Percy, Nico, And Jason Should Have Fallen Into Tartarus Together, While Annabeth Should Have Remained

Percy, Nico, and Jason should have fallen into Tartarus together, while Annabeth should have remained with the rest of the Seven in House of Hades. Please hear me out.

1.

For one, this way Tartarus would have been much more intimidating. At least in my opinion, it has pretty much lost this aspect, especially after Sun and Star. Tartarus is the prison of the titans, a place so scary and so dangerous, that only the best of the best can make it through. Homer described it as being as far beneath Hades as heaven is above earth.  Overcoming it should be the ultimate challenge.

Yes, Annabeth is smart, incredibly so, but, I feel like, because Rick wanted her to be useful in Tartarus, he used a lot of cheap tricks in her POVs to get her and Percy over obstacles, which seem a bit too simple to really work against beings like Nyx. This took the heaviness away from them being down there and felt at times even anticlimactic. Don’t get me wrong, again, because I know this is a sensitive subject, Annabeth is smart, has a strong resolve and is great at hand to hand combat, but that’s it. And, in my opinion, that should not be enough to overcome Tartarus. If it would have taken a child of each of the big three working together to only barely make it out, it would have definitely reinforced that status, and also the gods’ belief that such children can become too powerful.

2.

Secondly, Percy not letting go of Nico’s hand, would have done wonders for the development of their relationship and for each character’s individual arc.

Imagine, Nico dangling from the edge, instead of Annabeth. Nico, who had only days prior pretended like he didn’t know Percy, who is so full of self-hatred, he thinks the entirety of camp half-blood hates him, who is already weakened by being imprisoned in the jar, and who is scared out of his mind by the idea of being alone in Tartarus again.

Imagine Nico staring up at Percy, clasping his hand, while Percy looks up at Annabeth, the love of his life, whom he had been separated from for months. Imagine Nico being convinced, that Percy is going to let Nico fall down to stay by her side.

But Percy refuses to let go.

He refuses to let go, even after Nico tells him he should do it, and decides instead to fall together with him into the worst place on earth, just so Nico doesn’t have to endure it alone again. It would have further reinforced Percy’s self-inflicted role as Nico’s protector which he already had in the original five books and his fatal flaw of loyalty. To Nico, it would have given him a worse inner conflict about having a crush on him, which could have been revolved while they were travelling together.  The confession scene would have been much more impactful and healthier, if it would have come from Nico himself, and if he and Percy would have had a more in depth talk about it.

And if Jason would have flown after them in a moment of desperation, it would have reinforced the sense of loyalty and protectiveness that he had already shown when he had saved Piper at the grand canyon. The scene with Polybotes could have also taken place in Tartarus instead, and him and Percy working together, and putting all of their differences aside would have been a much more interesting dynamic than the stupid, out of character, rivalry bit they’ve got going on in Mark of Athena.

And, to be honest, just having Nico, Percy and Jason go all out, would probably be one of the coolest scenes in the entire Riordan verse.  

3.

All the while, Annabeth could have really cemented her role as a leader. I love her character, but to say that she has more leadership capabilities than Percy is laughable to me after reading the original five Percy Jackson books. These books are, after all, about Percy’s hero’s journey from an inexperienced kid to a smart, powerful and wise hero and the leader of camp half blood.  Annabeth, in comparison, shows relatively little of that. (Obviously this makes sense, considering that the books are from Percy’s POV and revolve around him, but the complete switch-up to saying that Annabeth is the natural choice as leader of the seven just felt a bit out of the blue to me in Mark of Athena)

Her leading the rest, in a moment of such a tragedy and remaining strong would have really reinforced the strong resolve that she had already shown in holding the sky in titan’s curse and in remaining steadfast despite all the horrible things that happened to her with her father’s rejection and luke’s betrayal. Annabeth’s relationship to Piper, Leo, Hazel and Frank, which is painfully underdeveloped in the books, could have also been given some much needed attention. Like, I can’t remember a single scene where she and Hazel, or she and Leo really talk to one another, which is a shame, because they could have had really interesting dynamics with one another.

It also would have also been a powerful statement about Percy’s and Annabeth’s relationship, if they, while separated, still believed in each other and trusted that the other person would get the job done.

Without powerhouses like Jason and Percy on board of the Argo II, Hazel and Frank could have really shone as individual fighters. Hazel is probably the second, or third most powerful demigod in the entire franchise, but barely gets any attention, and for a guy, who is apparently so powerful his life had to be tied to a stick, Frank seems, outside of one or two scenes, also pretty underwhelming.  

Without Jason, Piper’s and Leo’s friendship could have also gotten some more attention, and generally the reunion scene at the end of House of Hades could have been much more impactful with these character dynamics. I mean, Hazel, and Nico being reunited, Jason, leo and Piper, and Percy and Annabeth, and Percy, Hazel and Frank.

