16461/Camp Olympus Pt. 4: Infil.

Camp Olympus Pt. 4: Infil.
Date of Scene:	06 August 2024
Location:	Huntington, Suffolk County
Synopsis:	First contact is made with the camp. And there are some surprises in store.
Cast of Characters:	Black Widow (Romanoff), Phobos
Tinyplot:	Camp Olympus

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Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Approaching the agreed upon coordinates, Natasha was feeling anxious. She really shouldn't be because she had seen nothing at all in the search around the area that house the anomaly they were investigating per Director Fury. Normalcy was the word of the day. And that made her nervous because why would there be such weird readings for nothing?

She was hunkered down in the brush after having proceeded through their recon. They'd both circumnavigated the compound, in opposite directions, concentric circles closing the circle. At this point, there weren't a lot more options.

All her senses were on alert as she glanced around, waiting for Alexander to join her and then they would decided on Plan B. Or was it C now? Not that it matterered.

She was dressed as was befitting a hiker and not an agent of SHIELD. Just some jeans, hiking boots that looked like they'd seen many a mile of wilderness trails. She even had a small backpack which had a few toys inside if she needed them but it also had function in there were snacks and water bottles within as well.

Phobos has posed:
    She heard the slight crackle of a breaking branch, knowing the sound was deliberate, a slight hint of his approach given consciously as he drew near. A few moments passed and then she'd see him stepping onto the trail along the edge of the iron fencing that surrounds the area. Rusted and twisted, one could see into what had been a settlement at some point, though now had been taken over by the inevitability of nature. A handful of skeletal buildings were visible, but barely so with the vines and greenery having surged over them for the last few decades.
    When their eyes met he smiled slightly then raised his eyebrows, a shrug in essence but just with his eyes as he then turned his head to look toward the twisted wrought-iron gate that stands sentinel in front of what must have been the parking lot? Parking area? Whatever it had been, it had served to be the place people gathered to enter what had been apparently an old campground, albeit never registered with the parks authority.
    Alexander was dressed to be a counterpart to her hiking explorer. His own garb was similar what with the pair of blue jeans and brown boots he was wearing. He had a black t-shirt tucked into his jeans but an blue and green flannel over-shirt hung upon his chest loosely. Over one shoulder he had a red backpack that likely didn't carry as much willful death as hers did, though it did have the Reese's cup popcorn.
    "Not a blip." He finally told her, meaning not just an utter lack of people, but a lack of wildlife as well apparently.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"I noticed wildlife up to about 50 yards from the perimeter. But inside that range? Nothing at all. There is definitely something going on here but I have no idea what. Right about now, I wish I was Doctor Doolittle," she murmured, keeping the voice low so as not to carry too far.

She pulled out a water bottle and took a long draw before offering it to him as well. "We've done about all we can outside going in to check it out." She turned her head in the direction of the decrepit camp, eyeing the overgrown buildings through the fence that she was sure she was going to need a tetanus shot just looking at. Not really thanks to the serum in her blood but it didn't change her mental feelings about it.

"So over?" A head jerked the tiniest bit toward the fencing. "Or through?" Followed by the nod toward the direction of the gate itself. The metal one with the hydra symbol on it. Hopefully just a hydra and not HYDRA. The possibility wasn't lost on either of them.

Phobos has posed:
    Accepting the bottle with one hand he gives a feigned glare at her as he then pointedly wipes the lip of the bottle with his sleeve, his own lips twisting up ever so slightly though he gives no words toward whatever he's thinking. Instead he starts to walk along the long rusted line of fencing, taking a sip from the bottle now as he strolls.
    "Two wandering rural explorers would probably go through the front gate since it's pretty much open. Going over the side?" He clucks his tongue slightly, "Risk of tetanus. So front I'm thinking. If only to maintain deniability."
    Anotther sip of the water is taken then he grins and hands it back to her. "C'mon, we're just exploring. Completely innocently."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Natasha rolled her eyes pointedly as he wiped her cooties off the water bottle. She did fall into step with him as he lead the way toward the gate. The bottle was accepted back, recapped, and tucked into the backpack over her shoulder through what looked like muscle memory.

