By Inferno's Light [ Percy Jackson OC ]

TWO | Alex

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER CHORUS OF SWEET CAROLINE that could be heard across Camp Half-Blood that evening. Alex smiled to himself as he walked in flip-flops across the creaky floorboards in his bedroom of the Big House. The sun had set a couple hours ago. He stood at the open window drying his hair with a worn towel and looking towards the glowing campfire. The Apollo Cabin sure did love their karaoke.

After pulling a jacket over his damp shirt and replacing his shower shoes with sneakers, he started downstairs. Chiron and Argus were playing chess in the common room. Neither looked up as he passed. Alex nearly laughed. They often got into heated chess matches ever since Chiron had gotten the security guard involved in the board game. He wondered if it had been a ploy to find a game he could play that Kitty wouldn't have an interest in.

His muscles ached as he stretched on the front porch, unable to stifle a yawn. He'd put the older campers through tough sword drills that day. Even he felt it.

Not all Half-Bloods had the Ares predisposition towards weapon skills. But as far as Alex was concerned, they all should have proper training with some weapon of their choice. And though the older campers, especially the ones who had fought Kronos's army for the past four years, didn't always appreciate the reminder that war could come at any time he wouldn't be the one responsible for a lax in preparation. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"What are you still doing here, idiot?" Kitty said.

When Alex opened his eyes, he couldn't stop his smile. Kitty stood next to her girlfriend Sienna Dimaano, hands on her hips. The other girl, with her rough cut shoulder length black hair and muscular lithe frame, looked about as far from her half-sister Clarisse as possible except the fire in her eyes and permanent weapons at her side. But where Clarisse liked spears and swords, Sienna wielded bamboo Kali sticks in honor of her mother and Filipina heritage.

"I'm tired," Alex said.

"Lame," Sienna said. She popped her bubble gum. But she smirked and turned to Kitty. "Pay up."

Kitty scoffed and playfully swatted her hand away. "No." She turned back to Alex. "You're coming to the campfire, so help me gods. If I had to suffer through your war drills all day you have to suffer through a little bit of Broadway and Queen."

The last time he'd seen Kitty so happy had been before the war. Between him, Chiron, and the magic of Persephone and Apollo she had regained most of her memories. The ones she hadn't gotten back usually revolved around the quest. And as he saw her interlace her fingers with Sienna's, he knew that even if she got irritated with her lack of memory, he did not. Let her live in peace without remembering the way the Fields of Punishment stank of sulfur and flame and the blood-curdling screams of the tortured dead.

"I was heading over anyways, if you really wanna know. And the training wouldn't hurt so bad if you did some on your own time." Alex said. He took the wooden steps down to stand level with them on the path. "Sienna, do us all a favor and take her on workouts so she complains less.