beauty in the broken glass @wayward-fae - Tumblr Blog

abracadabra - chapter four

yandere! batfamily x neglected! demigod child of hecate reader. (inspired by percy jackson) - masterpost

Version: they/them (you are here) - she/her - he/him

Y/N did not wake when Poppy stopped just outside of Newark for gas. The young demigod did not even seem to notice when Josie pulled a blanket over them that smelt faintly of strawberries and fresh cut grass; she also picked up the fallen backpack and sat on the car seat next to the child. The Satyr and the elder demigod conversed in low tones to let Y/N sleep since it was clear they needed it. Neither of them have ever seen a child with such dark bags under their eyes.

"They're so adorable. I know my siblings in the Aphrodite Cabin are going to want to snatch them up just to coo over them. Do you think Chiron will be up for letting me mentor them?" Poppy glanced over at Josie as she spoke. He bit his lip in thought before he shrugged.

"It's Connor's last year as Counselor, but Julia's first real year. Chiron might be amenable if you offer a lending hand since the Hermes Cabin always has its hands full with the claimed and unclaimed kids," Josie let herself smile a little as she played with the strings of her hoodie. She knew that the Hermes cabin had about twenty-five kids inside the cabin with only seven of them being unclaimed for now. Connor and Julia did their best to run a tight ship but they may not know how to handle a seven-year-old. But now that Josie thought over it a little more, the camp itself probably wasn’t really to handle a seven-year-old as well.

The youngest camper that Josie had heard about was Annabeth Chase, who also came to camp around the age of seven, but she was quickly claimed and ushered into the Athena Cabin. Then there was Harley, who came to Camp Half-Blood the same year Josie did, but the daughter of Aphrodite was twelve next to Harley’s eight. But he had truly fit into the chaos that was the Hephaestus Cabin. But not accounting for those two, campers usually came when they were in their double digits of age and were usually used to the outside world looking down on them for their demigod characteristics. Once demigods were thrown into the structured schedule of the camp, people found places where they excelled whether it be with a weapon, languages or some sort of craft.

Josie had found that she had an aptitude for languages. She had grown up speaking Swedish and English, and being Aphrodite’s daughter, the romance languages also came fluently to Josie. She, however, wanted a challenge and started to learn other languages that did not come quite as naturally; Camp Half-Blood had helped a lot with that, since so many people came from different backgrounds and cultures. But she had not let her talent for languages hold her back from the other skill pools from camp. She was pretty good with her daggers and was one of the best chefs in the camp, even taking up the mantle of the camp’s cooking instructor after the previous one left camp.

But with Y/N, Josie could see them easily getting lost in the chaos of camp. Her Aunt Nadja had given the older demigod a brief summary of the youngest Wayne without saying their name, and then Poppy had given Josie the rest of the facts after she was assigned escort duty. Y/N Wayne was a typical Gotham Academy student, raised to be prim and proper but was looked down on by other students and some faculty due to their ADHD and dyslexia. Their father was the eccentric billionaire Bruce Wayne, a playboy philanthropist turned recluse due to the death of his adopted son, Jason Todd. Y/N’s other adoptive brother, Richard Grayson, had moved out and was now living in Blüdhaven; according to Poppy, who was getting his information from a seven-year-old, Richard had been fighting with Bruce for a few months and had been coming home less and less. So where did that leave Y/N, who was also clearly grieving the brother they had lost and was considered an outsider to those that were their age?

Josie decided right then that she would keep an eye on the tiny demigod, whether Chiron approved of her mentoring Y/N or not.

XX

The station wagon rolled to a stop, making Y/N blink awake slowly. They were groggy and disoriented with their cheek pressed against something soft that had not been there before -a soft, sweet-smelling blanket. The child looked for their stolen backpack that they were once clinging to but quickly found it where Josie had placed it. Then, their attention turned to the world outside the window. The station wagon was in a campground parking lot with a bunch of other unassuming cars. There were a few other people standing around; some in bright orange shirts while there was one or two other colors mixed in. Josie’s face popped down in front of the window.

