I sighed, enjoying the fresh water of the brook. Bathing in public fountains when nobody was around and truck stops wasn't pleasant in the slightest. The fresh water was soothing and cleansing. I winced as I scrubbed down the rest of my body; as the dirt turned to mud, and then muddy water, I felt the stiffness in my joints. The fight against the sphinx in the back alleyway had been exhausting and difficult.

But then again, what did I expect making my way through New York City on foot, I thought. There was the annoying Centaur in Cleveland, the harpies in Hoboken, and finally, the sphinx in New York City. Damn thing kept asking me stupid questions as it attacked me. Figures. Hey, at least it's dust now, I thought, groaning as I sat. It was a nice, clear day out, nice for relaxing after getting smacked really hard by a sphinx.

Surprised there weren't any monsters in Long Island, I thought. My trek had carried me from Detroit to Long Island, and every step along the way had been infested with monsters. As I dressed, and swung my trench coat back on, I smiled.

I'd have a lot more scars if it wasn't for this, I thought. The coat simply did not tear, break, or get damaged in any way. Not the best padding, though I thought. The sphinx had hit me really, really hard.

Fiddling with my golden chain necklace, I decided to follow the brook. What could hurt, after all. I slowly, aimlessly began following the brook, absentmindedly picking my way through the woods until a shout took me out of my thoughts.

"Hey," came a girl's voice. I turned around, and in strode a short African-American girl with dreadlocks. She was dressed in jeans, combat boots, and park ranger's jacket and hat. She strode towards me with a quizzical expression on her weathered face; looked to be about seventeen or eighteen, and I could tell she was from the city with her accent.

I immediately tensed; weapons, none of those, but you never know these days. She's short, but muscular. Probably stronger than me. Think I'll work my way around her and get her from behi-

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Well, whatever, forever, whenever, however-" I snickered. "It's Tommy."

She gave an exasperated sigh. "Well, Tommy, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Well," I said. "I was taking a dip in the brook, and I quite enjoyed it."

The girl frowned. "Hiker, then." I nodded. Didn't hurt to lie a bit.

"Yeah, just kinda… got lost maybe. Took a nice shower." She nodded, and I smiled in my mind. She doesn't get it. I was coiled like a spring, ready to attack, and dressed in cargo pants, snow boots, and a trench coat. Not exactly hiking gear.

"Well," she said. "A… friend of mine owns that brook, and she really doesn't like it when people use it to shower. She'd rather keep it clean." I was surprised.

"Owns the brook? I thought this was public land."
"No," she said. "The Delphi Strawberry Service owns this land, and they really don't like it when people bathe in the creek." Now I was really confused. How deep into the woods did I wander? I had to be near the sound, or coast, or whatever.

"Well, first off, stupid name. Second off, pretty good strawberries, so… sorry for bathing in the creek maybe?" I chuckled. "Maybe my dirt will end up watering the strawberries."

The girl only nodded, clearly not enjoying this conversation. "Maybe," she said. "Maybe. But all that aside-"
"THAT ASIDE?" came an outraged voice. Behind me stood a girl, petite, blonde, crossing her arms and glaring at me. She looked about fifteen? Sixteen.
"Woah," I said. "Where did you come from?"
"Where did I come from? I'm the naiad of this brook, you idiot, and I do NOT want your gunk in my rivers. Do you realize how awful it-"
"Tastes?" I prompted. Her face grew red with rage, and I snickered. The black girl looked cautious.

"Stella," she said. "Calm down, it was just a hiker-"
"He can see me, Anna," Stella growled. "He's one of yours. A camper, clearly, and the dirtiest, nastiest camper I've ever met."

"I know, you called us for help, but-"

"Wait, wait, camper?" I said, waving my hands. "What kind of camp-"

"Camp Half-Blood," Anna sighed. "Couple miles away. Naiads call us to deal with annoying mortals who are bathing in their waters, but looks like you aren't a mortal." She pulled off the jacket and hat, revealing two gleaming bronze bracelets, one on each wrist.

"He's one of you!" Stella shouted, stamping her foot. "Do you know the rules? My father-"

"Who, drippies have fathers?" I said.

"Who are you calling-"
"That's what you are, right? Water girls, drippies, whatever. I see them all the time, but they don't do much, do they." I frowned. "But if you're naiads, and cyclopes exist, and those goat-" my eyes widened. "Huh. I guess I never thought about it."

"About what?" Anna asked.

"Other people like me," I said. "People with targets on their back."
"So… you never met a saytr that guided you? Where are you even from?"
I shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. Let's just say I got chased by a big golden lion that ate the goat-headed guy that was trying to guide me, and uh, well-" I laughed. "The rest is history."
Anna's eyes widened. "How long ago was this?" I frowned.

"Five years, maybe?"

"Oh my gods," she said. "You've been out for that long? On your own?" Her voice had a hint of awe in it. I nodded.

"Yep. Made my way here for, well I'm not sure, but regardless, yes."

"Do you have any… powers that helped? Shooting fire, controlling water, opening locks?"
I was confused. "With a flamethrower, a Super Soaker, and a lock-pick, sure." I didn't have any powers I was aware of. "I just have a really good coat." Anna's jaw dropped.

"Did that coat come from the lion?"
"Uh… yes? I think so?"
Anna shook her head. "You killed the Nemean lion, didn't you. A beast with an indestructible-"

"I DON'T CARE!" Stella screamed. I leaped back in surprise. "You'd better make this up or… or I'll-" she stamped her foot again. I just sighed, lay back with my head in my hands. I was done with her and her stuck-up attitude.

"Do away," I sighed. "Can't get any better or worse."

But then Stella's face turned into an evil grin. "Oh, I can. DADDY!" She cried, melting into water. I frowned.

"Did I just have a fifteen-year old girl throw a temper tantrum and call for daddy to come fix things?" I looked up. "Anna?"

Anna had turned to stone. Not literally, but her face looked hard as a rock.

"Uhh, what?"
"That's her daddy," she said pointing far. I looked up and sighed.

"Oh, no," I said as a wall of water began crashing towards us.