~The Mess Hall (the next morning)~

‘How did he move so fast?’ Piper asked rhetorically. ‘That’s what I don’t get.’

‘I think I know,’ Annabeth muttered dejectedly into her mug of orange juice. ‘I think he was in a car.’

Hazel shook her head furiously, ‘Frank would know better than to get in a strangers car.’

‘Not if he was kidnapped,’ Piper pointed out. ‘Or if he was still a rabbit.’

‘Oh Frank,’ Hazel sobbed as she folded her arms on the table and buried her face in them.

Annabeth put a hand on her elbow, ‘We’ll get him back. If this map is still showing where they are then he must still be okay.’ Hazel noted how she carefully avoided using the word alive.

At that moment, Percy and Jason jogged into the Mess Hall, backpacks slung over their shoulders with rations, ambrosia and spare change. They met up at the table and nodded.

‘We got permission from Chiron to leave immediately,’ Percy explained. ‘But we gotta leave now. We don’t have a lot of time. Especially if this is all a stupid game that same person is setting up.’

Percy drove the camp van, following the golden glow on the map while Annabeth navigated. Jason and Piper played a half-hearted game of scissors, paper, rock in the back as Hazel just stared out at passing cars.

‘Frank’s in Manhattan,’ Annabeth informed them as they sped down the highway to New York. ‘Left, Percy, go left.’

‘I know where I’m going,’ Percy grumbled, but everyone saw him glance at the map when he thought no one was looking.

Annabeth shook her head at her boyfriend and sighed. The rest of the drive passed in silence until they crossed a bridge to Manhattan and Annabeth jerked upright.

‘We’re close,’ she said. ‘Turn here.’

With Annabeth rambling off directions, Percy weaved his way through traffic, honking at other drivers. They finally pulled up at a pet store. The sign was bright blue, and the words Pablo’s Pet Mania stuck out in florescent yellow bubble writing.

Jason stuck his head out the window, staring at the sign in disbelief, ‘Are we in the right place?’

Annabeth slammed the car door shut behind her, the others following her example, ‘This is where the glow is, if it is Frank.’

Exchanging looks, they followed Annabeth to the door, but Percy held his arm out as they made to enter the store.

‘We’re looking for a mascot,’ he told them. ‘A mascot for our ping pong team. Got it?’

‘Ping pong?’ Piper repeated.

‘First thing that popped into my mind,’ Percy said, opening the door with a click, ‘Let’s go.’

They filed into the store, taking everything in; the chatter and noise of the animals, the smell of different met foods mingling in the air, the bright colours of a thousand play toys and the murmurs of customers. They demigods stared.

‘Where would Frank be in this mess?’ Jason muttered.

Annabeth pointed. ‘Animal corner?’ she guessed.

Hazel took off towards the back of the store where the animals were being held in glass cases. Percy, Annabeth, Jason and Piper followed her, trying to look as inconspicuous as they could, pointing at things they really didn’t care about. Hazel immediately spotted the rabbit case and rushed up to the glass, peering at the bunnies, concern pumping through her veins.

‘Frank,’ she hissed. ‘Frank, are you here?’

Jason came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder, ‘I-I don’t think he’s here.’

‘No,’ she nearly yelled at him. ‘He has to be. Frank!’

A white rabbit hopped up to the glass, pawing at it with his front foot. Frank looked up sadly with big brown eyes. Hazel gasped and knelt down in front of him.

‘Frank,’ she breathed in relief.

Percy called over a store worker, ‘Excuse me, we’re looking for a rabbit. Would we be able to have a hold of this one?’

The store worker nodded, looking rather bored as she smacked loudly on a piece of chewing gum. She unlocked the back of the case and pulled Frank out, none too gently, and passed him to Piper who took him awkwardly. Percy thanked the worker who flashed him a flirty smile.

Annabeth scowled, wrapping her arm around Percy’s waist and giving the worker a smirk. The worker’s flirtatious smile dropped and she walked away, putting an exaggerated swing in her hips. Annabeth muttered something under her breath in ancient Greek that wasn’t complimentary towards the worker. Percy laughed, pulling Annabeth closer to him.

Piper passed Frank to Hazel who cuddled him gently.

‘Oh, silly Frank,’ she chuckled, her voice cracking. ‘What mess have you gotten yourself into?’

Piper nudged her, ‘The coast is clear. Get Frank to change back while no one’s looking.’

Hazel lowered her head down next to Frank’s ear, ‘Frank, if you can hear me, you need to shift back into a human.’

Frank blinked slowly,  tilting his head and looking up at his girlfriend gloomily. Piper glanced over Hazel’s shoulder and frowned at the bunny.

‘Frank,’ Hazel persisted. ‘Nod if you can understand me.’

Slowly, the rabbits head dipped up and down like a bobble head toy. Hazel sighed, confused. If Frank understood why was he still a rabbit and not normal Frank?

‘Frank,’ Hazel whispered carefully. ‘Nod-nod if you can’t change back.’

After a moment of nothing, the devastating nod came from Frank, informing the group that Frank was indeed stuck in bunny form. Hazel squeezed her eyes shut as her breath quickened.

‘Hey, shush,’ Piper gave her a hug, Frank squished between them. ‘We’ll work it out. Maybe we can buy Frank and get him back to camp. Chiron could surely help.’

‘Excuse me,’ Percy said, calling the worker over who sidled up eagerly. ‘How much for this rabbit?’

The worker’s eyes flickered to Frank and then back to Percy where they lingered, ‘Hundred bucks.’

‘What?’ Jason exploded. ‘One hundred for a rabbit?’

‘He’s a fine purebred,’ the worker explained in a monotone, the words coming out stiff like they were rehearsed. ‘The manager deemed him that price. Now if you can’t afford a pet, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to leave.’