THE QUEST TO TAKE BACK STOLEN ITEMS

[halfbloodhillmods]

Who: Leo Valdez, Ventus Bradford, Tony Stark, Margot Sullivan, Cosette Fauchelevent and Annabeth Chase
What: Taking back stolen items.
Where: Chicago, IL
When: February 23 - March 2
Why: It's time to perform a little search and rescue.



Camp Half-Blood was broken into by the Gaea-aligned Red Room organization a month ago, in the hubbub of the camp also being invaded by a deadly werewolf pack and monster hunters. Since then, the camp has been locked down - no one leaves, only key people get in. Meanwhile, Chiron and Mr. D have been really putting their heads together, trying to organize a crack-team of campers to go retrieve the items that the Red Room stole, and it's high time they went out on an little rescue mission.

This is what was stolen from Camp Half-Blood by the Red Room:

The books from the Athena cabin
Heather O'Toole's shield
A hammer belonging to Sky Smith
Nicodeme Feuilly's books
Sojourner Ayers-Silva's teddy bear
Derek Hale's sword
Books belonging to Lydia Martin
Annie Cresta's porpoise
Daenerys Targaryen's three young dragons
Dean Winchester's car, a 1967 Chevrolet Impala
Jean Prouvaire's heart

The directors have chosen campers based on their skills and intellect to set out to find the items. In addition, Rachel Elizabeth Dare has issued this prophecy for the group:

In the city of swirling winds
Six campers' quest begins
The building dwarfed by only one
Brings riches untold and lives undone
To see the truth behind the lies
One must look with unburdened eyes

The questers are expected to leave at noon on February 23, and are asked to try and return by March 3. They will be equipped with backpacks containing a small bedroll, two vials each of nectar (one-half of the vial will cure most wounds, a whole vial will cure fatal wounds) and one piece of ambrosia (one half will cure most wounds, a whole piece will cure a fatal wound), mortal first-aid equipment like bandages, matches, a length of rope, and three golden drachmas to facilitate IMs with. They may take their weapons to aid them, as well as any special items they may have on their person at this time.

Good luck.

Comments

FEBRUARY 25-28: TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS

[halfbloodhillmods]

[The campers finally make it to Chicago - now, go find the tallest building and get back what's been stolen.]

[lastplaceigo]

[Chicago. The skyline loomed over the waterfront of Lake Michigan, the sound of city traffic floated up into the sky... It's all very impressive.

This would be more exciting if it weren't so freaking cold (Margot has never been more grateful for the stupid holiday sweaters her mom gave her,) she hasn't been sitting on this angry pegasus for hours, and if their destination didn't take them over a goddamn lake.

Margot has a thing about water and it takes every ounce of willpower to not urge the pegasus in the opposite direction (not that he'd listen anyway.) When they touch down on Northerly Island, she near slides off the flying horse and to the ground in relief.

Oh, sweet ground. Never has anything been more beautiful.

Give her two seconds, she'll be cool.]

[commandertoolbelt]

[ Leo brings Festus to an easy landing several feet away from the pegasi and jumps down with Scout, patting the larger dragon on the neck. ] Lucky you, buddy. You get to chill on the beach while we do the dirty work. Just stay out of sight, and keep an ear out.

[ He has a whistle in a pocket of his belt, just in case they need Festus in a pinch. They've been working on that around camp, so Festus can be their personal Air Force One, though Leo can't help but wonder what the mortals around here would see through the Mist.

Giving Margot an amused look, he turns to everyone else with a grin. ] So, which way to the Sears Tower? [ He should have brought a GPS. ]

[salvagedlight]

[Ven touches down next to Margot, the pegasus he's supposed to be riding a step behind him, but horse riding wasn't a thing taught in the legion and he preferred to be in control when he was in the air. The pegasus didn't seem to mind too much, at least, and he was riding him when he got too tired. But at Leo's question, he squints around, then points at the cluster of buildings off to the northwest a few blocks away.]

That one looks taller than the rest of them, and it's got all the levels the building does in pictures. Everything else seems to stretch north of there anyway, so if that's not it it's at least a good place to start.

[lastplaceigo]

[Alright, Margot is good, sort of. Standing up on shaking legs, she readjusts the shield slung over her shoulder and tries to make herself look as dignified as possible as she joins the rest of the group.

Her pegasus meanders off with something like a snicker, joining Ven's to probably discuss how dumb demigods are. Just another day.]

