Revenge

Chapter 31

"So what's your last name?"

Michael looked up at her, frowning in confusion. "I'm sorry?"

"What's your last name?" Beck asked, shifting. They were sitting on the ground in the middle of the arena, he was showing her how to sharpen her throwing knives properly. After the initial explanation, they'd been quiet until now.

"Um.... why does it matter?"

She shrugged. "I was just curious. A lot of times people know at least one person who calls them by their last name, but you don't seem to have that person. So I wanted to know your last name."

Michael shook his head, looking down at the knives in his hand. "It's not important."

She frowned at him for a moment, but dropped it. She could tell he didn't want to talk about it.

"I don't know it." Michael said suddenly. Beck looked up at him in surprise.

"Sorry?"

"I don't know my last name." Michael was gritting his teeth as he said the words. "My mom died in childbirth at the orphanage I grew up in. I heard the story over and over, she showed up sobbing because her parents had kicked her out for being pregnant. The orphanage took her in while they looked for a place for her to stay. She ended up going into labor, and she... she didn't make it, I guess. The orphanage only got a first name from her, she refused to give them her last name."

Beck set her knives aside slowly. "What was her name?" She quickly continued. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, you don't need to tell me."

"No, it's fine." He said after a moment. "Her name was Sandra."

She nodded. "I'm really sorry, Michael."

"I mean, it's not like I ever met her. It's kind of weird, I miss her, but at the same time I never knew her so I don't know how to feel about it. I never met her. I lived in the orphanage until I was 7, then my satyr brought me to camp. I've been here full-time ever since."

"That really sucks. But here you have a family. All your half siblings."

Michael rolled his eyes, chuckling. "Most times I feel more like a babysitter than a brother."

Beck smiled a little. "I mean, a lot of your siblings are kind of nuts."

"Yeah. I just wish I got a chance to meet someone I was actually fully related to. Or at least have a legacy of some sort to claim."

"What if you made your own?"

He looked at Beck in confusion. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "What if you just... made yourself a last name. Something you could claim as yours, that you could build a legacy off of. You know?"

"I.... that's not a horrible idea." Michael said slowly. "But I wouldn't know where to start. Can you help me?"

Now Beck was surprised. "You want me to help?"

"Yeah, why not? It was your idea, after all, and you've probably got some good suggestions. Besides, you seem like the kind of person to do her research, and I want something that's gonna mean a lot."

Beck nodded, smiling. "Sure, I'll help."

Michael nodded and stood, offering her a hand up. "Lets go to the Big House and ask Chiron if he's got any books we can use. There's probably some books detailing names and word meanings that we can use, right?"

"How about you ask Chiron, and I'll ask the Athena kids." Beck brushed her hands off on her jean shorts. "That way we'll have the whole arsenal when we go to work."

"Okay. Meet on the Big House porch in 10 minutes?"

"Sounds good." Beck headed off in the direction of the cabins.

•Twenty Minutes Later•

"You know, you could always incorporate your mom's name." Beck suggested.

Michael flicked his hair out of his eyes. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "Well, it could be something simple, like Sandrason. Or I dunno, Sandysen. Or something more with the meaning of her name."

"Well it would help if I knew what her name means." He huffed.

"Well it's a variation of the Greek form of Alexander...." Beck read from the large book in her lap. "Which means 'defender of men.' So defender?"

"Okay, lets go with that. What can you find?"

They sat in relative silence for a few minutes, suggesting names every so often as they found them.

"Asim?"

"Michael Asim? Nah."

"Okay.... Duard? It means Wealthy Guardian."

Michael snorted. "Nope. Sounds all pretentious."

Beck chuckled. "Okay, well do you have any suggestions?"

"I found Edmon and Alvarez so far. Edmon means Guardian of Protective Nature and Alvarez means Noble Guardian."

She tilted her head. "Michael Alvarez. I like that."

"You do?" He smiled. "I do too."

"So you think we found the one?" Beck asked.

After a moment, Michael nodded. "Alvarez. That's the one I want."

"Cool." Beck snapped shut the massive leather-bound book in her lap, suppressing a cough as it gave off a cloud of dust. "Lets go tell Chiron, then return these to their rightful owners, Alvarez."

"You're just gonna call me by my last name now?" Michael teased.

"Yep."