"Glad I wasn't the only one worried about tetanus," she added with a tiny smile. She hooked her thumbs into the straps of the pack and moved up next to him once the trail widened enough to allow her to do so. Though honestly, she had no problem trailing behind when hiking. The person in the front always got the spiderwebs to the face and surprised whatever wildlife--in normal circumstances--was there so it generally skedaddled before the second hiker reached that point. Thus, he was at risk of snake bites, not her. She wasn't above using him as a shield against nature in that way, at least.

She did reach back to a pocket on the bag and pulled out a small digital camera. If someone were to check it, there were pictures of the pair of them camping from last night and newer ones of various things she had seen in their travels today. Because that's what hikers did. Take pictures and leave nature as it is, leaving behind only footprints!

At the gate, she took a quick picture of it then a closer one of the multi-headed dragon design. Then she looked at him. "You first. Banana spiders." And there was that wicked grin that he knew so well.

Phobos has posed:
    "There are no banana spiders in Upstate New York." Alex answers as he walks along towad the front gate with its twisted metal figurehead standing over the double gate, though one of the dragon heads dipped awkwardly on the left side of the gate where it had fallen partially off its hinges, the end with what had been an old rusted and broken chain wrapped around to likely secure it... definitely could use some repairs.
    As he got closer he turned to the side and walked backwards somewhat, addressing Natasha in the finer realities of arachnid presence in the state of New York. "I mean, there are big yellow spiders that weave like, huge webs. But they are not banana spiders."
    Then there was a beat as he paused in his step, seeing the Black Widow's features shift curiously.
    "What?"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Well yes, they are not banana spiders but it still got the point across that I'm using you as a sacrificial lamb to the spider gods." Natasha's rebuttal was completed just a moment before everything changed.

Her eyes widened, her eyebrows were lifted as he would see her eyes darting from here to there and beyond. Even as her tension level leapt through the roof but that is something likely only he would ever know, because he knew her so well. As her eyes went back to normal size, she tried to process what she was seeing.

One moment, it had been an abandoned, overgrown mess of a location. A few buildings here or there, all overgrown with weeds or damaged from tree branches (and in one case an entire tree) hitting the roof over the decades it had been left on its own. Weeds half as tall as her in a of place. Wild vines taking over everything.

Now, it was the very opposite. Every building was in perfect repair and even sporting fresh paint. There was one larger building, almost like a house, and it was sitting there like it was in a painting. The windows open to catch the cool breeze, curtains fluttering. There were even rocking chairs on the porch.

Only, the cabins themself were unusual. They seemed to be influenced heavily by Greek architecture. Columns, decorations, it all sort of screamed Greece. Though each cabin was painted differently, styled a little differently, they all obviously had that same influence. Next to the main house was a large building that looked a lot like the Parthenon, only there was no roof at all. Leaving it open to the sky above, there were lots of tables with bench seating which made her suspect it might be where meals were enjoyed.

There was an outside area somewhat central to the camp, closer to the cabins, with benches around it that looked like it regularly had a bonfire. Out by the lake, there was now a lovely dock and even a little boathouse. Canoes were lined up at the shore and a few paddleboats were tied at the dock.

And there were people. Lots of them. A few adults and they looked toward the gate in obvious surprise. One young man ran off toward the big house as though to alert someone they had visitors. The others stared at the newcomers curiously. There were also lots and lots of teens. Some were off at the archery range. Some were in canoes out on the lake. Many were just sitting around chatting.

TThe clothing was somewhat confusing. There was a lot that was modern. Jeans, shorts, t-shirts, sneakers. But then there were people in garb that was more fitting for a different time period. Most of those were in the adults.

"Uhm...you might want to turn around. We have company."

And when he did turn, they would see a trio breaking away from the whispering adults and heading toward them.

