Jason woke up earlier than he usually did. Which was saying something, since, as he glanced over to his clock, it was 11:55 pm. He rolled out of bed and got dressed as fast as he could. Once he was comfortable in his shirt, jeans, and converse, along with his sword and pack of provisions, Jason sneaked out of his cabin and headed towards Thalia's pine tree. The meeting place.

He checked and double checked to make sure that the harpies weren't any where in sight before sprinting to his sister's tree up the hill. Once he got there, Jason checked again to make sure no one saw him. 

He leaned against the great pine tree that once was Thalia, before realizing that Peleus the dragon was curled around it, sound asleep. The dragon didn't even stir at Jason's touch.

Now he just had to wait for Percy and Jack, which hopefully shouldn't take long. But knowing his and Percy's luck, that was totally not going to happen.

While he waited, Jason started humming quietly to himself, an old lullaby that he couldn't exactly place, but it gave him comfort.

"I never knew you could sing," A voice whispered in his ear.

Jason almost cried out in alarm, turning around and bringing his sword up to attack at the voice. His sword was pointing at the face of the hideous...

"Jack?" Jason whispered-shouted.

The young Guardian laughed quietly. "Watch where you swing that thing, Lightning Boy."

Jason placed a hand over his rapidly beating heart, as if trying to make it slow down. "I could've stabbed you," he hissed.

Jack shrugged. "It's fun messing with people," the winter spirit admitted. Jack noticed Jason's stance and smirked. "Did I scare you?"

Jason gave the Guardian an incredulous look. "No, " he sarcastically replied. "I just love feeling my heart beat at a very fast pace."

Jack laughed again. 

Jason shook his head. "Yes, you scared me," he said. "Thought you were a monster."

Jack's smile fade into a confused frown. "Can monsters talk?"

Jason nodded.

The winter sprite sighed and ran a hand through his hair, muttering what Jason thought he could make out as, "Great."

Jason scanned the area. "Where's Percy?" He asked, looking from side to side, as if his cousin could pop up out of nowhere.

Jack shrugged. "I don't know," he replied, hovering over the ground. "He's probably just running late," he added, as if sensing Jason's uneasiness.

"Yeah, that would be like him," Jason said, unconvinced. He decided that he would give Percy at least five more minutes before he panicked.

After a few more minutes of his cousin not showing up, Jason checked his watch again, which read 12:15 am.

"Fifteen minutes," Jason mumbled. 

Jack looked at him. "What?"

"Fifteen minutes," Jason repeated, louder this time. "Fifteen minutes have passed. And no sign of Percy." Jason was beginning to slightly panic.

Even Jack was beginning to look worried for the son of Poseidon. "Let's go check his cabin," he demanded.

Jason wasn't sure why Jack had said that. "Why?"

Jack just looked at him and said, "C'mon!"

So they raced down to the cabins, stopping at a particular cabin that looked like it belonged in the sea itself, or at least in a sea shop. Cabin 3.

The two boys slowed down enough to not make a lot of noise. When they reached the cabin, Jason raised his fist and quietly knocked on the door.

No one answered.

"Percy?" Jason called softly, while knocking on the door again. "It's us. Me and Jack."

Again, no one answered.

Jack gently nudged him with his staff. "Try to see if you can enter," the spirit suggested.

Jason nodded and carefully turned the doorknob. To his surprise, no one came barreling towards him. He locked eyes with Jack, who just shrugged. As quietly as he could, Jason pushed the door open wide enough to where he and Jack could easily slide through. 

"Percy?" Jason whispered into the dark. "You here?"

He made his way to Percy's bed, knowing where to step, Jack following his lead. When the boys got to the bed, Jason was ready to pull the covers down, when a cold hand landed on his shoulder.

Jason jumped and turned to Jack, who was keeping his focus on the bed. Jason shook his head and pulled the covers back only to find the bed empty. Only blankets and pillows.

Jason scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion. "Where did that idiot cousin of mine go?" He mumbled.

Jack swung his staff onto his shoulders, walking around the cabin, making it slightly snow.

"Maybe he went to Annabeth's cabin," Jack softly said.

When he saw Jason's face, he quickly added, "Didn't he say that ever since he and Annabeth got out of Tartarus, since they have nightmares they usually go to the other to sleep with them?"

Jason nodded. "That's right," he agreed.

He looked at Jack, then at the empty bed, then at Jack again.

"Hey Jack," Jason called. 

The young sprite snapped his head towards Jason, indicating that he was listening.

"Can you go to Cabin 6 and see if Percy's there?" Jason continued once he was sure he had Jack's attention.

The Guardian nodded and flew off to Athena's cabin. Jason looked at the bed again once Jack left, and saw a note on the pillow that he was sure wasn't there before.

Fear and worry crept inside Jason as he reached down to grabbed the note.

"Why would Percy leave a note?" Jason asked himself, as he opened it.

He sat down on the bed and turned on the light, so he could read it better. Which was a mistake because what the note said shocked him to the very core. It read:

   If you ever want to see your precious friends again, I suggest you hurry, before it's too late. Time is running out for them, including the one that you all care about. I'm not sure he'll last much longer.

-P

 Jack was horrified and furious at what he just read. But mostly he was just furious. There is no way a freaking childhood villain is going to kidnap his cousin and get away with it.

He didn't care if he sounded cheesy at the moment, but that was how he felt right then.

"I have to tell Jack," he said to himself.

He was about to rush over to the Athena cabin when he ran into Jack. Literally. Jason was a foot away from the door when Jack flew into him, causing both boys to tumble into the ground. The boys both groaned as they got up.

"Dude, I've got to tell you something," Both Jack and Jason said and the same time.

"You go first," they both said in unison again.

"No you," they said again.

Jason waved his hands in the air. "You go first," he told Jack.

"Okay," Jack agreed. "I couldn't find Percy in Annabeth's cabin."

"I know," Jason nodded. "I found a note on his pillow. Here."

He gave Jack the note and looked at the winter spirit's reaction when he read what was on the letter. He sat down on his cousin's bed when he saw Jack's expression getting darker and darker.

Jack looked at Jason when he finished, then looked back at the note. "So, Percy's gone," he asked, though it sounded more like a statement. Jason could tell there was anger in his voice. 

Jason looked at Jack, fear, worry, and anger most likely visible in his eyes. "He's been kidnapped. By Pitch Black."

**************

I love you guys, you know that right?

Sorry if that was a bad cliffhanger, I thought it was good. 

Until next time.

-Kayla