“Hey there, sleepyhead. We’re here,” Josie’s voice was gentle as she opened the car door. She quickly undid the carseat buckles for Y/N. The older demigod stepped out of the way so the younger could hop out of the car. Y/N took a better look around the campground parking lot; it was mostly surrounded by tall trees that were practically concealing the lot from view. At one end of the parking lot, there was a pathway that the other people were heading toward. Poppy was nearby holding Y/N’s trunk, chatting with another Satyr. Y/N rubbed their eyes with the back of one small hand, still clutching Jason’s backpack like a lifeline with the other. The air smelled different here; nothing like Gotham’s usual mix of rain, exhaust and old stone. This air smelled like pine needles, warm earth and something sweet.

“Where are we?” Y/N’s voice was still thick with sleep.

“Edge of Long Island. Camp is about a half-mile that way. Only a little bit of a walk, but I say it’s well worth it. Ready?” Josie gave Y/N a soft smile and held out her hand. The younger demigod looked at the hand for just a moment, before slipping their small hand into hers. The older demigod gave them a slight squeeze. Poppy trotted over, holding Y/N’s trunk with relative ease.

Together, the trio followed after the other demigods and Satyrs down the trail path. The trees surrounding them gave way to a meadow at the bottom of a tall hill. At the top of that hill stood a lone pine tree with something golden fluttering under its needles. They took their time going up the hill since Y/N’s short legs were not used to going up earthen trails. The trio were the last to make it up to the pine tree, but once they walked past the tree, the world around them changed.

Y/N felt a wave of static electricity pass over their skin, making them shiver, and then they watched the world around them transform like a pop-up storybook. From the top of the hill, they could see a large cluster of cabins, each a different color; the biggest one was a bright sky-blue with a large wraparound porch. The smell that Y/N had been enjoying on their walk sharpened a little more, giving way to more scents: the sweet smell was revealed to be strawberries since there was a large field of them, the salt scent that felt like an afterthought deepened as Y/N looked out at the sound that was connected to the everlasting blue of the Atlantic Ocean, and the fresh pine lingered under the smokiness of campfire. There were a lot of kids; a majority of them in matching orange shirts almost like a school uniform, but there was a rainbow of other colors mixed in as well. They were doing a variety of activities: a couple of people looked to be doing a rope obstacle course high up in the trees around the camp, there were a bunch of people in the arena using all sorts of weapons, and another group of people were in an outdoor classroom looking at a chalkboard. The more Y/N looked, the more there was to see. Eventually, they turned their big eyes towards their companions, who were smiling brightly at the young demigod’s reaction.

“Well, kiddo, welcome to Camp Half-Blood. Now let’s get you to Chiron for check-in,” Poppy picked the trunk back up as he spoke, and Josie tugged lightly on Y/N’s hand to lead them down the hill towards the camp.

XX

The first thing Y/N noticed once they reached the bottom of the hill was that the campers all looked like they belonged there. Not in the way the other children at Gotham Academy belonged in their stiff uniforms and polished shoes, but in the way people did when they knew exactly where they were meant to be. They were laughing, shouting, singing, and somehow none of it felt as overwhelming as the crowds at school or the galas Bruce took Y/N to. No one here was trying too hard to seem important; they were just existing and being children.

Josie slowed a little as the trio got closer to the large, sky-blue house. The older demigod squeezed Y/N’s hand once more, the same way Alfred sometimes did when he wanted to remind them to breathe and remain calm.

“Okay, the first stop is the Big House. We’re going to meet Chiron and Mr. D,” Y/N nodded solemnly, as if they were given a very serious job and not being led through what was, in their young mind, perhaps one of the strangest places they had ever been. Poppy gave the younger demigod a reassuring grin.

“Try not to let Mr. D scare you. He likes to pretend he’s terrifying,”

“Is he?” Poppy’s face quickly changed at Y/N’s question, like he was caught lying, which he had.

“Oh definitely,” Josie smacked the Satyr’s arm.

“Poppy! Don’t scare them!”

“What? I can’t exactly lie to them. He is terrifying. He turned Herb into a dolphin last summer,”

“He got changed back,”

“Only because Percy was visiting and could hear Herb speaking. Mr. D had forgotten he had turned Herb into said dolphin,” Y/N looked in between Josie and Poppy as they argued and walked. The Big House got even bigger up close and the younger demigod noticed that there were two figures on the porch.