Phobos has posed:
    He had felt that adjustment, the change of flow as they seemed to have gone nowhere, and yet things changed around them. It was in that subtle shift in air flow as now there was a breeze, the shift of audio landscape and the addition of murmured words and the ambient sound of a settlement. When he turned back, having stepped up to and slightly past that partially open metal gate with the Hydra's head...
    Things had apparently changed.
    Looking out across the new tableau, Alexander stood there with his hands on his hips. At his side, perhaps unnoticed, the middle and left Hydra heads were glowing with a reddish light in their eyes, even as distantly the various people still went about their business. Though their arrival hadn't gone unnoticed, as a ripple of activity started to race through the camp.
    To which Alexander said succinctly. "Huh."
    With the petite redhead at his side, he took in the scene, letting his gaze wander and flit from face to face. From feature to feature, noting the architecture and the layout. He chewed on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully.
    "I suppose this was what was causing the readings."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Y'think?" came the reply from Natasha as she went to click a couple of pictures only to find that her camera wasn't working suddenly. She knew the batteries were still good thus this was unexpected. She showed the now dead screen to him and tucked it away as the trio continued to close the distance.

The one that seemed to be in the lead was a man dressed like the stereotypical camp counselor one might find in any summer camp in the United States. Khaki shorts, a button up shirt in a lighter tan shade, a little tie thing around his neck that was in a lovely blue with white details. His brown hair was a little long and hanging down just over his ears, looking like he was overdue for a haircut. He had on socks and a pair of boots to finish the look. "Welcome welcome! We weren't expecting any arrivals this week but we're always glad to welcome in more to the family!"

With him was a man on his left side, dressed like a Roman Centurion from the past. He had his helmet on so the hair was impossible to see but his eyes were dark and his scowl was unmistakable. Unlike his camp counterpart, he wasn't so thrilled to have someone arrive unnanounced. But he kept his tongue though the weapons at his waist looked well used going by the wear on the wrappings around the handles.

The third was a woman. And she might as well have been a goddess. She had a lovely golden glow to her skin that people usually got from sitting out int he sun a lot. Her hair was blonde and falling in perfect waves around her face. Not a curl out of place. It looked liks she had put on makeup for that 'natural' effect, yet it was difficult to see any makeup. But no one had those sort of kohl lined, smokey eyes naturally! And if she had been in a dark room, her smile would've lit it up. She was dressed in a flowing green skirt of some sort that fell to mid calf. It fluttered in the wind as though she was staring in a movie and the fan had been setup for her. A white tank top left her arms bare and showed off all her assets perfectly. The finishing touch was a thin silver chain that had a conch shell charm hanging from it that fell just above her cleavage, drawing the eye to that spot. "It's so nice to see fresh faces!" she gushed, immediately moving to try to hug both of them in greeting.

Phobos has posed:
    "Hello!" Alexander's response came with an animated widening of his eyes. He took a deep breath and then stepped forward ever so slightly, interposing himself between tthe advance of the others and Natasha, though he covered that movement by extending one arm slightly and offering to accept a tacit half-hug from the woman's approach.
    Though he then played it off by gesturing toward the others approaching, "I have to say this was a surprise. When we were told to come here they told us relatively little. But it all makes sense now."
    Which curiously enough Natasha could read him well enough to see he was doing that subtle diplomatic dance of telling these people the truth in essence, but allowing them to draw their own conclusions. He then pushes the conversation forward, distracting them a little by introducing himself, "My name is Alex, and this is Nat."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
He took the hit from the spider.

It didn't deter the blonde as she was not able to get her full body hug from him. She didn't even seem to notice that subtle careful positioning. But she did take that step over to capture Nat in an embrace. Only Nat played her role and actually gave a quick hug back, giving a bright smile back to the woman who seemed delighted as she stepped back that this pair hadn't rebuffed her prefered greeting style. She did at least step back into line with the others even as she spoke again. "I'm Kallirroi. Just call me Kalli. This is Sebastian," she added as she grabbed the arm of the obvious camp counselor.

Then she made a little moue as she released Sebastian's arm and she nodded toward the soldier. "That's Lucius. But ignore the scowls. He doesn't like anyone," she added in a stage aside to be sure he heard it. Which did indeed anger him as color flooded what was visible of his face as he glared in her direction.

