Who's Strong and Brave Here to Save the American Way?

[halfbloodhillmods]

Who: Steve Rogers, Annabeth Chase, an NPC demigod...and a surprise
What: Going to get the demigod Tybalt and Dave heard about in Saratoga Springs.
Where: Northern New York
When: May 14-15th
Why: Because Captain America

For once, this quest doesn't have an official prophecy telling the questors to go. This time, it's mostly a warning.

Where the cat and red-eyed one had gone
To save this child they need brains, then brawn.
Siblings two shall go forth
And one shall come into his worth.

But mind the dangers in the Springs
For there shall be one to pull the strings
Of others that are still unknown
And one who will one day atone.

Cheerful little ditty, isn't it?

They had planned to send Annabeth anyway, but the prophecy mentioned siblings so Chiron (reluctantly) told Steve that he was going to get to go on this quest as Edmund was too new. There's no big to-do over this one, though there's still a chance to tell the two good-bye.

Comments

THE ACTUAL RETREVIAL

[halfbloodhillmods]

[The house that Tybalt and Dave eventually pinpointed as the one with the demigod is on the outskirts of town, by itself. The whole area feels tense and unwelcoming.

The reason the demigod hasn't left yet is the stepfather. The stepfather is paranoid and does not trust the outside world. Annabeth and Steve will have to think up a way to get him to let his stepkid come to camp.

And if they think they see someone on the edges of the property or near the house, well. They must be seeing things]

[quester]

[ Annabeth takes the lead as she naturally does. She definitely wants this to be a good learning experience for Steve and won't hold onto the reins too tightly today. The train up seems to be the fastest - the pegasi were tempting but she doesn't want them both to worry about Steve up in the air. On the way there, she tells him a few stories about the first retrieval quests she went on with Percy and Thalia; small, melancholy smile forms on her face when she talks admiringly about her absent boyfriend and her best friend.

The walk from the train station to the house is longer than she hoped but she thinks they'll be fine so long as they stay alert, hands on their weapons. ]

They really don't want visitors here, huh.

[thestarspangledman]

[He listens to those stories with great interest (and some apprehensiveness), mentally taking notes should they happen to run into any beasties or anything on the way there. Maybe it's best to just treat it like he did Brooklyn: be casual, but on your toes just in case of anything.

The weapon he's opted for in this case is a knife, not trusting his hand-eye coordination well enough yet to ask to borrow one of Bucky's guns, and of course there's the shield at his back. The knife was the easiest to reach at the moment, though. In any case, he follows along, keeping an eye out for anything that seems strange.]

I guess not. Who knew upstate could be so unfriendly?

[quester]

[ It's best not to be totally paranoid. It's embedded in all demigods, that heightened awareness, the battle readiness. She's sure Steve will rise to the occasion when they eventually have to battle some kind of baddie. ]

It's not always like this. Though, honestly, there are unfriendly people everywhere.

[ Once they reach the property, she pauses to grin over at him. ] You look ready for this quest. That's good.

[thestarspangledman]

[He always has before. He's hoping this time won't be any different, and maybe he won't even get his ass kicked this time.]

[He shoots a grin over at her in response, and shoves the knife into his pocket, somewhere easily reachable. It wouldn't do to show up armed, would it? Thankfully the shield he's carrying looks somewhat more like a backpack, so it doesn't stand out too much.]

Do I look suitably intimidating? Or are we going for the nice harmless human stick route?

[quester]

[ A chuckle: ] Intimidating, definitely. We should be taken seriously.

[ She has never been pint sized but Annabeth's struggled with her blondness for a while, demanding that people take her seriously in spite of her appearance. ] Let's start with talking. If that doesn't work, then I could send an Iris Message to Chiron. [ She really doesn't want to have to use force against this stepfather, but they're prepared to do so. Looking determined, marching right up to the front door. ]

[miladym]

[Before Annabeth has a chance to knock, a pale woman opens the door, smiling slightly. When she speaks it's only a little stilted]

Can I help you?

[thestarspangledman]

[Steve is promptly putting on his best smile, the one that would get the nuns to give him anything back home.]