One man was in a motorized wheelchair. He had dark brown skin with gray hair and beard, wore a tweed jacket and a white shirt, and had a brown plaid blanket covering his legs despite the June heat. The man had a warm smile spread across his face as the trio got closer to the house. The other man had a grumpy expression on his face, looking like he would rather be anywhere else; he had wild curly hair and beard, tanned skin and was wearing a tiger-print aloha shirt, cut-off denim shorts and socks with sandals. As the trio got to the steps of the Big House, the grumpy man crossed his arms across his chest and cleared his throat, which made Josie and Poppy stop their minor argument about Mr. D’s grumpiness.

“You’re late, Undertow,” Poppy frowned at the wrong last name, but did not immediately correct Mr. D.

“Gotham traffic, sir. I wanted to be careful, considering who I was picking up,” Mr. D’s frown seemed to deepen even further.

“Right, that city. Everyone seems to think I have some part in its madness,” Y/N tilted their head at the grumpy man’s words.

“Madness?” Mr. D glanced down at Y/N at the sound of their voice.

“Yes, small one. Since I am the god of insanity, people like to believe I have a hand in the making of those rogues of yours. But I am a mere scapegoat. I haven’t been there since the Kanes were in power,” Y/N knew that name, but only one person with that last name. Their cousin, Kate Kane, liked to come over for the winter holidays, claiming it was only because of Alfred’s cooking; she never seemed to mind when Y/N would curl up on the couch with the older woman just to listen to Kate speak about her life growing up. The young demigod had always thought that their cousin was really cool, loving the pictures on her skin and her bright red hair.

“I know a Kane,” Mr. D’s grumpiness faded into a tired look with a sigh.

“Of course you do. Well, young Wilson, listen to the rules and I’ll have no reason to turn you into a mammal of my choice. Maybe a small bat like the one that haunts your city,” Y/N frowned at the wrong name, but it was quickly replaced by a small look of wonder at the thought of being changed into an animal. They always liked seeing the bats fly up from the Cave. Mr. D looked insulted that his threat was not taken as one; he turned his head to Chiron.

“I have cards to play. Give them the usual spiel,” Chiron looked honestly delighted as Mr. D turned on his heel and made his way into the Big House. The older man turned his smile towards Y/N.

“Welcome to Camp Half-Blood, Y/N Wayne. I am Chiron, the camp activities director,” Y/N tilted their head. They knew that name from the mythology book that Alfred had read to them.

“Like the centaur?” Chiron’s eyes seemed to twinkle.

“Exactly like the centaur,” Y/N stared at the man for a long moment, before looking at his blanket-covered legs, and then back up at the man’s face. Chiron could not help but chuckle; behind Y/N, even Poppy and Josie laughed a little.

“The wheelchair has a concealment spell,” Y/N’s eyes widened a little.

“Oh. That’s really cool,” Chiron chuckled again.

“Why, I think so as well, young Y/N. Now, why don’t you and Josefina take a seat and we can talk about how things go around our camp? Poppy, could you take Y/N’s trunk to the Hermes Cabin and then stop by the kitchen to ask one of our Harpies to send over some lunch?” Poppy nodded.

“Then, to the council?” Chiron nodded at Poppy’s words.

“Yes. Grover has returned from New Mexico and wants to know more about your findings,” Poppy looked relieved at the name ‘Grover’ and Y/N wondered who that person was. Poppy turned to the young demigod and gave their hair a quick ruffle.

“See you around, kiddo. Be good for Josie, Connor and Julia,” Poppy picked up the trunk and made his way deeper into the camp. Y/N watched him go until Josie squeezed their hand again, making them look up at the older girl. The older demigod led Y/N over to the porch swing, helped them hop up, and then took a seat as well.

