The Son of Apollo Returns

((Why not see if I can stay active enough? Open to whomever. Preferably Ceru. But y'all are still welcome.))

Zach slowly wandered back up the hill, towards the Big House. It had been many months since he had last been here.... Zach shuddered as he recalled the circumstances of his departure. It had to have been the stress, Zach told himself. After all, wasn't it at least tad stressful to have to worry about your own survival all the time? The chances of a grisly death were pretty good in Zach's line of work (or life). But was that the real reason? Zach did not know.

Zach chuckled to himself. He had slunk out of Camp in the middle of the night, like a coward. It was a good thing he hadn't died out there. A good thing that he is getting the chance to redeem himself. Zach didn't know what he was thinking. Well, actually, he did: Maybe there's a better place out there. Maybe there's a place where I can just live a life away from all.... this. The funny thing was, Zach wasn't even sure what he was running away from. Sure, the monsters were bad; but that wasn't anything he hadn't handled before. Also it was good to note that the monsters outside of Camp were just a smidgen worse. Day one outside of Camp, he had been attacked by empousai. After which, he spent several months following his satyr friend Oliver Bushthorn to different magical places, looking for a safe haven, and being disappointed each time. Eventually they made their way back to Camp, Oliver was probably saying hello to his girlfriend already as he had gone ahead. They had been hounded by monsters the whole way. Yeah, they were just a bit more irksome outside of Camp. When his "wordy" fit had passed and Zach felt like he could communicate with every-day words again, he strode purposefully towards the porch of the Big House.

This had been the first day the boy had not been stuck in the medical ward. There was nothing to go over and nothing to do. He wanted to do something but, nothing came to mind. After strolling around the place he found the first house he remembered. This was the place where he was welcomed. Standing on the side, not making up is mind if he should go in or stay out, he stared down a few kids walking back and forth. It sounded like someone new. Peeping in he spotted a boy a bit older than him but, looked not as smart. Strong but, not good enough. With his navy blue, collarless, polo shirt and black gym shorts stretching down to his knees he stand alone for awhile.
"In or out what should I do?" he thought to himself. "Maybe I should introduce myself...or maybe I should just stay in the shadows..." As conflicting sides battle against them selves. The boy started for the roof. Graving out his scythe he slammed the head into the side wall and bucked down spider style. Looking down like he was a ninja he watch and waited for a move. A Friend or Foe...
"Who are you?" he echoed down to the boy. Only a response, that's all he needed to jump down in front of him.

Axel had been relaxing on the roof when some kid with a scythe climbed up. well he didnt climb to the top but he had climbed it, unlike some of the other people in camp. Axel couldnt count the number of times an Athena kid had commented on his climbing with a remark like "your going to break your neck doing that." The boy didnt see him, obviously he was too preoccupied by somebody else. He seemed...paranoid maybe? or at least a little on edge if nothing . "You always this jumpy?" Axel said from behind the boy, deciding that this could be interesting. His hand was close enough he could draw his dagger if needed, though he hoped to go at least a few minutes without having to defend himself. Axel's eyes instantly scanned ninja boy for anything of value, but he didnt seem to have anything worth stealing.

Attached to the wall the boy heard another call. He didn't want to move from his spot and he didn't want to give away his spot.
"Better than most here I have done this before and probably better at this than you. Just watch me..." he whispered.
Sending a sign to wait, he unclawed the head of the scythe and jammed his foot into the hole. Launching from the side of the wall, sending the head of the scythe towards the roof, and landed on the edge of the top plateau.
"I don't know who you are and I don' care that much ether. I just here to watch this guy down there. He looks older than the rest of us..." He whispered over.
Using his other hand, showing the golden gantlet, he clutch the side of the roof. Bending over, and started to watch again.
Whispering again, "I just want to watch the guy below. Is that to much to ask?"
Steady eyeing the boy down below, he waited to see what was next.

Zach sighed. Some kids had trouble realizing they weren't the only demigod around. "Hey you up there!" He shouted towards them. "You know with my dad as the god of archery, it follows that I have good eyesight; I can see you. So how's it going?"

Zach held his bow loosely, while fingering an arrow. The kid with the scythe was making him nervous. The other guy looked calm. Probably a senior Camper.