Sebastian then stepped forward, offering a more normal greeting in the form of a handshake. "They didn't give you the full run down? I really wish parents would stop that. Though..." He paused, tilting his head slightly as he looked up an inch to meet Alex's eyes. "You're both a bit older than our usual campers. Most of the time they show up as teens and stay around for a few years then go out into the big world. Or become counselors like I did. And Kalli. Which usually means one of two things. Your parents didn't want you to come. Or you didn't know about your ancestry because your godly parent didn't reveal themself to you? It happens sometimes, sad to say. Not all of them are particularly good as parents."

There was a rumble of thunder in the distance and dark clouds were gathering, visible since they were in a valley with the lake right there offering a clear view. Though it was many miles away and they didn't seem concerned in the least.

Phobos has posed:
    "Kalli," Alexander follows along wth the introductions, then he nods and gave a wave toward the second person introduced as he responded, "Sebastian." Though when Lucius was nodded toward, Alexander tilted his head slightly.
    "Ave, citizen." He extends an arm toward the man and should he accept it will give him the Centurion's forearm clasp between legionaries. Perhaps just long enough to arrest the man out of whatever surprise might manifest before Alexander turns toward Sebastian in time to accept the man's more normal handshake.
    "Well, being older I imagine our situation will be a little different. Hard to imagine where we'll fit in, to be honest." He said with that openness Natasha had seen in him during those times when he would cultivate that sort of assumption people make of him when first meeting him. He was rolling on up with that California smile and that Good-Natured Golden Retriever vibe. It also didn't hurt he had those boy next door good looks.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
To say that Lucius was surprised was an understatement. He automatically grasped forearms with Alexander even as he forced his wide eyes back to a normal look. But as their arms parted, there seemed to be less animosity coming off him. Though he was studying Alex more intently, just now as with curiosity instead of suspicion.

Natasha did not follow his lead though she did shakes hands with Sebastian and gave a polite nod when Lucius had been introduced. Right now, she was in Alexander's world she suspected. Thus she was letting him run with it. He'd already gotten some information using his method and there was no reason to potentially mess that up.

"It depends on what category you fall into I guess. Do you know who your parent is?" Kalli asked curiously. One could tell she was just dying to know who they were related to in the hierarchy. She didn't ask about parents. This was all about which god might have sired them, which she wasn't saying outright. Though in combination with what Sebastian had sad, it wasn't hard to figure out what she meant.

Sebastian nodded as he glanced to Kalli and back to them. "If you knew about your parent and learned skills that could allow you to teach, we can always use more staff. But if you didn't know about your parent, or still don't other than they are Olympians, we can let you experience life like a camper? Get you into one of the cabins with the other offspring, let you have the full experience. Or a shortened version. It'll be like a vacation!"

Phobos has posed:
    "Ah, my father." Alexander says as he glances back towards Natasha, then back to the trio. His pales eyes distanced as he caught sight of the other 'campers' milling around. They were doing that normal thing people often do when curious, but trying to pretend not to be curious. Sort of walking around, looking at other things, but keeping an eye on the happenings.
    Alex looks around the place, then smiles slightly. "I never knew my mother. Though my father is John Aaron." He floated that name out there, like a conversational sonar ping to see if they recognized that name or who it was an alias for. Natasha could read him in these moments, seeing him dance that line of telling them the truth and never lying, but not giving them full insight either.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
He really was very good at it. It was a skill that he didn't have to be taught when he became an agent. Natasha suspected it was from his upbringing by John. After all, knowledge was power and it was always best not to give too much. Far better to listen than do the talking. He was giving just enough to keep the conversation flowing naturally. Yet, by not lying, he didn't have to keep track of that to keep from messing himself up later.

So many of the campers were trying to work their way closer but they didn't push it because Lucius noticed and sent a glare off in their direction. They continued to mill around, trying to hear a word here or there drifting on the breeze.

At mention of the name John Aaron, all three of the staffers looked confused. "I'm not famliar with that name," Sebastian admitted outloud. "Is that a name he took when he was with your mother?"

At that point, the man who had run pell mell into the house came out on the porch. He was clutching an old leatherbound tome in his chest as though it was a teddy bear offering him comfort. He walked toward the gathering but his eyes never left Alexander. He was a young man, perhaps 16, with eyes that were the color of the sky on a clear day. His sandy blond hair was trimmed but not styled, leading to it sticking up in every direction but not in a good way. He was very slim, obviously a slow bloomer who hadn't grown into his limbs yet because they seemed just a little too long, a little too gangly.

