Martin picked at a scab on his knee for a minute, his forehead crinkled in thought. He needed a plan. He needed a good plan. One that was so brilliant the Sun God would not know what hit him. But his mind stayed blank. Oh to be a child of Athena.

"Oh no," Sylvester mocked running a towel through his wet blonde hair, "Martin is thinking again."

Jasper walked up behind him, a towel adorned casually over his shoulders. "That's never a good sign."

The two had just come back from swimming in the lake, enjoying the sunny morning. They were far too busy splashing each other to notice the countless girls that passed by with giggles and deep blushes.

"Laugh all you want," Martin waved them off, "but I will get Father here."

"I don't get why this is such a big deal for you, Marty," Sylvester sighed flopping onto his bunk, "he hasn't cared before, why should here care now?"

Martin stood up furiously his voice rising with each syllable, "because he is our father and fathers are supposed to care about their children!"

"I dunno," Jasper shrugged, "my step-father doesn't care squat about what I do long as I'm home by eight."

"Listen you two this is imp—"

"Run. Casey. Run!" Scout shouted, her voice carrying into the cabin.

The boys watched in quiet fascination as Casey slid into the cabin followed closely by Scout. Without an explanation she slammed the door shut, quickly latching bolts and locks that the boys were sure had not been their this morning.

"Scout," Martin asked slowly, wearily eyeing her back, "what did you two do?"

Immediately, his sister turned pressing her body guiltily against the door.

"Absolutely nothing."

Jasper nodded in mock understanding before turning to Martin, "didn't you know that is what you are supposed to do when you are doing nothing, Marty? Why Sly and I crash into a cabin and lock the door almost once a week."

"Oh shut it," Martin snapped now turning his attention to the youngest of his siblings.

"Casey what did you do?"

"All right I socked him. But he was totally asking for it," Casey grumbled sulking in a corner.

Martin ran a hand through his hair in frustration, "you punched somebody?"

"But he had it coming," Casey repeated, thinking this a perfectly justifiable excuse.

Martin opened his mouth again to speak but a loud thud banged on the door, echoing through the cabin.

"Zeus," Sylvester swore flinching at the sound, "who the heck did you knock out?"

"Andre," she answered weakly.

All three boys swore at once.

"Hey now," Scout interrupted, "you all know there isn't a kid in the Ares cabin that doesn't deserve a broken nose."

"You broke his nose," Jasper exclaimed, dragging a hand down his face, "Styx, Casey why didn't you just save yourself the trouble and go drown in the lake."

"You probably would have been better off," Sylvester agreed.

"Relax we will just hole up here until—" Scout winced as the door was rammed into again, "until they lose interest. I mean they are bound to get bored eventually."

"Oh I think they will have gotten in here long before that," Martin calculated.

"Not helping!"

The door blew forward again bending during each thump. The locks tried desperately to hold to their posts but the attacker proved to be stronger, bending the metal until they were disfigured and useless.

"Geez," Scout murmured through gritted teeth, "what are they using, a ram?"

Sylvester peered through one of the side windows and shook his head, "Nope. They are all taking turns running at the door. From the looks of it the whole damn cabin is outside."

"We're going to die," Casey whaled, "and it will be my entire fault."

"Yep," Jasper agreed distractedly. He and Martin were pushing, unsuccessfully, on one of the dressers, hoping to make a barricade.

"It wasn't her fault," Scout grunted, leaning hard against the bulging door. "Andre was the one who started it. I saw the whole thing from the archery field. He said something to her and then all of a sudden she just flew at him. Kid didn't stand a chance, even though he had fifty pounds on her."

"What did he say to you Casey?" Martin asked. He and Jasper were now sweating from the effort of pushing the dresser.

"It must be bolted to the floor," Jasper moaned.

Casey looked up from her corner tears streaming down her normally feisty features. She sniffled for a moment wiping quickly at her eyes.