XX

Chiron spoke to Y/N the same way Alfred did when he wanted them to understand something important. It was often the tone used just before a gala, when the butler explained why the child had to wear the fancy clothes, put up with older people dismissing them while also expecting the child to pay attention to those around them, and try to keep their expression neutral as the paparazzi took their photos. Alfred always made sure that the day after a gala was spent doing whatever Y/N wanted for doing a good job at listening to the butler’s instructions for the event. Chiron’s tone of voice, his gentle smile and knowing eyes reminded Y/N greatly of Alfred; the butler would get along well with the centaur.

Chiron spoke for over an hour about the specifics of camp. For now, Y/N would be following the Hermes Cabin schedule, but once they were claimed by their godly parent, their schedule might change. Y/N was too young for the more combat-heavy activities, such as Capture The Flag and King of the Hill, but they could be included on the other camp-wide activities, like Hide-n-Seek and Paint Balloon Tag. There were classes that Y/N was expected to pay attention to, but if they were having any sort of trouble, they could tell the instructor or Chiron and accommodations would be made.

“There is much to do here at Camp Half-Blood, but you do not need to do everything at once. You are still a child. We’re not going to throw you into the arena and expect you to become a warrior overnight. We want you to enjoy your childhood here,” Y/N did their best to pay attention to Chiron’s words, but their attention would often drift. Other kids in matching orange shirts would often walk by, each one always holding something different: bows and quivers, swords, clay pots, woven baskets and more. A pretty girl with black-yellow feathers adorning her arms and bird-like legs came with a plate of sandwiches and a bowl full of homemade potato chips, giving them to Josie and Y/N.

“Thank you, Orie,” Josie had smiled at the bird-like girl, who returned the smile.

“Thank you, Miss Orie,” Orie’s smile softened even more as she glanced over at Y/N.

“My pleasure. Chiron, Caellaene wants to know if our new camper has food preferences or allergies,” Orie’s light brown eyes glanced back at Y/N, who was opening their backpack to get the folder of information Alfred had prepared for the camp administration. Josie took the folder from the younger demigod to hand it over to Chiron, who quickly looked through it and even handed a piece of paper over to Orie.

“I’ll let the kitchen know and add this to the binder with the rest,” Orie gave everyone on the porch one last smile before heading towards the dining pavilion up the nearby hill. Y/N and Josie tucked into their small lunch as Chiron continued to talk.

The centaur talked about the rules of camp. It was not much different from school, except the rules were more simple: no mortals beyond the boundary, no cell phones or most electronics (radios and other battery powered items could be used at a lesser extent), no leaving camp or entering the forest alone, be kind to the monsters that are allowed in the camp (the harpies only pretend to be mean, the nymphs like to play small pranks but will back off once asked, the cyclopes were kinder than they looked, the hellhounds will most likely beg for table scapes, and Peleus should be left alone though he does not mind quiet company), always help with chores, and lastly, listen to your cabin counselors.

“Any questions so far?” Chiron’s warm brown eyes watched Y/N carefully. The young demigod swallowed the last of their sandwich and thought over his question. At Gotham Academy, the rules were long, overcomplicated, and seemed designed to make children feel like they were always doing something wrong. But these rules felt different. They made much better sense, like the rules Alfred had for the Manor’s kitchen: sharp things were dangerous, hot things burned, no attempting to cook until they could see past the counter without their stepstool, and if Bruce was in the kitchen cooking, immediately find Alfred.

“What happens if I accidentally break a rule?” Chiron’s expression softened at Y/N’s question.

“Then we talk about it. We learn. And we try again the next day. Accidents happen, Y/N. What matters is that you are trying,” Y/N nodded. That made sense; it was almost like what Alfred would say about making mistakes. Josie squeezed Y/N’s shoulder gently, making them look over at her.

“Ready to see your cabin?” Y/N nodded, slipping off the porch swing. They hugged Jason’s backpack to their chest for a tiny moment, before slipping it onto their shoulders. It was much too big for the child to use for normal school. Its canvas was rough in some places with Jason and Alfred both mending it with different colored threads, his Batman and Robin patches were pinned on with clothespins and there were a bunch of pins of band logos that Alfred did not allow Y/N to listen to yet. But when Y/N put it on, it felt like another hug from their lost brother.

