After three encounters with monsters of different varieties, a wild train ride, and a demolished taxi later, Percy finally arrived in Gotham. Why was Percy Jackson in Gotham, the city widely renowned for its strange and violent criminals (as if monsters weren't enough)? The same reason he fell into Tartarus. The same reason he couldn't sleep at night. The only reason that would drag him out of the safety of Camp Jupiter: Annabeth. Three, no, it would be four days now, she had been missing. According to Nico, she wasn't dead, which was the only reason Percy hadn't completely lost it. Annabeth had flown out of California, across the country, to this accursed city to attend an interview for an internship.
"'The architecture is so fascinating there.'" Percy mocked her tone. "'It's just a couple of days.'" Percy harrumphed as he stared out into the city trying to decide what he should do next, now that he was here. A place to stay would be good. But Percy instead pulled out the brochure that Annabeth left behind. There were people at a drafting table smiling and laughing on the cover. Percy practically scoffed at it. He instead turned his attention to the address. He waived down another taxi, hoping this one didn't have a monster in it, and got in. He showed the driver the address and sat back somewhat hopeful that he might find answers.
The taxi pulled up to a fancy looking building made of mostly of glass and steel. Just the building to wow and woo Annabeth. Percy paid the driver. He was running low on money and would have to watch his spending. He probably should have cleaned up a bit before walking into the building. He was dirty and had a nasty rip in his jeans. Everyone looked at him as though he were a homeless person. He tried to flatten down his hair to little results. Percy walked up to the receptionist, who gave a polite smile, but looked like she wanted to be anywhere but talking to him.
"Can I help you?" She asked.
"Yes, you can." Percy was in no mood to play games. "My girlfriend was supposed to have an interview here a few days ago, Annabeth Chase."
"Annabeth Chase." The receptionist mused as she typed her name on the keyboard. "Let's see. Yes, she had an appointment for an interview, but was a no show."
"What do you mean she was a no show?" Percy demanded. Then took a deep breath and tried again. "You were supposed to pick her up at the airport."
"Yes. She never arrived."
"Impossible. I put her on the plane myself."
"I don't know what you want from me, but she failed . . ."
"Annabeth never failed at anything in her life and now because you dropped the ball in picking her up, she is missing."
"Missing?" She repeated.
"I told her, 'Don't go. Not Gotham.' But nooooo."
"Sir." A male voice said calmly behind him. Percy turned around to see a smartly dressed man with a receding sandy hairline and glasses. He hadn't realized he was making such a commotion. "Perhaps this is an issue that would be better suited for the police?"
"I, uh, look sorry." Percy ran a shaking hand through his hair. "I'm just really worried." Percy looked at the receptionist. "I didn't mean to take it out on you."
She smiled politely back.
"I'm okay." Percy moved to leave.
"Why don't I help you." The man offered. "I am on my way to the police department anyway."
"Oh, I, uh, wouldn't want to impose." Percy had only had bad experiences with the police.
"I insist. If your girlfriend went missing here in Gotham, then it is our priority to find her." The man guided him out to the car.
Percy tried to find an excuse for not going with him, but could find none. He guessed he was just trying to help. Percy had encountered too few strangers that genuinely wanted to help that he couldn't say no, even if he didn't believe that the police could help. And besides, Percy wasn't getting any monster vibes off him. To his surprise, his car was a sleek black limo. Percy definitely wished he had cleaned up a little better. He felt so out of place.
"So what's your name?" the man asked.
"Uh, Percy." Percy decided to stay safe and just give the first name.
"Well, Percy, we'll get this fixed up in no time. I have full confidence in our law enforcement." The man's phone rang and he immediately answered. He didn't talk to him the rest of the car ride as he was getting a phone call about every other second. Instead Percy turned his attention to the street outside. He felt his eyelids droop as the motion of the car and the monotone of the mans voice lulled him into sleep. He abruptly woke when the car came to a stop and the door opened.
"Here we are." the man smiled. "I didn't want to wake you. When was the last time you slept?"
"Um, its been awhile." Percy mumbled.
"Well, let's get this cleared up, then. Shall we?"
Percy merely shrugged as the limo door opened. The man got out first, then Percy. The police station looked fancier than a regular building with its old curves and tall leaning pillars. They walked in together, and Percy realized exactly who he was with when every cop in the building stood up and saluted. "Mr. Mayor!" a thin man with greying hair and a mustache walked up to him with his hand extended. The two men shook hands. "What brings you by this afternoon?"