"He said—he said I was probably nothing but a disappointment to my father and that was why he never came to visit the cabin. He said maybe if he had kids he could be proud of he would actually come to parent's day. Andre said his dad was coming."

"Oh Casey," Scout sighed, "you really let that get to you?"

Scout let out a grimace as the door jerked into her back.

"Hey you cowards come on out and face us like warriors—oh wait I forgot whose kids I was talking to—hey kiddies come out here and cower before your superiors!"

"Oh give it a rest Clarisse," Sylvester shouted through the window, "we all know you can't even spell superior much less be superior."

"That all you got pretty boy. Cause I got all day," she hollered back spreading her arms out menacingly.

Sylvester looked beside himself with happiness at the open invitation, "Don't you need to have a license to be that ugly."

"Really, Sly," Scout shook her head, "that was the best you could do?"

"Wait , wait I got another one. Hey Clarisse! I would call you an idiot but that would just be insulting to all the stupid people."

"I think I'm just going to punch you for that one," Jasper growled in disgust.

"I'm not done. I'm not done," he giggled, "Ohhh Claaaaaarrrrrriiisse—"

"Shut up you moron," she screamed slamming down her foot, "why don't you all come out here and face us!"

"You know you guys are in range why aren't you running away in fear from our arrows?" Sylvester asked.

Clarisse guffawed at the question, "the Ares cabin does not know the meaning of fear!"

Sylvester nodded in understanding, "of course you don't but then again you don't know the meaning of a lot of words."

"Sylvester," his siblings yelled trying to shut him up.

"What?" He shrugged, "I thought that was a pretty good one."

"All right," Scout finally said, "I think I have a plan."

"I think I have a better one," Jasper interjected, "let's give them Sly and when they are ripping him apart we'll make a break for it."

"I don't think I like that idea very much," Sylvester grumbled crossing his arm.

"Maybe we'll use that as plan B," Scout said slowly, "my plan is to keep their attention on the cabin door while two of us slide out one of the windows in the back and surprise them from behind."

"I would like to go with Scout's plan, please," Sylvester stated.

"And here I was giving you the chance to be a hero," Jasper shook his head, "you ungrateful maggot."

Martin slipped over to the chest where they stashed their equipment, bows and arrows were quickly passed out. Casey, Jasper and Sylvester stationed themselves by the windows facing the Ares kids. It was decided that Martin and Scout, the two best shots, should be the ones that take Clarisse and her gang from behind.

"Hey you brats did you hear me!? I said come out and face us. If you think you can punch out one of my brothers than you have another thing coming to you!"

"Hey Clarisse have you ever considered doing some soul-searching—who knows you might actually find one."

Even the Ares camp could not help but wince at that one.

"That should keep their attention," Martin whispered to his sister as they slid out the narrow window in the back cabin. Scout could only nod as she landed beside him.

They moved swiftly and quietly through the light brush surrounding the Apollo cabin. It was not until they reached the cabin's shadow did they pause for a moment.

"So what now?"

"We are going to need to move into the tree line behind them. If we can get into those trees, not only will we have the advantage but we will be shielded from view so they won't know our numbers."

"Alright. Wait a moment."

The two watched as Andre and a few of his brothers moved in on the door again. The area surrounding them echoed with a sickening crunch.

"We need to go now," she whispered urgently.

But Martin shook his head, "they are not distracted enough. If we move now someone is going to spot us."

"And if we don't move now," Scout countered, "there will only be two Apollo kids living in that cabin."

"Is that all you got," they could hear Sylvester call, "Mitch you look sweaty in all that leather, why don't you slip into something more comfortable…like a coma!"

"All right," Martin breathed, "NOW."

In an instant they scampered across the open grass, their steps quiet and almost ghost like. They were in the tree line before anyone could say boo. Careful as to not rustle the branches, they lightly climbed a pine, only stopping when they were sure they were hidden behind the needles.

