Everything mentioned in this chapter belongs to Rick Riordan

It was warm today. Not the sweltering New York heat that was common around this time of year, but warm. Warm enough for a person to walk around without a jacket, but not so warm that wearing one or long sleeves would be impractical. And for that, Annabeth Chase was glad, because it meant she wouldn't pass out in the heat from wearing the blue hoodie wirh 'AHS SWIM TEAM' printed across the front that belonged to her boyfriend. She needed a small piece of him with her if she was to get anything done in the next few days.

She was sitting on a bench in a park across the street from a large abandoned warehouse, right along the Hudson River, going over what she planned to say at the meeting that was starting in a few minutes, or at least she was attempting to. But she couldn't keep her mind off the one thing - person - she was trying not to think about. Couldn't think about. Or she'd start to spiral.

So, taking a deep breath, the daughter of Athena counted backwards from a hundred until she heard a familiar voice from behind her.

"You know," a rough, but still very feminine voice began. "Of all the places we've ever been -and that's including the cyclops den- this has to be the weirdest of them all. An abandoned building? Come on, ABC, even you have to admit that's strange."

Whipping around so fast, she almost broke her neck, Annabeth took in the girl before her.

She had the relatively young looks of a fifteen or sixteen year old. Her once short black hair was longer, brushing just past her shoulders, with a silver circlet, much like a tiara, encircling her head. Freckles were dotted across her nose. She was built like a long distance runner, lithe and stong. A black leather jacket with pins of various rock bands all over the front of it covered her (instead of the silver parka she wore in cooler weather), a 'Death To Barbie' shirt, ripped black jeans, and black combat boots. As always, her electric blue eyes were the most striking thing about her, they seemed to shock anyone who looked into them.

Annabeth practically dived over the bench to pull her oldest friend (who was more like her sister, really) into a hug.

"Thalia," she said, squeezing the daughter of Zeus tight. "I missed you."

The girl laughed, squeezing her friend back even tighter. "I can tell." Pulling back, she took a seat next to her friend, pushing a stray piece of curly hair behind Annabeth's ear, giving her a small smile.

"How you holding up, kid?" Thalia asked, looping her arm through Annabeth's s own.

In the excitement she felt at seeing Thalia, she'd forgotten about the thoughts and feelings she was trying to keep a bottle on. And with a question about said feelings coming from one of few people in the world she could never hide anything from, she couldn't help the emotion that poured out.

"I'm alright," Annabeth said in a surprisingly strong voice. "But it's hard."

Throwing an arm around her shoulder, Thalia pulled her closer. "I know it is," she said. "But we're gonna find him. Just like last time."

"But what if we can't this time, Thalia? What if he's really gone for good this time?"

"Hey," Thalia said in a firm voice. "You can't think like that. I know this all seems pretty hopeless right now, but if anybody can survive a second kidnapping, it's Kelp Head."

"If he's been kidnapped at all," Annabeth said, bitterly, unable to stop the tears that slowly made their way down her cheeks. "What if he's de-"

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence," Thalia threatened, electric blue meeting stormy gray and flashing. "If you, of all people start to think negatively about all of this, if you have no hope or faith that he's alive, what's to keep everybody so afraid of you that they're scared to even think the worst?"

Sighing, Annabeth shook her head. "I know, Thals, but it's hard. Incredibly hard to think positively when it's happening - again. And there's absolutely no leads or way to contact him. Just-"

"Just like last time?" Thalia interrupted, looking down right determined.

"But unlike last time there's nothing," Annabeth said. "Literally nothing. No dreams from Hera about a boy with a missing shoe, no secret pagan we need as allies, not even a word from the gods. It's been a week."

"True enough," the Lieutenant of Artemis said. "But we've worked with seemingly nothing before. We can do this, Annabeth."

"I'm not so sure," Annabeth said, sounding as defeated as she felt.

"Look," Thalia said, sounding just as determined as she looked. "I get it. This sucks, majorly. But you need to pull it together. I know you want to wallow and feel sorry for yourself the way you never get to or allow yourself, but that's too damn bad. If you lose it, we're all going to and where would that get us? Nowhere. I know it's hard always having to be strong - stronger than anybody else. Being the one everybody looks to for help in a crisis, but you can handle it. I know you can. You've done it too many times to count. Percy needs you -and yes I said his name- we all do. Because when all else fails and we're all running around clueless you have a plan. And you know what they say about you dam Athena kids and plans."

"Athena always, has a plan," Annabeth mumbled, smiling as her friend wiped the tears from her cheeks. As silly as it was, Thalia's speech had made her feel better. She could always count on her friend to be honest and straightforward, even when she didn't want to hear it. Her speech was exactly what she needed to take her her head off Thalia's shoulder, sit up straighter, adjust herself, and school her face into the cool, calculated expression she was known for.

