Cabin 13

25| Disappearing in a Puff of Black Smoke

Piper felt motivated and hopeful, that box had helped her remember what was going on this quest for, to save Annabeth and restore Jackson to his old self.

These quest members were now in the Camp's van driving to the Door of Orpheus in Central Park, New York. It's a lesser known entrance to the Underworld that Nico found a while back during the Titans War against Kronos.

"So what exactly are we gonna do when we get there? Storm Hades' palace?" Leo asked, sitting shotgun while trying desperately to refold a map he'd taken out from the glove department, distracting Jason who was trying to drive.

"Well, I'm hoping Jackson can tell us more about when Annabeth disappeared that night. Give us some clues as to who took her, I'm guessing it has to be someone pretty powerful to snatch her while she was on the brink of death," Piper said, turning Riptide over and over in the palm of her hand. 

As long as she did it slowly the blade didn't cut her. But on her way to meet everyone at the van before leaving camp she saw Riptide still in the ground on top of the hill. She decided to grab it, Percy would need it.

Speaking of which, Percy was passed out on the van floor. Jason admitted he'd hit him unnecessarily hard. He hadn't wanted him to wake up early before they'd had time to leave the Camp in the dust.

Will had said he probably had given him a concussion, and that he if he didn't wake up soon they would be in big trouble...

"But I did want to tell you guys something, I think it may be a clue," Piper said, "When I went to get Riptide all the grass around his sword was dead, and Annabeth's necklace was pitch black."

"The place Percy put his sword was the same spot where Annabeth... umm... well, died, " Leo said making quotation marks with his fingers at the word.

Jason frowned, turning back to them once they stopped at a red light, "I don't think Jackson will be much help, the charmspeak made him forget any 'Annabeth Memories'. Who else was there? Is there anyone else we could ask?"

Piper thought, "Clarisse was on guard duty with Percy that day. She could probably give us some information, maybe we can Iris message her?"

They had Jason stop at a small car wash. Nico, Hazel, and Piper got out, Piper fishing some quarters from her jean pockets and turning the hose knob to mist. She quickly angled it to make a lil' rainbow. 

Hazel took out a golden drachma from her backpack, where she'd gathered food and money for their quest, and tossed it in the rainbow saying unsurely, "Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering. Show me, Clarisse La Rue?"

When the picture shimmered, connecting them with Clarisse, Hazel laughed, "Whew, it worked! I've never done that before, usually, Romans just use giant eagles to carry messages, but this is way more fun!'' she smiled.

Nico smirked at his sister rolling his eyes. 

Piper liked seeing Hazel and Nico's brother-sister relationship, it was so simple and... well, healthy.

Clarisse frowned at them through the rainbow, "Uh, Pipes? Death Boy," she looked at Nico with loathing eyes, there was obviously some rivalry there, "and Death Boy's Lil' Sis. What'd you want?" she asked harshly.

Piper took the lead when Nico growled and Hazel looked offended, they needed this girl's help and she couldn't let some petty fight ruin their chances of getting the information they needed. 

"Clarisse, sorry to bother you. I hope you're not busy," Piper frowned when Clarisse rolled her eyes. Irritated, Piper sweetened her voice sprinkling a little Charmspeak in her words, "It's just we need some information. Do you remember how Annabeth 'disappeared'? "

Clarisse frowned, looking at them all concerned, "'Disappeared'?  Annabeth died."

"Right, well we have reason to believe she might have been taken," Piper paused then added, "and is still alive."

Clarisse blinked, shrugging, "M'kay, well sometimes when demigods die the gods take pity on them and reincarnate them to a plant or something. I was pretty sure that had happened when she disappeared into the black mist."

"Black? " Nico burst.

"Well, it looked like she was covered in this heavy black smoke, then when it cleared she was gone. I was a little suspicious when no plant sprouted where she died, but I wasn't really focusing on it."

Nico looked more annoyed than ever, "Ugh, why me? " he said, cursing at the sky as he starting to walk back to the van, "Alright, let's go."

"What, why?" Hazel spoke for everyone.

"Seriously? Annabeth was taken by darkness." He looked at them like that should explain it all, but when they just stared he sighed, "Darkness! Erebus  the God of Darkness?! "