Natasha glanced from him toward Alex, the question unspoken but not sure what to think of his intent stare at her partner. Yet she continued to play her role, smiling politely, letting them finish with their interrogation of Alexander first. Or his interrogation of them.

As the boy got closer, Lucius stepped over to intercept him and spoke low so as not to be heard. Then he frowned when the boy urged him to take off his helmet and lean closer. Only when he did, revealing he had dark hair but kept it extremely short, did the boy lean in to whisper in his ear, a hand cupped at his mouth to hide his lips. Then he stared at Alex again as Lucius snapped his head around. His eyes were narrowed as he too now had his full attention on Alexander. The helmet was put back in place and he brought the boy with him back to the pair in front of the newcomers. "Asterios, tell them what you told me."

The boy looked like he just wanted to run again, almost trembling. Thunder boomed again as the storm that had been in the distance was starting to move toward the lake itself. A few people were giving it a glance now but still the staffers seemed unconcerned.

"The gate. It was...red."

"Red?" Kalli said in confusion as she looked to her fellow staff and then back to the boy. "I am not familiar with that one. Is it one of the lesser gods?" Another boom of thunder crashed and now rain was starting to fall into the lake itself, albeit on the opposite side.

"No, definitely not lesser," squeaked Asterios.

Phobos has posed:
    As the others spoke, Alexander's manner remained at first that reserved but friendly look. Just politely standing by, letting people speak along what lines they intended. He had that slightly open good-natured smile as his too pale eyes flit from one to the next to the next. Then as Asterios squeaked he finally interjected, "I don't imagine you could explain that significance to me?"
    He then turned and extended a hand in Natasha's direction, as if asking for her to come over in a casual way, like an old couple. Though that changed the dynamic of the cover they had been playing at, perhaps he saw something that had him wanting to solidify that connection.
    And should she do so he'll rest an arm around her shoulder, turning back to look at the others. "It looks like a storm is on the way, maybe we should continue this inside?"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Oh, sorry," Sebastian said automatically, pushing aside the confusion to play the proper host to the travellers. "The gate. For those that don't know their parentage, it will glow a specific color to let us know so we can put them in the right cabin with their siblings."

"Half-siblings," Kalli corrected.

"True. Most of the time it is half-siblings. Though once in a while there will be brothers and sisters with both of the same parents," Sebastian agreed with a nod.

Natasha took the offered hand of Alexander, giving him a pleased smile and taking a step closer like a girlfriend being given the proper attention from her man, even when faced with so much focus by others on himself. She wasn't sure why he was doing it but she trusted his instincts here. He knew the subtle clues of people like himself that she might not pick up on without that Olympian bloodline. When he put his arm around her, she snuggled in contentedly though he knew she was anything but.

"Did you look it up?" Lucius asked Asterios.

The boy nodded and offered the tome. "The black bookmark." For he had put it in the right spot to simplify it for the others.

Lucius just passed the book over to Sebastian instead of opening it himself. When Sebastian read what was displayed, he looked even more confused than he'd been a moment ago.

While this was going on, Kalli took the moment to reassure the duo before them. "Don't worry about the storm. It doesn't rain here. Part of the enchantment. It'll go around this spot though to anyone on the outside, it'll look like it's raining on the abandoned camp." She seemed very pleased with this and hoped they would be impressed with the talents of those who had set the place up.

"But that can't be, he's that shade of green," muttered Sebastian to Lucius as he showed him the page. "We have others that are his children here and they all were green."

Lucius read the page that was being displayed and immediately was standing taller, more like he was at attention, feet together, shoulders back, chin up and staring at Alexander. Because that? The greeting he had gotten from Alexander now made perfect sense him his mind. "Sir."

And that had Kalli even more confused because Lucius didn't show that sort of respect to anyone that hadn't beaten his ass on the field. "Uhm, what am I missing here?" She reached for the book.

Sebastian looked over at Alexander. "You are a son of Ares?"