The one with all the pointy things on top, right? It did seem taller than all the rest when we were flying down...

[Not like she was paying too much attention, though.]

[the_futurist]

[Tony slides off Festus with a grin and a WHOOP, having enjoyed that FAR too much. If that's what flying is like, he can't imagine why anyone stays on the ground. And the view was spectacular up there. He's missed the city.

He scans the horizon for a moment before pointing in the general direction of the tower.]

Yeah, thereabouts, I picked it out on the way in.

[allnerves]

The building is constructed in a bundle style which makes it unique in the Chicago skyline. [ says Annabeth as she touches down, just several paces ahead of the others. There's a look of keen determination in her grey eyes as she dismounts, patting her equine companion on the back. The Sears Tower, now Willis, built by architect Bruce Graham and structural Fazlur Rahman Khan, actually comprised of nine separate buildings. She isn't particularly interested in the sleek architecture of the late 60s, but it's still important to note. ]

We can walk from here. [ She casts a glance at the pegasus before turning to the group. ] Our rides should be fine, too.

[halfbloodhillmods]

[One of the things it helps to keep a lookout for when one is a demigod outside camp's safe borders is a monster. They're not usually too hard to spot, except when they're trying to blend in with large groups of mortals.

There seems to be a group of women also heading towards the tower, and though they seem beautiful, they also seem to be...slithering, almost.]

[lastplaceigo]

[Margot keeps a close eye on their surroundings as they head into the city. You never know, constant vigilance, blah, blah, blah.

Everything seems pretty normal and she's momentarily entranced by how big all of the buildings are. Her home time has skyscrapers, but none of them are nearly that tall.

She spots the group of women ahead of them, thinks them nothing of tourists at first, but something doesn't sit right. Are they..? Huh.]

Hey, guys. Hold up a second. Something seem off about them to you?

[commandertoolbelt]

[ Leo turns to see what Margot means, and while he only sees a few women who have a bit of an odd gait, they don't look that weird. They're actually kind of pretty, and if it weren't for Natalie, he'd consider being considering his chances at starting a conversation with them.

Scout tenses on his shoulders, however, staring straight at them and following their movements carefully. They're going to have to rely on her today, so he can't just brush this off. ]

I dunno. Whoever they are, Scout doesn't like them.

[halfbloodhillmods]

[It's wise of the dragon to notice them, good that Margot and Leo are keeping their eyes out. Out from underneath the long, flowing gauzy dress that one of them is wearing - which, in retrospect, was a bad fashion choice if trying to blend in with humans in winter - two snake tails slide out. Yes, she is definitely slithering. The dracaena notices and does her best to pull her dress in around her. She isn't ready to hunt quite yet, but she's looking around and sniffing around for a good victim...]

[allnerves]

[ Instantly, Annabeth unsheathes her knife and clenches her fist, prepared to attack if necessary. And, come on, with a group of demigods, it is always necessary. ]

Drakaina. Almost met one before. [ There's no demon chihuahua this time, at least. ]

I don't think they're here to take a tour of the city. [ Annabeth muses with a glance at her quest mates before proceeding. Are they working against them or are they just hungry? ]

[lastplaceigo]

[Margot's got both hands shoved in the pockets of her jackets, but her fingers are wrapped around a set of knuckle guards. She's ready and trying to hold back a grin -- it's about time they see some action.]

Five bucks says they're with you-know-who.

[A fight in the middle of a group of mortals is still probably a bad idea, but she's ready.]

[the_futurist]

[Tony's been taking up the rear, he's not really prime combatant material, so he's staying out of the way of those who are, and he noticed the women no sooner than anyone else.

And he has no idea what the hell that is, but he's suddenly realizing exactly how under-prepared he is. Here's hoping all those combat training sessions back at camp that beat the crap out of him actually did some good.]

What the hell...?

[His daggers are in his bag, and he's casually swinging that backpack off to slip one up his sleeve. Better safe than flailing around like an idiot.]

[halfbloodhillmods]

[It's good that they're on their guard, because at least one of the dracaenae has smelled them out, too. Fortunately for them, she's more hesitant, but she's still hungry. She'll let the group of mortals pass her, let her companions move on before she stops walking, turns, and bares her teeth at the group of demigods, slithering toward them at breakneck speeds, her tails almost sidewinding.]

[salvagedlight]

[Well, if you have to tour the Windy City in that awful point between winter and spring, someone who controls the winds is probably an advantage to have around.]

