Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or Castle.

Chapter 10

Castle's POV

We had hardly exited the building when I started talking. It's not a crime; I just wanted to have my head on straight before we went inside that apartment.

"So, the shooter from this apartment killed Michael," I began.

"We're still waiting on the official autopsy; Lanie should have it ready when we get back," Beckett interrupted.

"Then, somehow this sniper knows information to incriminate him is in the precinct with Percy and Annabeth," I continued, not missing a beat.

"He and his secret services sniper buddy drug Percy and Annabeth, planning to steal the papers," Beckett added.

"So, he didn't want to kill anyone else?" I pointed out.

"No, he was already guilty over Michael..."

"But he still doesn't want to get caught so he goes for the papers..."

"Only to see Ryan and Javi coming out of the room with the papers he wants so he leaves," Beckett finished.

"Are they always like this?" Nico asked Espo.

"Every case," he replied, rolling his eyes at us.

"What about the demigod side of things?" Percy asked Beckett.

"Maybe it's just a coincidence?" Beckett replied, which meant she didn't have an answer.

Yet.

"There is no way in hell I'm going up in that thing," Thalia sniffed, pointing at the elevator.

"Ditto that chica," Espo said, staring at the deformed lift. It looked like cardboard cut out in the shape of doors with marker decorations. Soon, a guy stumbled out and went straight to the bins. The lobby reeked of vomit after that.

"To the stairs!" Percy cheered sarcastically.

"Ryan, Espo, you guys go get the doorman," Beckett instructed. "See if he can positive ID our nephew or the girl form Sonic." She handed them the folders with the pictures.

"While you escape the puke stench," Espo muttered, walking away. "Sure boss."

So the rest of us started the everlasting trek to the 15th floor up the disgusting stairs. I'll spare you the details, but Percy said he'd once been on a ship that was overrun with monsters and the walls there looked better than this.

At about the 5th floor, we heard heavy breathing and footsteps. Javi and Ryan were soon in view, breathing hard and taking the steps two at a time.

Javi reached first, pumping his fist in the air yelling, "I win!"

"Cuz you tripped me on the first flight of stairs." Ryan panted as they integrated themselves into our trek line.

"Boys, the doorman?" Beckett asked from behind me.

"Yeah, so our doorman is incapable of identifying any of our suspects," Ryan complained.

"Cuz the guy's an idiot!" Javi ranted. "As a doorman, either tell me you seen the people or not. Don't tell me how fake the girl's eyebrows are. That's not what I asked ya."

Beckett smiled. "Still show the picture and sketches around to the apartments on the 15th floor."

"Will do," Ryan replied.

"As long as they smarter than their doorman," Javi grumbled.

"Real nice place..." Nico muttered dryly as we hiked up the steep stairs to the 15th floor.

"And these stairs are ginormous..." Thalia grumbled from the lead.

"Maybe it'd be easier if you took them one at a time..." Ryan smiled from his place at 4th in our urban hiking line up the old dusty stairs of Jonathon Laden Apartment Complex. We'd all come to the agreement that we were not riding in the rickety elevator, even if it meant hiking up 15 flights of stairs.

"Come on, guys, were almost there," Percy said encouragingly concentrating on the steps in front of him and Ryan's heels.

"Shut up Mr. Sunshine..." Thalia snapped.

"Well I'm sorry for trying to be optimistic," Percy snapped back, going around Ryan and Espo in two extra bounds to get closer to his cousin. "Just because you're gloomy doesn't mean we all have to be Mr. Storm-cloud like your daddy."

I don't think I'd ever heard Percy talk to anyone like that, much less a family member. The four demi-gods had explained the godly side of their family tree back at the Precinct.

None of them really liked it that much but technically, Nico, Percy and Thalia are all cousins since their dads are the big three, even though their moms didn't know each other. And believe it or not, Nico was actually the oldest os the three since him and his big sister Bianca were born before WWII.

Percy and Annabeth also didn't like to talk about it since Annabeth's mom, Athena, was Zeus's daughter... kinda-ish. Somehow; springing, fully-grown, from a man's split skull isn't what I would call a miracle of birth. Still that made Percy Annabeth's second cousin, and it didn't help that Athena didn't like Percy because she and Poseidon had had bad blood between them.

Suddenly, Nico was in between Percy and Thalia, who had stopped at the top of the 10th flight of stairs. The three of them were standing in the middle of the way, halting our progress.

"Guys..." Beckett stared to go around me but Annabeth beat her to it. In a split second, she was in between Percy and Thalia, holding each of them by an ear, much like how Beckett used to do to me.

"Do you want this building to be struck by lightning, swept away by an inland tidal wave, or get eaten by the ground?" Annabeth snapped, "Cuz that is what would happen if someone killed one of you guys. And right now, it looks like all three are happening today."

Nico had somehow dodged Annabeth's attack but she managed to push him to landing floor. Now when he tried to say something she turned to glare at him. He immediately shut up.

"Apologize," she glared at Percy and Thalia. Nothing happened. She twisted their ears, making them cry out.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry!" Percy finally said twisting his body to compensate with the pain on his ear.

"You too Thals," Annabeth instructed, releasing Percy's ear.

"Fine, sorry..." she muttered, glaring at Annabeth.

"Good," Annabeth smiled, "Nico get up, we're moving."

"Y-yes ma'am..." he stammered, shuffling into the now moving line.

Scary Annabeth!
Hope u liked, Plz reiveiw.

-S