Well that certainly is an interesting title, isn't it? xD

This story takes place during "The Keys". While all the older legacies are off to rescue the Seven and Calypso, Gus, Zac, and Aria are left in Camp Half-Blood.

Wonder what kind of fun they'll get into?

Eventually, there will be a point in which Gus does something to inspire this year's super-duper bead :)

This was originally gonna be a one-shot, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't think of a short story for these guys. So, this will be a multi-chapter. I have no idea how long it will be, so this should be fun :D

I own nothing you recognize as canon.

So, without further a-shmoo, here is...

*~Misadventures of a Roman Beast Boy, Two Legacies, and a Solangelo Kid~*

Chapter One

The Misadventure Begins

Aria Valdez sat her younger brother, Zachariah, down onto the ground. He had been squirming in protest since they'd left their house.

"Zac, stop fidgeting," she said.

"I wanna go home," he complained.

Aria bent down and stroked her brother's cinnamon-colored curls. "We can't stay at home right now. While Tulio, Espie, and Papi go find Mommy, we have to stay in camp. Papi doesn't want us to stay home alone."

Zac pouted.

"Chiron said we get to have a bead when we're done," she said. "We'll be like Tulio and Espie!"

"Bead?"

"Yes!"

Zac brightened a little. He was insanely jealous of the beaded necklaces the twins got each year, always wanting one. Leo had promised him that when he was old enough, he could go to camp and get one of his own.

Aria was a little envious of the twins and Zac. They got to be true legacies. They could actually go to camp, learn how to fight monsters, could get special powers (though Zac hadn't shown any sign other than technokinesis). But all she got was the ability to enter and exit camp…

Okay, sure, she was talented musically. She suspected Apollo had done that as a real thanks for her father inventing the Valdezinator—one of the newest (and hardest to play) popular instruments ever to be introduced to the modern world—but it could just be raw talent, too. She had her mom's voice, but so did Espie, so all that was different about her was her ability to play the violin and piano like a professional.

She supposed that it was a good thing she was more mortal than legacy, considering monsters that weren't Steve or Mrs. O'Leary wouldn't so much as glance at her funny. She wouldn't have to worry so much about getting eaten.

But still…

Aria sighed. Zac tugged on her skirt.

"Why are you sad?" he asked cutely.

Aria smiled. "I was just thinking."

"Papi say thinking bad for you."

"He would say that." Aria shook her head. "But I suppose I do think too much. I'll see about stopping that while we're in camp. We're here to have a little fun."

She bent down to Zac's level. "Why don't we go check out the Hephaestus Cabin? We'll be staying there!"

"Festus?" Zac's eyes brightened. "Festus gots his own cabin?"

"Hephaestus," Aria corrected. "Gandad's cabin."

"Gandad!"

Zac began running around excitedly. "We stay in Gandad cabin!"

Aria smiled. She took his hand and began leading him toward Cabin Nine. "I bet they'll let you have Tulio's bed," she said.

"Tui has the best stuff," Zac commented. "I want his stuff."

As Aria led Zac into Cabin Nine, Gus stood outside of Cabin Five—Ares Cabin.

He had heard some pretty nasty things from Sammy Leo about this cabin. That they were bullies, blockheads, violent…Everything Sammy wasn't. Gus found it hard to believe that the Ares cabin kids were cousins of his father, Frank, who was known as the sweetest son of Mars ever.

Gus wasn't as tough as Sammy. He didn't like fighting, and wasn't very handy with weapons. His father had assured him that he had been just like that when he was Sammy's age—awkward, unsure about anything, and shy. His mother told him it was okay to be shy and reserved. Plenty of demigods and legacies survived with that attitude.

He was still nervous about meeting his Ares cousins. Mrs. Rodriguez, one of the old Ares head counselors, was really rough. Gus didn't really want to know how rough the younger Ares kids nowadays could be.

A BOOM resounded from inside. The boar head above the door shook a little, but didn't fall. Curses echoed inside. Gus cowered and shivered in his shoes.

He didn't even knock on the door and introduce himself. Gus ran away and hid behind a black cabin, trying to get his act together.

"C'mon, Augustus," he scolded himself. "You can do this. Sammy said that if I can deal with my Ares cousins, I can handle Lupa. This is pre-training for the Legion! You can do this!"

He peeked out from behind the cabin. Arey Stoll was sneaking around the Ares cabin, snickering to another Hermes camper. Suddenly, the ground erupted around them. They shouted in alarm and bolted before their spot blew up.

The head counselor, Vance Boaran, busted out of the door and shouted in triumph. "Take that, Stoll! That'll teach you for messin' with Ares!"

Gus felt sweat bead up around his forehead. Mines…They have live mines surrounding their cabin!?

He shrank back into the shadow of his hiding place. He whined and crouched low, scared out of his mind. He wished he wasn't so scared, so weak and frightened. He was such a scaredy-cat that he couldn't even face his cousins!

How am I supposed to go through Roman training if I can't handle the Greeks? I'm so useless! I wish I could be as brave as Sammy, or have powers like Mr. Grace or Mr. Valdez or even Mr. Jackson!

Suddenly, a hand arrived on his shoulder. Gus snapped his head up.

Standing in front of him was Jonah Calavera, a Persephone-claimed legacy of Hades, and the adopted son of Nico di Angelo and Will Solace. The ten-year-old Latino was looking at him with a confused expression.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice thick with a Mexican accent. Four years of learning English from Leo Valdez had improved everything but his accent. Jonah was pretty proud of it, saying it helped him remember where he came from. Nico could relate, so he was fine with it, and if Nico was okay with it, then so was Will.

Gus shook his head. "I'm really scared," he said.

"Of what?"

Gus merely pointed to the Ares Cabin.

Jonah looked at Vance, who was waving his sword around, chasing Arey with a face of pure rage. The legacy of Hades grimaced. "Ah," he said. "Your brother's cabin, yes?"

Gus nodded. "I…I'm supposed to stay with them while Sammy and the others go rescue our parents. But…the Ares Cabin scares me!"

Jonah smiled. "Well, maybe the Ares cabin is not for you?"

"What do you mean?"

"As I can remember, Mrs. Hazel is a daughter of Pluto. Maybe you are more Pluto legacy than Mars?"

Gus tilted his head. "Pluto? You mean…"

"Maybe you could stay in the Hades Cabin," Jonah suggested. "And if you are lonely, I could stay with you."

"But you stay in the Persephone Cabin," Gus protested.

"Because Persephone claimed me. I'm sure she won't mind if I stay in Cabin Thirteen for a few weeks. Mr. Grace didn't stay in Hera's Cabin even when he was claimed by her, so this should be okay for a bit."

Gus sniffled. "I could try…"

Jonah helped him to his feet. "Trying is better than running," he said.

"But this is technically running," Gus mumbled too softly for Jonah to hear.

Not very Roman of me to run away from a fight, he noted. Mom and Dad wouldn't be proud…

He followed Jonah to the Hades Cabin, nervously thinking of how he wasn't going to survive Lupa and her wolves if he couldn't even face his Ares cousins…

A/N: Before ANYONE makes any assumptions, let me say there will be no plan for romance between any of the above characters. Jonah is TEN, Aria and Gus are EIGHT. Too young. Far too young.

This will be centered around Gus mostly, but I'll still include Aria and Zac, because they are Valdezes, and no story of mine is complete without a Valdez :)

Also, y'know, Solangelo child. Yay! To those of you who don't understand where Jonah came from, please refer to my 100 One-Shot Challenge chapter numero uno :)