The Unsung Hero (An HoO Fanfic - Nico di Angelo) DISCONTINUED

Chapter 4

... Nico was having trouble. His Pegasus kept shying away from him, reluctant to let him mount. He smells like dead people! The Pegasus complained.

Rigel knelt beside the chasm, staring unblinkingly into the abyss, tears rolling down her cheeks. She was dimly aware of Nico tugging at her arms, yelling at her to get up.

'Hazel,' he cried. 'Help me with her. She won't even budge.'

But how could she! The only person she had left to call family, he was gone. And she could do nothing about it.

They had blasted open the parking lot of the Emmanuel Building to find Annabeth in a huge cavern full of cobwebs – Arachne's lair, as Annabeth later explained. It happened quite fast but it seemed that when they blasted the roof, a car slammed against Arachne and both the car and the spider went down into Tartarus.

Rigel was really very glad to see Annabeth, as were all her friends. Argo II hovered over the cavern and they climbed down to meet Annabeth. Just as Leo had reported, her ankle was broken and she was bruised and all, but she did defeat Arachne.

'Oh Annabeth, what happened?' Piper asked.

Rigel could only gape at her with admiration as she explained how she reached the Athena Parthenos and then made Arachne weave her own trap.

'Gods of Olympus,' Jason said. 'You did all that alone. With a broken ankle.'

'Well... some of it with a broken ankle.'

Percy grinned.

Rigel felt so happy and relieved to see him like that again. For once Rigel thought everything will turn out fine. They were together again, all of them!

But still there was something – a voice fainter than a whisper in the back of her head that was warning her that the storm hasn't passed yet. That something was not right, and that they should get on the ship RIGHT NOW!

Rigel's eyes drifted to the hole from which Arachne had fallen. As far as she could see jagged rocks plunged into darkness. Strands of spider silk draped over the sides and a few small ledges jutted out here and there. It went to Tartarus, Annabeth had said. Rigel was standing far from it, but still took a step away from the pit. Something about that hole made her uneasy. She wanted to go to the ship, and drag all eight of her friends along with her – away from that pit.

Percy and the others were telling Annabeth how they rescued Nico and were discussing about the Doors of Death. Can't they talk back at the ship? She thought.

Rigel looked away from the hole to stare at the forty-foot-tall statue of Athena that was covered with strands of web, supporting its weight. She could see the marble under its pedestal was a starburst of fractures and she was sure it would've long toppled into the abyss if not for the support cables.
Maybe it was just her phobia of enclosed spaces that was making her uneasy, she thought.

'Bacchus mentioned something about my voyage being harder than I expected,' Percy said and Rigel turned her attention to him. This was new to her. '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, threatening to plunge the statue into the chasm.

'The statue!' Rigel yelled.

'Secure it,' Annabeth completed her sentence.

'Zhang!' Leo cried. 'Get me to the helm, quick! The coach is up there all alone!'

Frank transformed into a giant eagle, and the two of them soared towards the ship.

Jason wrapped his arms around Piper, and turned to Percy. 'Back to you guys in a sec.' He summoned the wind and shot into the air.

'This floor won't last!' Hazel warned. 'The rest of us should get to the ladder.'

Plumes of dust and cobwebs blasted from holes in the floor. The spider's silk support cables trembled and began to snap. Rigel was hit by a wave of nausea so great that she was momentarily rooted to the spot.

Hazel lunged for the bottom of the rope ladder that hung from the Argo II and gestured for Nico to follow. Rigel's gaze turned to Nico, who she knew was in no condition to run.

'Come on,' she said, wrapping an arm around him and helping him towards the ladder. She looked over her shoulder to make sure Percy and Annabeth were following. Out of the corner of her eyes, Rigel saw grappling lines shoot from Argo II and wrap around the statue.

Nico and Rigel had just reached the ladder when she realized something was wrong.

'What is it?' she heard Percy ask Annabeth.

Rigel tuned.

Annabeth tried to stagger towards the ladder but instead she was moving backwards. Her legs swept out from under her feet and she fell on her face.

'Her ankle!' Hazel shouted. 'Cut it! Cut it!'

Rigel frowned, confused. And apparently Percy and Annabeth too did not understand what she meant.

Something yanked Annabeth backwards and dragged her towards the pit. That's when Rigel realized what Hazel meant.

'The web, Percy!' she cried, leaving Nico and running towards them. Annabeth's leg was tangled in spider silk which was pulling her towards the chasm.

Percy lunged and grabbed Annabeth's arm but momentum carried him along as well. It was too late. Percy had no time to uncap Riptide as Annabeth hit the edge.

Rigel dived towards them, lying flat on her gut. She got hold of Percy's hand – just for a second – before Annabeth fell over the edge and Percy fell with her, his hand slipping out of Rigel's grip.

'No!' Rigel cried, scrambling over to the edge and peering down. About fifteen feet below, Percy and Annabeth dangled over the void. Percy was holding a ledge – barely the size of a bookshelf – with one hand, gripping Annabeth's wrist with the other.

'Percy!' Rigel cried, thrusting out her hand, before realizing it was useless. 'Just hold on a sec, I'll go get -'

She looked around. Hazel was trying to disentangle her cavalry sword from the rope ladder, yelling to others for help but her cries were lost in the general shouting and the rumbling of the cavern. Nico hobbled towards them but Rigel was pretty sure he won't be of much help. The others were still busy with the statue. Her eyes scanned the surroundings for anything useful.

'Rigel, no just listen to me,' Percy said, his face white with effort.

'Percy, let me go.' Rigel could distinctly hear Annabeth say though her voice was almost a whisper. 'You can't pull me up.'

'Never,' he told her, and then looked up. 'Rigel, please listen to me,' he repeated as she was still looking around to use anything as a rope.

'No, I know what you're going to say, and it's not happening, Percy,' Rigel replied miserably. She was vaguely aware of Nico kneeling beside her and leaning over the edge of the chasm.

Rigel had no idea how he could do that, but Percy managed to smile grimly at her. 'It's alright.' Then his eyes darted to Nico. 'The other side, Nico! We'll see you there. Understand?'
'No, Percy. No!' Rigel cried as she understood.

'Lead them there,' Percy shouted to Nico. 'Promise me!'

'I – I will,' Nico said.

Percy managed a last smile to Rigel. 'I'm proud of you. And I love you... sis.'

With this Percy let go of the ledge.