Piper's head was pounding but she opened her eyes anyway. Light blurred her vision and she had to squint. Things gradually started moving.

A blonde head swam above her, moving in and out of focus. They were talking, whoever they were, as a small blurry section was moving up and down. What, she couldn't hear.

Piper pressed a hand to the side of her head. "By the gods," she groaned. "That hurts like a b-"

Reyna, Hazel, Frank. Camp Jupiter. It came back to her. The events that had led to Reyna taking over Camp Half-Blood and imprisoning them. Those creepy grins just lingered in the back of her mind.

Piper shuddered.

"Hey Piper! Piper! Hey, listen to me!"

Something echoed in her ears, a familiar voice. She squinted. Piper then realised she was looking up at Annabeth. The blonde hair should have given it away. She gave her a weak smile. Those grey eyes flooded with relief and her friend pulled her up into a sitting position. Piper's head throbbed but she was able to focus clearly now.

"Hey, are you okay?" Annabeth asked concernedly.

Piper rubbed her head and smiled wearily at the girl. "Hurts like hell but I'll be okay. You?"

Annabeth nodded. "Hazel just knocked me out. No lasting damage. But that's a nasty bruise you've got."

Piper touched her cheek and winced at the pain that spread from the tender flesh. Reyna had hit her so hard she'd gone sprawling. No wonder it hurt so much. She wasn't surprised it had bruised over so quickly .

"It doesn't matter," she shrugged. "What's going on, how long have you been awake?"

"Not long," Annabeth admitted. "I don't know what happened. It's been strangely quiet for Camp Half-Blood. Usually there are at least birds singing but.., nothing. There's nothing."

Piper staggered to her feet, Annabeth gazing up at her. Her head spun but she managed to focus. The questions that she needed to answer. Where was she? It was a room, a bedroom with a hefty looking door and wide windows. They were somewhere in the Big House.

Piper walked across to the window and peered open, one hand touching her mouth. From here she could see all the Cabins and from each flew a purple flag. The flag of Camp Jupiter. Any mark of Camp Half-Blood had either been taken down or destroyed.

Their conquerors marched around the place, patrolling or just proving a point. But they didn't make a sound, they just seemed to glide across the grass. Not a single member of Camp Half-Blood was to be seen. Her friends, her siblings… Where were they?

Annabeth joined her at the window, one hand touching her shoulder. Piper skimmed her fingers off her hand and sighed. "Something's taken over Camp Jupiter," the blonde whispered in her ear. "We need to find out what it is."

"It's.. It's some sort of possession. Mind control," Piper said. "... Who has the power to do that?"

"The only creatures that I know can do that are the Eidolons," Annabeth admitted. "But they take over the body, not change their personality. But with both Roman and Greek mythology, there could be an endless number of monsters."

"Isn't the sun so beautiful?" a sarcastic voice cooed. "Look at the two of you, all pretty and emo gazing out the window together."

Piper whipped around only to find Reyna and Frank standing behind them. Wearing purple in the Roman fashion she looked astoundingly regal. A white toga curled around her lush body. A simple band of golden twine sat on her head, a crown for the new queen of Camp Half-Blood.

Frank was silent.

"Surprised, Ms Chase," the praetor purred, coming into the room. "That you haven't got some plan of escape yet. I must say, I'm quite disappointed. You don't live up to your reputation."

Piper dropped Annabeth's hand and took a step forward. Reyna's head tilted, eyes lighting up. Piper grasped for her words. "What the hell happened to you, Reyna?" she gasped. "We're friends. This isn't you. What happened?"

For a few seconds no one said anything. Annabeth was silent but supporting at her shoulder. Frank didn't look as though his expression had changed. Reyna just had that smirk on her face.

"Many things have happened to me but none of your concern," the dark haired woman yawned. She arched an eyebrow.

"Why are you here? Why are we here?" Annabeth interrupted. "There's a reason you have us here. Why?"

"Oh I'm so glad you asked that, Annabeth," Reyna smiled. "It'll make the transition so much more dramatic."

"What?"

Suddenly it started raining and when she said raining, Piper meant it started lashing. The light from outside vanished behind dark clouds and the foursome were left in darkness. Dramatics? She didn't have a clue how Reyna knew that was going to happen but it did.

"Where is your dagger, Annabeth?" the praetor asked quietly.

Her friend started, obviously confused. "My dagger? What the… Why?"

Reyna's smile was different from the time before and there was definitely something dark to it. Twisted and cold coiled deep within. "I need it."

"You… You know I lost it. In.. In Tartarus. I haven't been using it in months."

Reyna looked taken back, something of the old her returning. "Oh. Oh." She touched her head. "I guess… That did happen… Damn. I can't remember." The woman started shaking. "Why?! Why won't she let me?"

In the dark Piper saw Reyna's face twist into one of fury. Her eyes seemed to glow and she took a step back. Reyna let out a throaty gasp and froze.

For a few seconds Piper thought Reyna was coming back to them, that she'd fought them off but the smirk that followed just crushed her hopes. Her lip curled in frustration. "Poor brother. He will rise again. I know he will. I just don't. Know. How."

"Who are you?" Annabeth tried her tackle now. "What are you? And what have you done to Reyna?"

Reyna have her a twisted smile. "Please. Don't you recognise me? It's still me, Annabeth. Still the same old RARA that we all know and love! Hmph. Just-" Reyna spun on her heel. "-without the limitations of honour and fear. Well met, Adios, friends, I'm sure we'll talk later."

She sassily stalked out. Frank silently left after her, the door locking securely behind them. And Piper never felt more hopeless.

Annabeth braced both hands against the windowsill, grey eyes searching the campus. "There has to be something I'm missing," she muttered to herself. "Something that's the key. What brother is she talking about? What does she mean? What is she?"

Piper watched her think and a distant memory popped into her head. "Percy was right."

"Excuse me?"

"You do do that cute thing with your nose when you're thinking hard." Piper suddenly blushed. "Not sure why I was thinking of that. Sorry. Not useful."

"It's okay," Annabeth sighed. "I just… this problem... I don't know. And I hate not knowing."

"We'll just start small, no need to get the whole cut now. We just need a goal. Something that we need right now and can focus on."

Annabeth looked back at her. "To find out where our friends are. Camp Jupiter must have them locked away somewhere. If we find them, we stand a chance against whatever has taken Camp Jupiter."

"Right, first objective decided. Second?"

Annabeth's smile made her heart beat faster in her chest. "We need to contact our boyfriends."