"Ready," Scout asked in quiet anticipation, cocking her bow till the string strummed at her ear.

"You bet," he answered his bow ready in a similar stance.

"FIRE!"

Before Clarisse and her gang even had time to blink there was a volley of arrows at their feet. With pure instinct moving them, the Ares kids scattered completely unprepared for the attack. Martin and Scout were careful to keep up a steady flow of arrows to keep them running.

"You can stop now Martin," Scout said lowering her bow. Her eyes were sharp and alert, scanning the area for another possible attack.

"Well that was fun," Martin smiled wiping a line of sweat from his brow.

"Nothing like human targets to keep you in shape," she smiled.

"Styx, I have been waiting for this day for years," Mr. D smiled leaning forward in his chair, "the day I finally get to kick some of you brats out of here."

All five of the Apollo kids stood in front of him in one neat line. They refused to bow their heads in shame, making sure they met Mr. D's eyes with quiet rebellion. No one dared to voice an excuse; they all stood and accepted their fate. Whatever it may be.

"Expelling them seems a little harsh, sir," Chiron said staring contemplatively at them, "besides it would be an insult to Apollo to refuse to house his children."

Mr. D stared at his Diet Coke for a moment, swirling it around in its glass.

"I doubt Apollo's wrath would be half as much of a pain to me as his children," he growled finally taking a sip.

"I think I would much rather see ole hot-head get his pretty pants in a bunch than having to deal with his excuses for offspring," he said lightly, his features showing he was seriously entertaining the thought of kicking them out.

"Kicking out his children would only give Apollo the pleasure in knowing his kids are too much to handle, sir," Chiron worded carefully.

"Oh please," Mr. D grumbled, "Pretty Boy doesn't care what I do with his kids."

"How would you know?!" barked Martin, Mr. D had hit a sore mark. The room's occupants snapped their attention toward him. Instantly, he blushed under the sudden scrutiny of the god.

"I mean," He said softly, "I am sure Father would—"

But Mr. D waved him off, "Oh please kid I've heard that line a million and one times. Stop fooling yourself and look at the big picture here, brat. Daddy doesn't care as long as the camp keeps you alive so your mummies don't call him up and complain. Trust me, munchkin, Apollo doesn't like kids in his hair. He isn't much more than a kid himself."

Martin was livid now. He looked ready to speak but, in the interest of keeping him from becoming human wine, Scout stepped up in front of him.

"Mr. D," she said calmly, making a deep effort to hide her inner turmoil for apologizing over something that was no their fault, "we are sorry for the trouble that we have caused. There seemed to be a sort of misunderstanding between our two cabins. It will not happen again." The last part was spoken tersely, more to her siblings than to the god.

"Oh very well," Mr. D griped, "but if something like this happens again I will make you wish I had kicked you out today."

"Understood," she nodded blankly.

As quickly as she could she rounded up her siblings, pushing them out of the main cabin and into the sunlight.

"You didn't have apologize," Martin growled, kicking at a stick on the grass, "we did nothing wrong."

"You think so," she said her voice livid, "well we may have been in the right but I really don't think Mr. D cared about that. All he saw when we walked in was a chance to kick us out of here and send us back to our families. And let me tell you something, I would rather been set on fire than have to spend the next four years of my life living under the same roof as my family. So yeah I think did need to apologize, Martin!"

The rest of her siblings remained quiet, silently following the two back to their cabin.

"Martin," Scout stopped when they reached the door, "I really don't care if Dad comes or not to this Parent's Day, he is just a guy I have seen twice in my life. But you guys are my family. And I would have apologized to Mr. D for breathing if that was what needed to be done to keep us together."

Martin stared at her back for a few moments before turning his gaze to the sun, a contemplative look darkening his face.

Sorry it has taken me so long to update! I hope you guys have enjoyed it and let me know how you feel. I always love reading reviews!

Thanks for Reading