"Lieutenant Gordon, I want you to meet Percy. Percy this is Gotham's finest detective." The mayor introduced them. "Percy has lost something important to him. Your girlfriend, was it?"
"Annabeth Chase. She had an internship appointment. She never got picked up from the airport." Percy said irritably.
Lieutenant Gordon wasted no formalities. "When did you last see her?"
"Four days ago, when I put her on the plane in San Francisco."
"What was she wearing?" He pulled out a notepad.
"Black dress slacks with a red short sleeve top and a black blazer." Percy rattled off, perfectly envisioning her, just before she got on the plane.
"Which looks better?" She asked him as he lay on their bed. "the black suit or the gray?" She held up both to her. Her curly blond hair was up in a pony tail, bringing out her grey eyes.
"You look good in anything." he smirked.
She dropped the suits and sighed exasperatedly. "I don't need the boyfriend answer, Percy. I want to make a good impression."
"You don't have to worry about that." Percy practically pouted. "You'll make a good impression no matter what. I just don't like . . ."
"Gotham." She finished for him. "Come on. I know it has a bad reputation, but they're trying to clean it up." She sat next to him and put a hand on his cheek. "And do you really think I can't handle Gotham, after where we've been?" She raised an eyebrow questioningly.
He gave a small smile back, grabbed her hand and kissed the palm of it. "You IM me the moment you touch down, or I'll tear the city apart looking for you."
"Okay." She kissed him softly on the lips and he recipocated by pulling her onto the bed with him and wrapping his arms around her. She laughed lightly. "I think I'll go with black. Gives a powerful contrast with red."
"General description?" Lieutenant Gordon interrupted his train of thought.
"Uh, a little shorter than me. Curly blond hair, and incredible grey eyes." He rattled off. "Here's a picture of her." He pulled out a picture of her smiling that had been taken at Camp Jupiter. Lieutenant Gordon took the picture from him.
The two men looked at the picture and then him for a moment, before the mayor cleared his throat. "Well then, I'll let you two get to it. Don't forget to elect me for mayor." And he left.
That explained it, Percy thought, it's election time.
Lieutenant Gordon guided Percy to a chair next to a desk covered in files. "Do you have the flight number?"
"No, she had the ticket." Percy was beginning to doubt the 'best detective' bit the mayor bragged about.
"And she was headed where in the city?"
Percy pulled out the brochure. "This place. Gotham Arcitecture Film."
"Firm. It says Gotham Arcitecture Firm."
"That's wat I said." Percy felt self-conscious of the flub up.
"Were you having any arguments that would prevent her from contacting you?"
Percy was getting irritated now. "The only argument we had was whether she should come here in the first place. She promised that she would contact me as soon as the interview was over. She wouldn't break her promise like that unless something had happened." He glared at the lieutenant, "And don't go looking at me for a problem."
the lieutenant looked indifferent. "Nothing personal. I just have to cover all my bases."
"Why don't you look at your messed up. . ."
"Dad!" a red haired girl interrupted. Percy took the opportunity to get his emotions in check.
"Babs!" the lieutenant stood up to hug his daughter. "How was school?"
"Good. Career day is tomorrow. Can you please come?" She pleaded. She didn't look much younger than Percy. Maybe a senior, he guessed.
"Oh Babs, you know I'm super busy." Gordon rubbed his neck. "But I'll try to drop by in the morning." he smiled back.
"Well, I guess we're done." Percy stood up. "Try to look into things sometime this year. Oh, and tell the mayor, that since I don't live here, I can't vote for him. in the meantime, I'll try to give the case the undivided attention it actually needs." Percy stormed out of the office, frustrated at how much time he had lost . He had actually thought that the police could help, but after seeing how much they had to do, he realized that they wouldn't be much help. He felt a bit ashamed at how badly he was behaving, but he had been in a foul mood ever since Annabeth disappeared, and He would not rest until she was found.
Once he was out of the building, he tried to take several breaths to clear his mind. He needed leads. He needed to track down where she had last been. The sun was setting and Percy still hadn't secured a place to stay. The street was littered with flyers, some showed the picture of the mayor that had taken Percy to the police station. And some showed a picture of a large man with a white beard. Percy paid the flyers no mind other than they were annoying when they flew into his face. He pulled out what money he had and counted out thirty seven dollars, and seventy eight cents. He had sacrificed quite a bit of his money just to get here. He took another deep breath and following some road signs, he took off toward the airport.