Taking a deep breath, she turned to to Thalia and smiled slightly. "Thanks, Thals."

Thalia, probably suddenly feeling guilty for tell her friend off looked sheepish. "Sorry, ABC, but-"

"It's fine," Annabeth interrupted, because it really was. "I needed that. Self thrown pity parties are so not my thing. And you're right, I do have a plan."

Thalia beamed, punching her shoulder. "I know you do."

And with that, the two Greek demigods fell into a light hearted conversation about the camps and the Hunters of Artemis (the

immortal, eternal maidens of the moon goddess of which Thalia was the leader) until other memebers of their meeting party began to show.

As Thalia and Annabeth conversed, they felt a cold chill coming from the tree on the left of them. They turned just in time to see a tall boy step out of the tree's shadow.

The boy - and he was a boy despite his height of about 6'4- was dressed in even more black than Thalia, whose rock pins, circlet, and eyes gave her some splashes of color.

He was about 17, with skin a pale olive color, which contrasted greatly to his long black hair, that hung just above his shoulders. He was slim and very tall, but with slight muscle definition in his arms that showed through the fabric of the black bomber jacket he wore. Underneath the jacket was a black Eagles shirt, a pair of dark jeans covered his long legs, and black combat boots covered his large feet. On his right hip rested a black sword that radiated dark energy and a skull ring on his left ring finger.

Annabeth smiled at the boy, as he reached them in a few steps with his long legs. "Hey, Nico," she said to the only living son of Hades.

The boy nodded his head at her and Thalia, before taking a seat on the side of her that wasn't occupied. "Hey," he said in a low voice she would never be used to. No matter how dark and brooding he tried to seem, it was hard for her not to view him as a the little happy go lucky kid she'd first met. Especially right now when she neede to remember something happy.

"Wow, Death Breath, no passing out. No 'with great power comes the great need to take a nap'? I'm impressed," Thalia said mockingly.

Nico rolled his eyes at her. "It's been 5 years, Pine Cone Face. I have better control over my powers now. Let it go."

Thalia narrowed her eyes at the nickname. "Listen, boy, unless you want me to put in a special request for my lady to turn you into a jackelope, I'd shut up."

Nico scoffed. "Boy? Jackelope? You're spending entirely too much time around those man haters you call sisters."

Here we go, Annabeth thought, rolling her eyes, but felt a tightening in her chest. While the children of the Greek children of the Big Three were nothing like their fathers when I came to their arguing, they did bicker. And whenever they were together they couldn't help but go back and forth. She couldn't help but feel a little sad at Percy not being there to join in their normal bickering.

Deciding she'd had enough, she stopped them. "You guys, we've got bigger issues to deal with than your love of tormenting each other. Focus." Hearing the no nonsense tone she used, the two shut up immediately, looking a bit apologetic.

"Now, as much as I want to look for-" she stopped speaking for moment, in order to keep her voice from cracking, then continued. "For Percy, there's something bigger at stake. It's interfering in the mortal and godly world."

Nico raised a dark eyebrow. "What could be more important than looking for Percy? He's been missing for a week and we have no leads. For all we know whatever theat you're talking about is connected to his disappearance."

Before Annabeth could speak up, Thalia did. "We're not exactly sure Nico. I haven't seen Lady Artemis since before Percy went missing and she hasn't answered any of my prayers. That's why we're here. I assume you haven't heard from your father or step-mother."

At the mention of his immortal parents, Nico frowned and shook his head. "But it's not like I speak to them constantly. I spend most of my time at camp and pop into the underworld whenever my father and Persephone want to attempt to 'bond' with me. And that's only every few weeks."

"Maybe so," Annabeth said, "But Mr. D hasn't been to camp since before Percy disappeared either. And the last time this happened-"

"Hera switched Jason and Percy," he finished, now looking grim.

"And Jason's fine," Thalia said looking just as grim. "I spoke to him this morning. Piper won't let him out of her site. And no one else is missing."

Now Annabeth spoke up, looking apologetically at her friends. "Actually you guys, Percy's not the only one missing."

The dark haired demigods gaped at the blonde one. "What?!" They exclaimed simultaneously.

Annabeth nodded, feeling selfish for only worrying about Percy. "They disappeaed the same night. With no trace."

"Who?" Thalia asked, at the same time Nico asked "How many?"

"Lacey from Aphrodite, Cecil from Hermes, Katie from Demeter - but none from CJ. I'm not sure how many and who exactly, because they weren't at camp when they were taken. They were with their mortal parents, who called Chiron, assuming they'd come to camp for some reason."