Axel looked at the obviously new camper, no way he could have been here very long judging by the fact he had put a hole in the wall. seriously, somebody was going to have to fix that. Then there was the fact he insisted he was better at climbing, of all things. something Axel had been doing practically doing since he could walk. "Better? Last time I checked I didn't need a glorified gardening tool to climb. Plus you put a hole in the wall...amateur." Then the guy below whom the creepy wannabe ninja kid was apparently spying on, spoke up. "I'm not hiding, ninja boy over here seems to have some kinda interest in you though." Axel called down, annoyed by the wannabe ninja who was delusional enough to think that he was the better climber.

Given away...a god tear feel down. Rolling of the edge he fell down to the ground. Landing on all for he took a knee in front of the man.
"You are older than the rest..."
It would seem that the words where not coming out right. He always have problem speaking to others, he just didn't think that the problem would apply to even people like him.
"I came here just a few days ago and you where the first. You look strong so I will follow you."
Short and to the point. Getting up he slammed the scythe back into the back hold and darted his attention else where. The other one didn't have much interest but, he liked him to.
"You are well rounded, I follow you to. What is this place?"
He came here by chance and didn't know much. Learning was the first step into figuring out where he was. It's time to learn and the best way is to start kissing up.

Zach blinked. "It is true that I am one of the older Campers, and I have seen my fair share of battles, but I am no leader. Never will be. I know that there are quite a few demigods in this Camp alone that could kick my butt. I would simply listen to Chiron and the senior Campers.... As to what this place is.... Has no one told you? It's a place for people like us. It's where the gods provide training for us to combat the monsters. To survive." Zach looked down at his bow. Such a shame that he'd be nothing but a skeleton without it. He'd be nothing without the skill of his father.

Words from someone that truly knew the world. The boy knew he was the right chose. The dark hell we all called home is a world where few make it and fewer survive. So what could stop the darkness is side from showing its true side...
"You say those words like you already went through something. I don't know you or this place I landed in but, on thing I know for sure. Only a man that has lost it all can truly lead with a passion resolve." Back flashes from the past started to flow into the boy as if he set himself up for it. Remembering all the mistakes, all the pain, all the death...
"I don't expect you to lead, jsut help me out around this place. I got here two days ago nearly dead...I just want something to eat." Smiling like the kid he was. He looked up once more and turned to the other boy standing afar.
"My name is Angelo, can't say that this is one of those grand meeting but, you wont forget this one!"
Standing up he turned to the side of the wall and sat at the base. Three people this fine afternoon, what else could happen here today?

((Oh, look. I have been summoned. Sorry this has taken me forever to reply to... heh.))

   Examining her nails, Daquiri cleaned out one of them with her teeth and then spit unceremoniously onto the ground. Yeah, yeah, she might've looked like a lady, but that didn't mean she had to act like one. Even if the reason she was heading to the Big House was because one of the Hermes boys had gotten a picture of her in a bikini. Effing pervs.

   Normally she ignored the whole "getting in trouble" thing when she stretched--or even blatantly broke--the rules here at Camp. Chiron had talked to her more than once about "accepting her destiny" and "learning the path of the hero" and all that bulls***. Yeah. Because she really cared. Sure, she would stay here at their Camp--after all, it wasn't like she could go back to her foster parents now--and she would go through their training and live in the Aphrodite Cabin. But she still hardly considered herself a part of all this. Yeah, it was true. She knew that much. But that didn't mean she wanted anything to do with it.

   But that was all beside the point. Currently, the only reason she had been coerced into actually returning the centaur's summons to the Big House were because he had made it clear this was not something he was going to let slide. And, since this wasn't that big of a camp, it wasn't like she could hide out forever from him. Might as well get the stupid thing over with.

   When she reached the giant blue house, Daquiri noted two people climbing off the roof--Axel, surprise, surprise, and a kid she had never seen before. Not that she paid a whole lot of attention to the people around here in general, but... y'know. One would think you would notice the ones that towered more than a foot above you. They both appeared to be talking to another kid on the porch, who looked rather familiar... she found out why when she approached.

