John pov~

I didn't have any money left, demigod or mortal. I hadn't eaten anything but crackers or the most non-candy candy bars I could find in days. My jeans were ripped, shirt dirty, hair an absolute mess and I'd had to make a make-shift scabbard for my gladius when I somehow managed to loose the proper scabbard. I hadn't had a proper place to sleep in a week and I smelled wretched.

Nothing was working out for me right now.

Nothing except the fact that I was somewhere in New York City, completely lost and miles away from my home in San Francisco. That may not sound great, but it's the best thing that has ever happened to me since leaving for the Wolf House five years ago.

I hated Camp Jupiter and New Rome. And now I'm away from all that. I caught a train heading east and made up my mind once I got off that I was going to NYC. After a few trains and a lot more monsters (the hungry hero-hating type, but also the energy drink) I was standing in the shadow of the Empire State Building. I felt unwelcome and safe staring up at the tall building, a feeling I'd gotten all over New York. As if I'd made it to a safe home that didn't really want me.

Based on some of the pitying looks I got I assumed the New Yorkers thought I was a homeless kid, which was actually pretty accurate. Mom didn't want me and my dad, Apollo, wanted me way less, if they was even possible. I couldn't exactly go back to Camp Jupiter, I'd not exactly be welcomed back after escaping. So I wandered New York, occasionally slaying monsters, occasionally finding monry on the ground and getting myself the most filling thing I could afford.

After about a week of that my stomach had had enough and told me so by informing my brain (who was about to revolt as well) that if I didn't get a proper meal soon it would shut down my body. My brain thought this was a great idea and added that I also needed a good night's sleep and more regular amounts of clean water.

I could not provide either of those things, camped out in an alley somewhere near the Empire State, so I just listened to their complaints and did my best to reason with them.

It didn't work.

My brain and my stomach went on strike, flipping the signs on their doors so they said 'out of order' and giving me about three seconds to freak out before I fell off my perch on top of the trash can and landed in the ground, unconscious. The fact that I hit my head probably didn't help.

I don't know how long I was out, just that I was out. I now knew what being unconscious is like. Not pleasant.

I blinked my eyes open and saw a bright light glaring at me. I shifted my eyes and used the last of my reason to come to the conclusion that this light was actually a window. Stupid sun.

There were two people leaning over me. One had curly brown dark brown hair that fell around her smiling cocoa face. She had brown eyes and a mischievous grin and wore a yellow summer dress with a short sleeve orange shirt underneath. She had a necklace with four beads on it, none of which I could focus on well enough to tell what they had painted on them.

The other person had dark skin and a worried expression. He had short curly hair tied back with a bandana and wore an orange shirt the same color as the one on the girl. It had something written on it and pegasus right under that. He also had a necklace, but he only had two beads.

When they noticed I was awake the girl hopped around happily, squealing and clapping her hands.

"Peggy," the boy said. "If you're gonna act like this I can't let you stay."

She calmed down immediately and stepped back over to me.

"Hey." The boy said to me. "How are you feeling?"

I checked. I hadn't bothered to check before. My head wasn't pounding as much and I was less hungry.

"Better." I said, because it was more-or-less true. "Where am I? Who are you? What am I doing here?"

"You're at Camp Half-Blood." The boy explained. "You must be a demigod cause the barrier let you in. We take care of and train demigods."

This better not be another Camp Jupiter. I thought warily.

You better not try to run again. My brain argued.

"I'm Peggy and this is Hercules." Peggy pointed at herself, then at her friend.

"Like the old Roman dude." I commented.

"Yeah." Hercules nodded. "Everyone just calls me Herc."

"Why am I here?" I asked again, worried I might not get my answer.

"Angie, Liz, James and I were selling strawberries and we were walking basil to the truck and I heard a clatter and I was like 'hey did you hear that?' and Angie was like 'probably a rat or something' and I was like 'it didn't sound like a rat' so I took Liz to go check and we found you on the ground. Your face was bleeding. I was like 'we should take him back to camp' and Liz was like 'what if he's mortal?' and I was like 'he gives off a demigod vibe' and Liz couldn't disagree cause you did so we took you with us and now you're here."

"I'm sure there was a quicker way to explain that, Pegs."

"But the dialogue is the best part!" She pouted then looked at me. "Who's your godly parent? I think it's Apollo cause of the weird marks on your arm but that may just be a fashion statement or something. Do you even know who it is?"

"It's Apollo."

"Me too." Herc smiled. "That makes us half brothers."

"Well would ya look at that."

"MY MOM'S APHRODITE!" Peggy shouted. "You weren't listening." Was her only explanation for the outburst.

"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood." Herc waved his friend off dismissively, not phased by the shouting. "I hope you like it here."

—~•~—

Why hello there. I'm yes I'm mixing pjohoo and Hamilton. Why not? Hope you like it, I have no clue what I'm doing. :)

Love y'all,
Starii🌼