Thalia was quiet, a somber look on her face, while Nico spoke.

"Does anyone at camp know they're gone? Their siblings, girlfriends, boyfriends? Maybe they know something."

Annabeth shook her head, surprised by Nico's rare optimism. He was usually the morbid one in situations like this. "They don't know they're gone nor where they are. Chiron and I have been discreetly asking their cabin mates, siblings, and friends. I know when I'm being lied to, Nico and they have no clue."

"What does this mean?" Thalia asked quietly, no doubt concerned about her Hunters, who she'd left unattended to come to this meeting. "Are they only taking demigods who don't stay year-round?"

"That's the theory", a voice behind them spoke suddenly, startling them so badly their hands automatically went to their various concealed weapons. Annabeth to the small, but effective dagger she kept in her sock, Nico's hands drifted to the Stygian iron sword on his side, while Thalia had gone to her pocket to remove her mace can that doubled as a spear.

"Wow," the voice, a male one, said speaking again. "You guys are startled really easily."

Annabeth relaxed once she took him in.

The young man was around Annabeth's age, with short cropped dirty blonde hair. He was slim, though with defined muscles that showed in his beige short sleeve t-shirt, and around average height. He wore dark colored jeans and black sneakers. Around his neck was a gold necklace, with a white stone engraved with a black symbol that reassembled a slanted 'F '. His eyes were the most alluring thing about him, as they were a startling gray, a lot like Annabeth's own, but with a haunted look instead of a calculating one.

"It's okay guys," she said to her friends. "This is my cousin - Magnus Chase. The one I told you about."

At the mention of his name, Magnus waved and smiled a little.

"You must be Thalia and Nico," he says, walking around the bench to stand in front of them. "I've heard a lot about you."

Nico and Thalia just stared until Annabeth elbowed them. Looking on the other side of her her, Thalia made eye contact with Nico.

"Is it just me or does he look like Kurt Cobain?" Thalia said, not even attempting to whisper. Nico nodded slightly, never taking his eyes off Magnus. "It's kind of freaking me out."

Annabeth rolled her eyes at the two and looked at her cousin apologetically, who only shrugged.

"I get that a lot," he said, sighing. "But I don't really see-"

"No, trust me, I've met Kurt Cobain and you look exactly like him," Nico said in awe, Thalia nodded next to him.

Magnus looked confused at Nico's statement and began to respond before Annabeth stopped him.

"Focus. Demigods are missing and we're wasting time debating my cousin's resemblance to Kurt Cobain," she said. "Though he really does look like him," she added, feeling she'd been too harsh.

At the reminder of what they were meeting about, the son of Frey adopted a more serious facial expression, but cracked a smile at his cousins comment.

"Right," Thalia said, serious once more. "Since you're here, Magnus, I'm assuming you're having the same issue of missing demigods?"

Magnus, nodded. "We are. I'm not sure how many total but my boyfriend, sometimes girlfriend, Alex is missing. They went out on a supply run a week ago and I haven't seen them since. I've checked everywhere and I can't find them. And according to my friend Mallory, her boyfriend, Halfborn is missing, too. Not to mention a few of the other demigods I know. Around the same time as Alex."

Reaching up, Annabeth squeezed her cousins arm, trying to physically force the little strength she felt into her cousin. She knew exactly how he felt and wouldn't wish it on anyone else

At the gesture, Magnus gave her a small tilt of his lips, though it looked a bit forced.

"I have no clue where they could be. I even had a friend of mine check the other realms just to be sure. I can't even get in touch with my father." Magnus sounded a bit defeated after he'd finished speaking

Nico spoke up at this, sounding more determined and optimistic than Annabeth had ever heard him. "I'm sorry about your friends, Magnus and Annabeth I'm sorry about Percy and the other campers. But there has to be something. Demigods don't just disappear without into nowhere. Especially, without a fight - from any pagan. We're going to find them."

As Nico was talking, Annabeth spotted two people crossing the street from the direction of the abandoned warehouse, heading towards them.

In the lead was a young girl of about sixteen and about the same height as Thalia. As she got closer, you could see the faint red streaks in her hair caramel blonde hair. She wore a brown leather jacket, that looked strange over the white linen she wore, tattered jeans, and combat boots. Around her neck she wore a gold necklace that held a circular pendant with a line through it. Even from where she sat, Annabeth could see the sky blue of her eyes.

Behind her, was an extremely handsome and muscular boy of about Nico's height and age. His skin was the color of unroasted coffee beans, with hair cropped close to his head, and dark brown eyes. He wore a tight black t-shirt, black leather jacket, black jeans and black combat boots.

As they reached the bench where Annabeth and her friends sat (stood in Magnus' case), she stood to greet them.