Evening, ma'am. Do you mind if we come in?

[quester]

[ Annabeth's hand is immediately by her knife, subtly moving so it doesn't seem like an attack. Her smile is warier than her half-brother's. ]

I'm - we're looking for a boy and his stepfather. I don't think we have the wrong house? [ She knows they're at the correct location but the question gives the woman an opportunity to explain. ]

[miladym]

No, you've the right house.

[How does she know that, though?]

But you aren't allowed in. Good bye.

[And she goes to shut the door]

[thestarspangledman]

[Luckily, Steve is tiny enough to slip up to the door and put his foot in the open space, hopefully unnoticed.]

Well then, we don't need to come in, ma'am; all we'd like to do is talk. To the stepfather, if he's home.

[quester]

[ Annabeth is just about to stick her arm out to hold the door open when Steve beats her to the punch. She hides an impressed smile, saving that for later. ]

Unless you know something about the family that we don't.

[miladym]

[The young woman keeps her slightly odd smile on her face as she very casually kicks Steve's foot away from the door]

They don't like visitors. Goodbye.

[And this time she manages to shut the door.]

[thestarspangledman]

[Steve promptly shoots Annabeth a perplexed look, frowning and takes a few steps back away from the door.]

So now whadda we do? Could go around the back and see if there's a window open.

[quester]

[ Nothing is ever easy, she sighs to herself. She frowns right back at Steve and immediately leaves the front porch, talking over her shoulder as she turns a corner. ]

Maybe we can enter from the second floor, assuming that the kid's bedroom is there. I can pick a lock. They're big enough to let us both inside.

[thestarspangledman]

So can I, if it comes down to it. [Don't ask, he and Bucky spent some time hoboing around the country, alright?] It'd be real nice if there was a trellis or a tree or somethin' to get up there, though.

[quester]

Maybe we're not Hermes kids, but we're still good with our hands. [ She waggles her free hand, grinning. ]

Look, we can use the backporch to get up. [ She's already eyeing the grid put up for climbing vines that they can use for leverage. ]

[redclover]

[Luck is on their side, because as Annabeth eyes the climbing vines the window they lead up to cracks open. A head of messy brown hair pokes out of it. The head retreats back into the window, but a duffle bag soon goes soaring out of it, landing with a thud a foot or so from them. This is soon followed by a young boy climbing out the window.]

[thestarspangledman]

Hey. [Steve says, in a voice that is loud enough to carry but not quite a shout. He heads over to the boy, hopefully looking as non-threatening as possible.]

Where are you going, kid?

[quester]

[ Annabeth's just preparing to climb up the side of the house when the luggage catches her attention. She takes a step back to help him if he needs any. ]

We're here to help. Definitely not with that lady who answered with the door.

[redclover]

[The sudden voices makes Shea jump, his foot slipping.

Thank goodness he was almost down and his fall isn't that big. It still hurts though and he let's out a small whine as he sits up.]

Ow.

[He shakes it off quickly because, oh crap. People. He doesn't even hear the reassurances as he scrambles to his feet, darting to grab his duffle bag and run.]

[thestarspangledman]

[Steve is (hopefully) darting over to Shea before he can get too far, and moves to grab for his shoulder.]

Hey, fella, just stop a minute and listen. We're not gonna hurt you, we just want to help.

[quester]

Hold on, [ Annabeth says firmly, always giving off that authoritative air. Her hands are extended, ready to jump if Steve needs any help, but also wanting to show him that she isn't holding any weapons. ]

It's not safe by yourself.

[redclover]

[He's quick to shrug out of the hand on his shoulder, about to bolt and vanish for good.

But the authoritative way Annabeth uses makes him stop because, well, it's like how Dad speaks and old habits die hard.

So instead he turns to look at them with only a little annoyance. He was suppose to be halfway down the block by now.]

I'm not suppose to talk to strangers.

[thestarspangledman]

I'm Steve an' this is Annabeth, she's my sister. There, we're not strangers.

Anyway, we can help you. Have there been --monsters and things coming after you? Things no one else will believe? We can help stop them.