One of the biggest problems, I have with Heroes of Olympus is the extreme focus on romantic relationships. Having some couples be separated from each other like this, would have also solved this and given the only couple still together, Frank and Hazel, more room to develop.

not gaia just violating jason like that omg

Httyd 2 Toothless was SASSY. Oh if only he could talk-

Also yes this is that trend from tw.

call of the chasm

a/n: first chapter of fanfic based on @helenofsparta2's post about jason, nico, and percy falling into tartarus together. takes place at the end of mark of athena.

tags: @inkyrainstorms

NICO.

When Nico scuffs the ground of the cavern with his sneaker, he regrets it. The cavern has been slowly crumbling ever since the Argo II arrived, and as much as he’d like something to distract himself from Percy and Annabeth’s heartwarming reunion, his efforts to disentangle himself from the spider silk wrapped around his legs have only led to a series of tiny cracks spreading from the rock beneath his Converse.

Ever since he was trapped, he barely has the will to walk, much less bend down to tear the webs away from him. Even now, he watches the rest of the crew decide what to do with the Athena Parthenos with little interest. It’s like everything around him is happening in some film from his old life. Nico’s eyes dart towards Percy as he explains the hell they’ve survived to Annabeth: if anyone is their leading hero, it's him. When Annabeth speaks, he can almost imagine the words flashing on a black-and-white screen, before movies had sound: “So the mortal side is in Epirus. At least that’s somewhere we can reach.”

Finally, Nico speaks up. “But the other side is the problem. Tartarus.”

Which he also regrets. The temperature drops a couple degrees, and most of the group’s attention shifts towards the black chasm that’s been pulsing in time with Nico’s heartbeat since they came. Some of them might've originally doubted that it led to the Underworld, but Nico didn’t. Not that his insight benefits them. As soon as he opens his mouth to tell the crew to get the Athena Parthenos and get out of here, the entire cavern groans.

Nico lurches forward, throwing his arms out to steady himself. Annabeth cries out, Leo shouts, and in seconds, Frank, Jason, and Piper have made their way back to the Argo II. Hazel squeezes Nico’s hand without looking at him, and he feels a rush of warmth at her protectiveness. “This floor won’t last! The rest of us should get to the ladder.” She lets go of his hand to make a leap towards the bottom of the rope ladder leading to the ship, looking back to make sure he follows.

While Nico’s in no condition to run, it’s not the only reason he doesn’t go with Hazel. With narrowed eyes, he watches Percy guide Annabeth towards the ship, except this time, his gaze falls to the spiderwebs clinging to Annabeth’s injured ankle, trailing towards…

The Stygian iron sword in his hand before he knows it. Hazel calls out after him, but Nico doesn’t have the mind to warn the couple before he raises the sword and brings it down centimeters away from Annabeth’s ankle, slashing the silk that would’ve inevitably dragged her into the chasm. Immediately, Percy shoves him back, and maybe it wouldn’t have hurt so bad any other time, but the impact sends him sprawling on the ground. Hazel screams.

“Nico, what the hell was that?” Percy’s sea-green eyes are ice-cold. The son of Poseidon doesn’t have to curse to be threatening, but there’s something else in his expression that makes Nico’s heart drop to his stomach: distrust. Annabeth grabs his shoulder, but with the world falling to pieces around the three of them, his gaze is totally fixed on the demigod in front of him.

“The—” Plumes of dust and cobwebs blast from holes in the floor that Nico barely avoids, and he erupts into a fit of coughs as he weakly grabs the sword that fell out of his hand, unable to explain himself.

“The cobwebs, Percy, he cut the cobwebs!” Annabeth insists, and the realization dawns on Percy as swiftly as the anger did. Without hesitation, he sticks his hand out to help Nico get up. Nico stares at him as he makes the deliberate effort to stand by himself and sheaths his sword.

“We should leave,” is what Nico manages to get out before his legs are swept out from under him and he falls face-first into the ground. Instinctively, he scrambles for purchase, convinced he somehow tripped himself when he stood, but he can feel himself being yanked backwards, towards the very same chasm he tried to save Annabeth from. The cobwebs… Nico didn’t free himself from them.

“Nico!” Percy shouts. Nico throws his hands over the ledge of the chasm, his short nails bloody from the struggle, and in this life-or-death moment, all he can think about is how this time, when Percy says his name, it almost sounds like he’s worried about him. Isn’t that funny?

Hazel yells from the ship, trying to disentangle her cavalry sword free from the rope. “Help them!” Nico doubts Frank and Jason can hear her above the chaos. His arms shake with exertion from holding onto the ledge, and his legs sway in the bottomless pit as he tries to find footing to climb out.

Annabeth is only a few strides behind Percy before he lunges towards Nico, closing the gap towards them by jutting out his hand in a way that tells him he doesn’t have a choice whether or not he wants his help. Except tearing one of his hands away from the ledge he’s pressed flat against to grab Percy seems an impossible feat, and both of them know it.

“Annabeth, you have to go.” Percy’s voice is low under the rumbling of the cavern, but it’s so resolute that it’s the only thing Nico hears. Annabeth shakes her head even though Percy can’t see her, dragging her injured leg behind her to stand over Nico.