“One more thing,” Y/N turned back at the sound of Chiron’s voice; his expression had grown thoughtful.

“Y/N, if you ever need someone to talk to, about anything at all, my office is always open,” Y/N nodded, something warm settling in their chest. It was the same way Alfred looked at them when he told them they had special permission to come to the butler’s quarters if they needed anything, such as tea or if they had a nightmare; not even Bruce or Dick had that type of permission. Y/N gave Chiron a small smile, as they took Josie’s hand, waving goodbye to the centaur with their free hand.

XX

Chiron watched Josefina walk away with their newest camper. They were so tiny but almost too mature for their age. Not even Annabeth had been like that at that age; the centaur remembered the storm of emotions that happened when the daughter of Athena had come, which was understandable given what she had gone through on her way to camp. Chiron thought over the past couple months where he had to speak to one Alfred Pennyworth many times over the phone; he could tell the mortal was very protective over his young ward to an almost worrying degree. The centaur had done his best to reassure the butler that Y/N would be well protected, even divulging some details about how Camp Half-Blood has changed over the past couple years. In turn, Chiron got to know Alfred quite well over these phone calls and they spoke about the dangers that haunted Gotham’s streets; the humans transformed into monsters that would wreak havoc. The centaur was quite intrigued about the mortal hero calling himself Batman and would be talking to Diana Prince the next time she stopped by camp.

“That one’s going to be trouble,” Chiron turned his head to find Dionysus leaning against the front doorframe. His grape-red eyes were watching Josefina disappear further into camp with Y/N.

“Y/N Wayne is only seven, Lord Dionysus. What sort of trouble could a seven-year-old get into?” Mr. D glanced over at Chiron.

“Achilles and Patroclus nearly set fire to Phthia at that age,” Chiron’s smile turned into a slight grimace, as he remembered the two of his earliest students. It had been just before they had come to the centaur’s sanctuary for young heroes; it was most likely one of the reasons why King Peleus had sent them Chiron’s way. Instead of answering the god, the centaur turned his wheelchair to make his way inside the Big House, though he found Dionysus still blocking the way in.

“If you could excuse me, Mr. D, I have a phone call to make,” Mr. D huffed out a laugh, moving a little bit so Chiron could roll inside.

“Right, the overprotective butler,”

“Alfred has raised this child like they were his own since their godly parent had placed them on the Wayne family’s doorstep. Considering his city, I believe he has a right to be protective over them,”

“You and I both could see the strangeness that is marking that child’s soul…” Chiron paused. His longtime friend’s tone of voice was strange; it could almost be seen as concern.

“If you are that worried, my friend, you can always offer them sanctuary here,” Chiron glanced back at Dionysus, who was quickly changing the expression on his face back to his normal indifference.

“If their mother is who I think it is, then I don’t think I can,”

XX

The walk from the Big House to the cabin area took longer than it probably should have, mostly because Y/N kept stopping to stare at things. A pair of campers had skated past the duo, one on a skateboard and the other in roller skates, and they seemed to be talking in a different language, but Y/N could understand the words. A group of kids stood outside the arts and crafts pavilion, different colored dyes staining their skin as they made tie-dye shirts. Up above them, some teens looked to be having a race on the rope obstacle course. When they walked past the arena, several people were fighting with weapons; the closer were two boys having a sword fight, their blades clashing so hard they made sparks.

“Is that real?” Y/N’s voice was very low, while they tugged on Josie’s hand to make the older demigod look as well.

“The sword fighting? Yes. It's required training. But they use blunted weapons, so it’s mostly harmless,” Y/N nodded slowly; they did not know what the word ‘blunted’ meant, but Josie did not seem alarmed by their fighting. At Gotham Academy, the most dangerous thing in the school yard was the group of fifth graders who thought pushing younger kids off the swings was funny. Then, there were the days where an alarm would go throughout the school and they had to go down to the shelter underneath the building to wait out a nearby Rogue attack. But, here, people were just fighting casually, even looking to be having fun with it like they were merely at recess. Y/N watched as a boy did a forward roll to duck under a spear and then use his momentum to whack a girl holding a spear on the back.

