(A/N: Hey everyone! So this would be my very own version of the Mark of Athena. So far, some of its events would be contemporary with my other fic THO: The Black Legion. In a way they are but that other fic kind of deals with another set of characters. Anyways, read on and enjoy!)

I

Percy

We'll find him first thing in the morning. Don't go running off without me, Seaweed Brain!

Percy groaned inwardly, his mind still filled with dread just by thinking of all the hundreds of ways Annabeth's going to do to kill him. He promised her he'd take her with him on the search and yet here he is taking a cab to the nearest airport to L.A with Hazel which doesn't make things any better.

It's about 5 a.m. A couple hours more and she'll find out. Percy hoped Frank or Jason would be able to make at least a decent excuse to cover up for him but he knew it wouldn't matter. Even a full-fledged son of Mars or Jupiter is no match for a raging daughter of Athena; especially if it's Annabeth. That he knows of. He's dead and he knows it.

"I hope he's okay." Hazel mumbled as she stared absent-mindedly outside the cab's window. Her hands fiddled with her bag's strap.

"Frank? Don't worry about him. I'm sure Annabeth's gonna be saving it all up for me when I get back." Percy gave a half-hearted laugh but he knew who she was referring to. "As for Nico, we'll find him. Soon…"

Hazel was the only one who sensed it; maybe because of them being siblings and all. She felt that Nico was in grave danger and something is about to happen to him. Whatever it is, if it's as bad as Hazel says, then they have to find Nico and they have to find him soon.

"You know, we could have just taken her along. She looked like she really missed you and she wanted to spend more time." Hazel said; pulling her hair back on a ponytail.

"I wanted to but she's much more needed there." Percy scratched his head. Things weren't going so good lately at Camp Jupiter and they obviously need someone like her to keep order. "Besides, the Underworld's the last place I'd ever think of when I'm bringing her on a date."

"You're probably right." She returned to the window and after that, silence.

They've only told a handful of people of this: Annabeth, Jason, Chiron, Reyna, Piper, Leo, Frank, Tyson, and Grover. Everyone was willing to go but he knew they all can't leave at once. Not on the camp's current state. Since Jason and the Greek camp's arrival, it had been a short celebration mainly for him and the Greeky side of things. He got to see Annabeth and the others again while meeting new ones like Leo and Piper. His memories have mostly returned. The Argo II is fully functional, ready to take them to Greece.

On the Roman side however, things weren't that bright and cheery. While the Greeks accepted Jason and treated him like a friend and not just a very strong demigod camper, most of the Romans now look down at him as someone who abandoned them on their time of need to help the Greeks and now look up to Percy; urging him to become praetor after he saved them and all. They wouldn't show it openly of course but Percy noticed it as it hung in the air. Reyna is quite aware of it too. Jason has lost much of his charisma towards most of the legionnaires and they lost equal loyalty to him. Not to everyone of course. Some like Reyna, Dakota, Hazel, Frank, and most of the fifth cohort still welcomed him warmly.

That's just one of the problems. The whole idea of the Greek-Roman collaboration thing was ready to be flushed down the toilet the moment the Argo II landed at Camp Jupiter. Pure and simple, the Romans don't trust the Greeks and vice-versa. It was clear the very first second they saw them. The Greeks knowing they aren't welcome also showed hostility towards the other camp. It's like putting two volcanoes side by side waiting for either or both to erupt. The first day was a complete disaster. The first cohort "accidentally" held a chariot race over the whole temporary Greek camp. The Hermes cabin had some fun with the baths putting in something in the water that made anyone who bathe in it turn blue. Clarisse and the Ares cabin had some beef with the children of Mars despite having the same father and sent several people to the infirmary in a game of dodgeball where they used grenades. Even the children of Aphrodite and Venus held a seemingly harmless fashion showdown that ended up in a massive pile of cat-fights.

Percy and the others struggled to restore order and they somehow did. Thanks to Annabeth and her plan on separating the two camps with a long fortified wall that spanned the middle of Camp Jupiter while being guarded 24/7. It somehow cooled down the tension between the two camps but it just made unity between them all the more impossible. It's been three days after that and nothing's happening until Hazel had that vision.

"Here we are folks." The driver turned to us and announced as he pulled by the curb. Percy paid him but the driver frowned when he noticed something glisten by Percy's foot. "Holy smokes! Is that a diamond I'm seein' there kiddo?"

"No! No, it's not!" Hazel's hand shot out in alarm and stuffed the million-dollar rock in her bag before exiting in a hurry. Percy followed.

"Hey! That's probably not even yours!" He heard the cab driver call out behind him. "Get back here!"

They managed to ditch the driver after a couple of airport security personnel stopped him. An hour later, they were on a plane to L.A. Percy sunk back. His hands gripping the armrests until his knuckles turned pale white. He never got used to flying. He glanced beside him at Hazel who looked sick. Her face was all green and she shivered a little.

"Hey, you okay?" Percy asked. "You look ready to throw up. I got a bag over here."

"No thanks. I can take it. You don't look so good either." Hazel replied a little weakly. "I've never liked being away from the ground. Never. I've managed to keep it together back at Alaska but I never liked flying. Especially high-altitude ones."

"Tell me about it…" Percy groaned and stiffened as the plane hit some turbulence. Afraid that lightning might come out of nowhere and blast them to bits any second. He closed his eyes and tried to drown out all his worries. His mind pictured that day the Argo II landed. A large floating ship with a bronze dragon head; the Romans readied their weapons and braced themselves for battle while he found himself walking towards it automatically. The hatch opened and out comes someone named Leo who spread his arms wide and declared: "Roman dudes, we come in peace!" as if he came from another planet. It took most of the Romans all their willpower to not impale him on the spot. Next was Jason who received a mixed welcome though it didn't stop Reyna from shedding a tear or two.

Then came out Annabeth. He pictured her face, how she lit up with both relief and anger; so typical of her. Percy found himself smiling. She marched towards him ready to hug the life out of him or strangle it. Luckily, it was the crushing hug followed by that oh so warm kiss he thought was the best one yet. That familiar tingle, warmth and taste he never knew he would experience again or believed only existed in memory. It was followed by that endless rant about him leaving her without any warning then popping out of some camp she'd never even heard of. It went on and on but he listened to it all as he held her tight with her face buried in his chest. Heck, she can go on forever. He doesn't mind.

He found himself relaxed and calm. Hazel groaned beside him. Without any warning, he felt something pierce through his mind and shattering his thoughts. A voice rang out in his head. Of course it won't be anyone else but Gaea's.

"Touching moments. So full of love." Gaea let out a dry chuckle. "You would do anything for her. Anything. That is after all, your fatal flaw, Percy Jackson."

Leave me alone. Get out of my head! Percy screamed in his mind. So Gaea's into high-jacking minds now…

"As for that Underworld hoodlum, yes. Find him Percy Jackson. Before it's too late! Another piece shall be put into play! You all are after all, playing in my hands…" And just like that, he felt her presence leave. A flight attendant's voice rung out and announced that they are nearing L.A.

"Percy what's wrong? You look like you've just been to Alaska all over again." Hazel asked; obviously worried.

"We need to find Nico." Percy took a deep breath. "We need to find him fast…"

(A/N: Well, that's it for the first chapter. Tune in for the next one soon! Please comment and review. Let me know what you think. See yas! Iron Raven out…)