“We’ll get him out together. I’m not leaving you, not when—” Annabeth’s voice breaks. It doesn’t take the child of Aphrodite to know they’ve made it as a couple against all odds, and neither one of them is going to give up on the other anytime soon. Nico's mouth sours.

Percy doesn’t turn around to look at her, and the thought hits Nico with such clarity it’s like a blow to the stomach: Percy can’t look at her. If he does, he won’t turn back around to help Nico. Instead, he’ll follow Annabeth right to the Argo II and leave him to fall into Tartarus alone.

“You’re not strong enough to help,” Percy concentrates so his words don’t shake, staring at Nico even though his words aren’t directed towards him. “I’m going to get him out of here, but I can’t do it if I’m worried about you. Please, Annabeth, just trust me. I’ll come back.” Nico, who’s the only one that can see both of them, watches Annabeth’s mouth tighten as she decides what she’s going to do.

Which is to trust Percy. Like anyone would.

It’s fitting that Nico’s life doesn’t flash before his eyes as he’s about to die. It would take too much time. It would be too normal. Instead, what he witnesses might be the most romantic thing he’s ever seen in his life. Annabeth leans down and kisses Percy’s cheek before she turns towards the Argo II, and she looks over her shoulder from beneath the rope ladder. Hazel outstretches her hand towards her, but his sister’s big, brown eyes are still worriedly trained on him.

“I swear to God, Seaweed Brain, if you fall to Tartarus, I’ll find a way there myself just to make your life hell.”

The faintest flicker of a smile appears on Percy’s face. It disappears as soon as he reaches over the ledge to wrap his hand around Nico’s jacket sleeve and begins to pull with all his strength. “I’m not letting anything happen to you.” The pit trembles, and Nico’s entire body shudders with it.

“You keep making promises you can’t keep,” Nico says weakly, trying to drag himself out with his other hand to help Percy’s efforts, but whatever’s keeping him tethered to Tartarus isn’t letting him go anytime soon. Maybe it’s supposed to happen like this. The Doors of Death need to be closed on both sides, and he’s the only demigod who’s been to Tartarus and survived. Maybe he knew, as soon as the Argo II landed and he felt the call of the chasm, that someone needed to follow it down. Maybe he tore the cobwebs away from Annabeth’s body but not his for some unconscious reason. Maybe…

“Nico, come on.” Percy practically throws half his body over the ledge to try and counteract what’s dragging Nico down, but his voice fades into the background with Jason and Frank and everyone else in the crew doing their best to secure the Athena Parthenon and escape safely. Hazel and Annabeth must have made it to the ship to try and call to the others for help, but Nico knows that none of them could make it in time. And Nico knows what he needs to do.

“Percy, you have to make it back to Annabeth. I can’t— I can’t hold on.” Nico watches Percy’s knuckles turn white around his jacket, sweat dripping down his temple. If he has to break a promise to either of them, Nico would rather it be him. There’s no movie without the hero, or his girlfriend.

“I’m not letting go,” Percy grits his teeth and wraps another hand around Nico’s wrist, digging his feet into the ground to give him leverage. Nico’s other hand slowly loosens its hold on the ledge, his body going limp. Nothing escapes Tartarus. Who was Nico to think he could defy one of the oldest gods when he wasn't strong enough to confess to himself that—

With his last strength, Nico channels everything Percy poured into his plea with Annabeth. “Please, Percy. You have to trust me. I’ll meet you on the other side.” As their eyes lock, it’s the first time Nico’s felt Percy truly understood what's happening in his head. When Percy lifts his head up to look towards the Argo II, where the rest of the crew has finally noticed what happened to them, Nico swears he can see Percy search for Annabeth. Jaw clenched, he squeezes his eyes shut as he waits for the moment Percy’s hand slips away from his as the walls of the cavern collapse around them.

This whole time, he didn’t realize this moment might be the closest he’ll get to holding Percy’s hand. Nico almost cracks a smile. There are worse ways to fall to Tartarus.

Except the moment doesn’t end. Nico opens his eyes, and his entire vision is consumed by Percy, his windswept dark hair dusted with cobwebs, his tan skin white with exertion, and his handsome face turned grim with determination. “We’ll meet them on the other side.”

The ledge falls to pieces. When Nico and Percy begin to tumble into the endless black below, Nico doesn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around him. Dully, he stares at the sliver of golden light above, and wonders if he spent any time outside, in the sun, during his last day on Earth. The sliver of gold comes closer, and closer, and Nico swears he can hear someone’s voice.

But Nico can’t trust anything about Tartarus except the boy falling into it next to him.

The most terrifying part of having memory issues is when you can feel something from 5 seconds ago be thrown out the window and there's an empty hole where it once was. You remember that you forgot something.

One of the best writing advice I have gotten in all the months I have been writing is "if you can't go anywhere from a sentence, the problem isn't in you, it's in the last sentence." and I'm mad because it works so well and barely anyone talks about it. If you're stuck at a line, go back. Backspace those last two lines and write it from another angle or take it to some other route. You're stuck because you thought up to that exact sentence and nothing after that. Well, delete that sentence, make your brain think because the dead end is gone. It has worked wonders for me for so long it's unreal