"Thanks for coming," She said, offering them a small smile. The blonde girl gave one in return. "Thanks for inviting us."

"Uh, who are they?" Magnus asked slowly, looking from the newcomers to his cousin, along with Thalia.

Nico on the other hand, already knew.

"I can feel the death deity," he said. "Not as old as the immortals I'm used to meeting, actually relatively young. A younger parthenon."

"'Cause that's not creepy at all," Magnus muttered.

"Yeah," the male newcomer said, speaking in a deep voice, scratching his head sheepishly. "I'm Walt."

At this, Magnus looked confused, while Thalia and Nico both nodded. "You host Anubis?," the son of Hades asked, though Annabeth knew it was out of courtesy. Walt nodded.

"Anubis?" Magnus questioned. "That's Egyptian, so you guys must be-"

"The magicians? Yes. And you're a demigod, she's a demigod, they're both demigods," the blonde girl interrupted, rolling her eyes and folding her arms. "And I'm Sadie. Now that, that's settled can we move on to why we're really here?"

Annabeth nodded and started to speak. "Demigods aren't the only one missing. Magicians are missing, too. I called Sadie the second day Percy was missing to see if she'd maybe seen him, when she told me they had missing person problems of their own. That's why I wanted to meet here. That abandoned building isn't abandoned at all. It's the headquarter for the First Nome branch of the House of Life."

"My brother, Carter, and his girlfriend Zia are missing," Sadie said, a deep frown on her young face. "I thought they were still out recruiting others with blood of the pharaohs to join us at Brooklyn House, but when I tried to reach them, I got no answer. So I asked Walt and Anubis to check it out and they can't find anything either. No one has seen them."

After Sadie finished speaking, everyone looked even more troubled than before.

"I'm not sure what's happening," Thalia said quietly, speaking for the first time since the magicians arrived, startling everyone, "But we need to figure it out fast. I left my girls unattended and the sudden news of all these missing people is making me nervous."

"That's why we're here," Annabeth said, in a calm voice that surprised even herself. "We're going to figure out what's going on, but we need to get out of here. It's obviously not safe for ANY of our pagans to be out in the open."

"Where are we going to go?" Sadie questioned, still frowning. "I'd suggest our place, but we haven't informed the trainees about this and have only given them strict instructions not to leave. I didn't want to scare them if this was just an easy fix and we were looking in the wrong places, but it's looking more and more like that's not going to happen." Walt nodded in agreement.

"I'm with her," Magnus said. "Where can we go?"

For once, Annabeth had an answer to a question, which is something she hadn't had in the last week. "To Camp," she said confidently.

"And how exactly are we going to get there?" Walt asked, looking at her curiously, everyone except Nico doing the same. "We're in Brooklyn, you guys are in Long Island. That's more than an hour away and human forms of travel aren't a good idea for any of us right now."

"You want me to shadow travel us all there?" Nico asked. Though again, it wasn't really a question. Annabeth nodded.

"And then I want you to go get your sister, Frank, and Reyna." Nico nodded and pulled a small square of ambrosia out of his pocket. He broke off an even smaller piece and shoved it in his mouth.

"I'm sorry," Said said, raising an eyebrow. "Shadow what now?"

"Once again," Magnus, mumbled, shuffling his feet, "I'm with her."

"It's an Underworld form of travel," Nico answered, swallowing his ambrosia. "It's essentially stepping into one shadow, only to step out of another, wherever I choose to go."

"We're in," Sadie said. "Sounds bloody freaking cool." Walt smiled at her comment.

"It always does at first," Thalia grumbled, "But then you feel like your stomach's been turned inside out and wish you'd walked."

"I'm sorry, turned inside what?".Magnus asked in disbelief.

"Come on," Annabeth said, walking towards the shadow of the tree Nico had stepped out of. "It's not that bad."

Following behind her, one by one, they made their way to the tree, with Nico standing in the middle.

"I'd advice you to hang on to each other tightly," he said. "Unless you want to be a permanent shadow."

And with that, the son of Hades stepped further into the shade of the tree, until the four demigods and two magicians were gone. As if they'd never been there.

This is my extremely rough draft of an idea I've had for a while now but only took the time to write out yesterday. And I'm also aware that I really need to brush up on some of my facts about the Kane Chronicles and Magnus Chase. I like them both, but the memory of some of the stuff from those series don't come as easily to me as PJO. This is just a sample of what's to come, anyway. I'll be posting chapters, yes, but we won't get super deep into the Avengers part for a little while. The first few chapters will be establishing when the mythological world starts to lose people and notice what's going on. I'll even be updating my other ff. Also, I use combat boots and eye rolling a lot, lol, I know.

Thank you so much if you're reading, I really appreciate it.- Kayla.