay?"

Those were some of the last words that Percy said to Annabeth.

"Okay," she had replied, hugging him. "Are you sure that they need your help with the statue, though?"

"Yeah... I'm sorry. But you're strong enough to get to the ship yourself, right?" he said, smiling a bit.

"Yeah..." she said, releasing her grip on him.

"Percy, we need your help over here!" Jason yelled over from somewhere in the air.

He kissed her on the forehead before running off to assist the rest of the Seven get the Athena Parthenos onboard the Argo II. Looking back, not staying with her was the stupidest thing that Percy had ever done, and Percy had done a lot of stupid things.

Annabeth went to take a step forward and suddenly lost her balance.

"Huh?" she muttered to herself. She had fallen face-first on the ground, hitting her forehead on the floor.

As she went to stand up, she was yanked backward.

"What the..?"

She was slowing moving backward across the ground. Her mind was moving slowly, unable to process what was happening.

She managed to sit up (still being dragged across the floor) and she realized:

Her ankle was caught in a spiderweb.

She couldn't think, her only thoughts being oh Styx oh Styx oh Styx oh Styx no no no no no no no...

She was being pulled right towards a massive hole in the floor.

No no no no no no no...

Annabeth's brain suddenly kicked into gear once she was only a few inches from the ledge. She tried to yank the web off her ankle, but it was too strong. The thick grey string was clinging to her fingers and refusing to break.

Next thing she knew, she was half inside the pit that she instinctively knew led straight to Tartarus. She managed to grab the edge of the hole with both hands, but she knew she would only last a few minutes, max.

She finally screamed. "Percy!" she called out desperately.

His voice seemed far away. "Annabeth!"

She clung there for a few moments, her heart pounding in terror. "I'm over here!"

Her fingers were turning white. She could barely feel the pain over the adrenaline rush.

Annabeth had to let go with her left hand. Her fingers were slipping on her right one.

"Percy!" she screamed again, her vocal cords feeling raw.

"Annabeth!" He was ten yards away from her now.

Two more of her fingers slipped. Two down, two to go... she found herself thinking stupidly.

"Annabeth!" Percy said desperately again, throwing himself next to her.

"Percy..." she whispered. "I'm sorry..." she found herself saying right before she fell.