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(4.4) Percy

A/N: A friend challenged me to incorporate song lyrics into one of my stories, so I tried that here. They gave me the song to use, so a couple of the following chapters will have references to it or lines from it. Comment if you figure out what the song is! Reveal will be at the end (4.6). Because if this, it sounds a little like Harry is dead. To be clear: Harry is NOT dead. Ok. Good talk.

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"Harry?" I shouted. "Harry?"

No response.

I'd been searching the streets for an hour and still nothing. Not a trace indicating where he'd gone or who might've taken him. Mom and Paul were freaked out and trying to stay calm. Mom stayed at the house in case he came back. Paul tried the police first, but they couldn't do anything, so he looked around the neighborhood and asked if anyone had seen him. I took to the more shady alleyways and back roads looking for some sort of sign.

I tried to stay calm, but my mind was racing. I shouldn't have let him go alone. I should've made sure he had a cellphone or money for a payphone or a drachma or something. He liked long walks, so I didn't question anything for a while. But the worry came as dinner time approached. He would never miss Mom's meatballs and sauce. Panic settled in as night fell. I had no clue what to do, so I called Annabeth.

Note to self: call Annabeth first.

She reminded me that Thalia owed me a favor because I beat her in HORSE. It's this basketball game where you have to make the shot from where the person before you- wait never mind. Not the time.

Anyway, I sent a quick prayer and drachma into an artificial rainbow. Soon enough, a misty image of my cousin appeared around a campfire with other young girls clad in sliver parkas.

"Thalia!" I shouted.

All the girls looked up at once. Some drew their bows and aimed towards me. It wouldn't do anything but cut the connection, yet their intense eyes had me shuffle back a little on instinct.

"Percy?"

Hearing my name got the others to lower their weapons albeit a little reluctantly. Thalia must have complained about me enough that they knew who I was.

"Yeah, Thals, I need your help."

"And why would I help you?"

"I'm cashing in that favor. Please, Harry's gone missing, and I can't track him. You're a Hunter, so obviously you can track better."

"Annie come up with this plan?"

"Obviously. So will you help?"

I knew she would because as much as she hated to admit it, if I saw Harry as a cousin, she would too. And she knew I'd only ask if I was desperate, which I readily admit I was. Just in case, I put on my baby seal eyes. Hook, line, and sinker.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be there soon. Let me tell Lady Artemis. Meet me at Aunt Sally's."

"Thank you!" I got in before the connection was gone.

Back at home, Thalia was eating blue cookies. Mom was fussing over her while Thalia pretended she didn't enjoy it. When I walked in and they smiled at me (sadly in Mom's case)—more of a smirk on Thalia's part—I could only think, Harry should be here.

And the worry lines set themselves in my face once more, threatening to become permanent.

"I'll find him," my partially-immortal cousin said with full confidence.

I mutely nodded as she grabbed her bow from the coat hook beside the door. Dangling from it was a red scarf that belonged to Harry. He forgot to pack it last year but said he had extra anyway. I reminisced as Thalia led me away from my home once more.

The night air was cold against my skin despite the summer heat from the day. I brushed aside the feeling as we went deeper towards the city, Thalia following some unseen tracks. At one point we passed a large tree. It reminded me of the Central Park grove Paul showed us. He said that in the autumn, their leaves turned a fiery red making them look ablaze when the wind blew. I loved fall because Mom and I would go on walks when I was a kid to see the leaves glide down softly like puzzle pieces fitting into place. I can still picture it after all these days.

The nostalgia only reminded me that the magic-user I had grown to love was here no more, lost in or taken to a place unknown.

We went even further, Thalia claiming faint traces of magic led to a path north. The roads we traveled reminded me of singing in the car with him—horribly on my part—getting lost upstate. He was wide-eyed as we passed forests he wasn't expecting from New York. I made a mental note to take him there during winter sometime when the snow was blindingly beautiful, untouched by the multitudes of people in the city.

"I can't sense it anymore," the daughter of Zeus suddenly said, crouching down outside a small coffee shop. "There was a big burst of magic, but then nothing. The trail goes cold, it's long gone even if there was one."

My mind flipped through everything that could've happened. Then it hit me.

"Apparition."

"What?"

"Apparition. It's a form of travel wizards use. He either went with someone or...," my tone hardened, "or he was taken." I let out a frustrated scream. "Gods! He could be anywhere! How the Hades are we going to find him?!"

"Alright, calm down, Kelp Head. We'll get him back. But... you should go home."

My head snapped up. "What? You honestly think I'm going to just stop looking right now?"

"Listen, Percy, I can keep hunting, but you can't keep up with me. You'd only get in the way."

"I'll take Blackjack," I argued. "You're not going alone, Thalia."

She must've seen the fury in my eyes and decided to cut her losses. I'm glad it didn't turn into a fight or else we would've wasted more time. Artemis's lieutenant pursed her lips, pained to give in so easily.

"Fine. But we do this my way."

"Fine," I snapped back.

I taxi whistled to call for Blackjack. He was cantering in front of me less than a minute later.

"Yo, boss. How's it going? The stables are getting too boring."

"Hey, Blackjack. Sorry for the late call, but I need some help."

"Of course you do. Lucky for you, I'm the best pegasus for the job. Wait, what are we doing?"

I shook my head fondly. "Helping search for my missing cousin."

He reared back a little. "Man, don't tell me the death kid is lost again."

"No, my other cousin."

"Boss, she's standing next to you."

"No. The one from England."

"Sparky?"

"That's California. Opposite direction. The one I had to get to earlier this summer."

"Well, whoever it is, I'll help. Hop on, boss."

I shook my head with fondness. Even in a stressful situation like this, he could lift my spirits.

"Thanks, Blackjack. I promise you'll get donuts when I visit camp."

"I better."

We took to the sky as Thalia tapped into her enhanced speed. It was a long, long night.