Guys, look out! [Even as he's yelling that, Ven's drawing his sword with one hand while the other thrusts in front of him, gathering the strong drafts that are being directed by the large buildings around them by the breezes from the lake and blasting them like a drill bit at the oncoming monster. The result is a hard gust of wind, several miles per hour, straight at the enemy, and if that doesn't work he's more than ready to dive into a fight.]

[commandertoolbelt]

[ Leo slows down as soon as he sees that one veer off and start toward them, drawing a hammer from one of his belt pockets, just in case. Fire isn't a good idea out here - not with all these mortals around, but if it comes to it, he doesn't want to be unarmed.

He really hopes it doesn't come to that; he is not and will never be a fighter. But that's why Margot is here, right? Daughter of the war god and all? Whatever happens, he just hopes this is over fast. ]

[lastplaceigo]

[With a huge, shit eating grin on her face, Margot is dashing forward behind Ven's wind blast, knuckle guards out and with daggers drawn. She's hoping that if the wind catches the monster, she can follow it up with an attack, slashing at whatever part is nearest.]

[impetueux]

[It's probably a good thing Cosette uses a long-distance weapon, because that thing is outright terrifying even from a distance.

She has to take a breath before steadying her hand and launching a few arrows at the dracaenae, all in the hopes that whatever pain they inflict will distract it from attacking back at Margot while she's slashing away.

Thank gods for possibly insane Ares children.]

[allnerves]

[ With a quick assessment of the situation, Annabeth holds back, her weapon still in hand. There are two aggressive forces, one long range weapon, two mechanics, and one tactician.

There's one heading in their direction, but what about the others? She can't possibly have them gobble up mortals. She starts pulling away from the group. If the attacker pulls away from them as well, that's a good thing. If she doesn't notice, she can take on the other ladies. ]

[halfbloodhillmods]

[The monstrous woman lets out a shriek as she's pushed back, and she decides to rush Margot straight on, trying to push on past the winds that sent her flying backwards. The arrows hit her, though, one after the other, and she's down for the count, turning into dust as she's sent to reform in Tartarus.

Fortunately, though, Annabeth's got the right idea, but the dracaenae are ahead of the game. Two hear their sister's cries and turn from the crowd of mortals - one heading for Ven while another moves to go rush Cosette.]

[salvagedlight]

[His stance instinctively shifts as the dracaena comes for him, not blinking an eye at it - he's been in the Legion for years, he's fought monsters before this, he's gotten hurt but come through fine, why should this time be any different when he's surrounded by competent people? Sword in hand, Ven backs up a step, then another, and then when she gets there he grabs another gust of wind and jumps to the side, using it to propel him into a dodging roll into a nearby alley, moving smoothly to his feet again and instinctively into a slashing strike. Keep it away from the mortals, although so far they only seem to be noticing some pushy tourists, but the dracaenae are aggressive enough that some look to be taking some notice.]

[Note to self: see if there's the possibility of Mist-controlling lessons back at camp.]

[the_futurist]

[Tony's been taking up the back and when the dracaena start to rush, he abandons the idea of the daggers with a huff, dropping them back into his bag. Instead, he retrieves one of the devices he'd packed and tweaked on the journey: a one-time-use taser, essentially, that packs a helluva punch, and fits in the palm of his hand. (Basically a travel version of what he gave Sky. He likes the idea, okay.)

Keeping to the rear, he notices when Ven separates from the group and without another thought, slings his backpack on again and takes after him. Hoping the dragon lady is sufficiently focused on the Roman, Tony comes up from behind, getting far too close for his own comfort, points his device at the dracaena, and activates it, a harsh burst of electricity surging out toward her.

With a yelp of his own he throws the now searing hot device at her when it is depleted, trying to jump back as he was only an arms' length away from her.]

[halfbloodhillmods]

[That certainly works. The surge fries the dracaena pretty well, and she jolts as she feels her scales burning. The tag team's a good idea, because the slashes are what hit her next, and those turn her into dust.

But there's still one moving towards Cosette, and finally she lunges out at her, fangs bared.]

[lastplaceigo]

[Victory is short lived as Margot spots the other dracaena moving in towards Cosette. She had promised Maya before leaving that she would make sure her sister would survive this in one piece and she isn't about to break that promise now.

She unslings her shield and hurls it like a frisbee at the monster's back -- the edges are blunt, but hopefully it'll connect and stun.]