   "Well, isn't this the party," she said dryly as she walked up the porch steps, carefully making sure the heels of her boots didn't catch on the ledges. She glanced at the curly-haired boy. "Haven't seen you around in quite a while, Zach." And it was true--she almost hadn't seen the first half-blood she'd ever met since a few days after she got here. Seemed like such a long time ago...

"Daquiri. It's been awhile." Zach regarded her warily. The two hadn't exactly hit it off when they first met. Addressing the Angelo, he said, "Yeah, I'd be happy to help. I believe you can find food at mealtimes, under the pavilion. I would still ask Chiron for help. He knows the ins and outs of the place pretty well. But yeah, if you need anything, you can ask me. However, I haven't really been around for a while so I might not be the best person to ask."

"Thanks Mr. Zach"
The boy rub his hand over his forehead. After getting some directions to fill his empty food the boy was happy. Now...there was someone new yet again. She seem like she didn't care much for anything and anyone and the whole get up was not helping. Granted, her body was working what she had but, no interest popped up.
Disappointed he looked up to the two. Zach and some girl name...Daquiri...That's when the famous "Angelos Question" jumped right into his crazy mind.
"Hello Daquiri, I am Angelo. I just have one question I would love to ask before I jump right out of all of your hairs. Do you Fight? You seem like a sensible woman that could hold her own..."
What ever "H***" he just brought up, It was worth it. If she answer great, if she doesn't and give the..."THAT NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS" excuse...all well. It was worth the effort. He was getting hungry, as he was now it was only fums that he was running on.

"Um... no problem." Zach scratched his head, confused at the term 'Mr. Zach.' He turned to Daquiri, waiting for the girl to answer. It should be entertaining.

Daquiri raised a thin eyebrow. "So you haven't just been hiding; you've been gone," she noted. It wasn't really a question, per se, but it hinted at one. Or perhaps hinted at hinting at one. She'd never really been one to ask about people's lives. Even if she had, though, Zach wouldn't have had much of a chance to reply--he could thank his new friend for that.

Scythe Kid could be d*** sure she saw him looking at her. Look-looking at her. When he spoke up to her, introducing himself as Angelo, among other things, she looked over at him coldly. "Would you like to see?" she asked tersely, slowly placing a hand on her hip.

Mimicking her"Would you like to see?" he said condescending. Just the sound irritated his body. The whole thing sparked a flame an now he wanted to beat something up. The more he though about it the more he started to smile. The simple yes, no would do but, she had to pull this crap.
"Give me your best shot, I'll throw it back twice as hard!". Girl or not, if she swing she a boy. Pulling the scythe down so the blade winded on the ground, he ready for anything.
The other two looked like they wouldn't bother but, he was ready for the possibility of a three v one.

"Hey, guys. No need to get hostile or anything...." Zach said, fingering his dirk. He didn't really expect to need it, but it never hurt to be prepared.

Axel climbed down after a few moments, it seemed that things were getting interesting down below. Ninja boy was picking a fight apparently. He raised an eyebrow when the kid had the nerve to mock Daquiri, something Axel practically reserved the right to do. "You know if your smart you wouldn't be swinging that thing around" Axel said in his normal, cocky tone. "You could end up getting hurt."

((Oh hey look, it's exactly a month later. /whoops. Between a mixture of being busy and not knowing how to reply to this (and okay, a lot of being lazy), it's unfortunately taken me a while to finally reply to this. Buuut, I told Zach I would continue the topic, so I am. xP))

  Despite the way Angelo's mimicking her chafed against her temper, Daquiri forced herself to cross her arms and calmy raise an eyebrow. "Well, it's no fun if you're expecting it," she said coolly, despite the fact that she would much rather just stab the boy at the moment. But she wasn't stupid. The guy was a six-foot-tall hulking mass of testosterone--if he was on guard, attacking him would most likely end badly. And Daquiri didn't like to make losing a habit.

  "If I need someone to personally piss me off anytime soon, I'll let you know," she said tartly, then promptly turned to walk into the Big House.

"That went well." Zach laughed to himself. This was a pretty fun welcoming party. Walking after Daquiri, he asked, "What'd I miss, while I was gone? Anybody, you know..... gone? " He said it in a way so that she would know what he meant: Dead. "Any battles?"

((We should probably wrap it up soon.... I know we just decided to continue it.... Let's find a way to tie up loose ends.))