The duo passed the strawberry fields next, and Y/N’s nose was filled with that sweet scent they had noticed earlier. Kids were scattered throughout the rows, some picking the berries, some weeding, and a few just eating berries straight off the vines. One nearby girl with flowers woven into her braids waved at Josie, then spotted Y/N and immediately made a soft, cooing sound.

“Is that a new camper? They’re adorable,” The girl’s voice was sweet, but not in the same sickeningly sweet tone that the older women at galas liked to use when they pretend to care about Y/N but would insult them and their father behind their backs. She walked over to the duo. She had dirt smudged on her cheek and arms and was holding a basket overflowing with strawberries. The girl crouched down to Y/N’s level, her brown eyes warm and gentle.

“Hi there, I’m Sienna, daughter of Demeter. What’s your name?”

“Y/N,” It was clear to the older demigods that the child was resisting the urge to hide against Josie’s leg.

“Well, Y/N, wanna try our famous strawberries? They’re so good that even the gods like to have them,” Sienna grabbed one of the biggest strawberries from her basket and held it out for Y/N to take. The child glanced up at Josie as if asking permission and only hesitantly reached out their hand when the daughter of Aphrodite nodded her head. Y/N took a bite, and their eyes widened in surprise. It was the one of the sweetest things they’ve ever tasted, almost better than Alfred’s cookies. They finished it in three bites, juice dripping down their chin, and immediately wanted many more.

“Good, right?” Sienna smiled at Y/N’s immediate nodding. Josie pulled out a couple of napkins she had stashed in her hoodie pocket. The daughter of Aphrodite squeezed Y/N’s hand, making them look up at her; she made quick work of cleaning their face. Josie booped their nose with a finger as the child said ‘thank you’ to the older demigod. Sienna stood back up to her full height, and motioned with her head to Y/N.

“Vuoi che diffonda la notizia sul piccolino? (Do you want me to spread the word about the little one?)” Y/N tilted their head at the unknown language Sienna began to speak. They looked between the daughter of Demeter and Josie. The daughter of Aphrodite nodded.

“Ti prego. Di’ ai ragazzi dell’Ares di darsi una calmata quando c’è il ragazzino. Almeno un po’ (Please. Tell the Ares kids to calm down a bit when the kid is around. At least, a little),” Sienna snorted.

“Non preoccuparti. Ci penso io, Jo (No worries. I’ll take care of it, Jo),” Sienna made the OK hand gesture and gave Josie a wink.

“See you at dinner, Y/N,” With that, Sienna turned on her heel and began to walk deeper into the strawberry fields.

“Josie, what language was that?” Josie looked back down at Y/N and gave them a soft smile.

“Oh, that was Italian. Me and Sienna are both fluent in it,”

“Neat. Dickie knows a bunch of languages too,”

“Your brother?” Y/N nodded eagerly, looking excited about talking about their big brother as they began to walk towards the cabin area again.

“Dickie was raised at the circus. He said that the people there all spoke different things so he grew up learning them,” Josie blinked in surprise. She knew next to nothing about the wards of Bruce Wayne; she knew more about Gotham’s Rogues Gallery since she worried about her aunt being caught up in one of the fights.

“Oh that’s pretty cool. Do you know how many he knows?” Josie could not help the smile that spread on her face as she watched Y/N rock side-to-side as they thought.

“I think Dickie said he’s fluid in six, but can understand ten,”

“It’s fluent, sweetie,” Y/N’s big eyes looked up at Josie, and for a moment, she felt slightly bad for correcting the child. But the daughter of Aphrodite got an adorable smile instead.

“Oh, okay, thank you, Josie,” As they finally reached the cabin area, Josie wondered how many betting pools the Hermes Cabin would make about Y/N; she was willing to bet that the tiny demigod would have the entire camp wrapped around their finger by the end of the first month.

XX

The walk through the cabin area was much slower that the one through the campgrounds; if Josie had minded, she would have spoken up. Each cabin was different to suit the gods they represented: one was an angry red with barbed wire along its roof and a stuffed boar’s head above the door, another was lilac with an overgrowth of grapevines surrounding it, there was one that the closest to the sound with soft gray walls decorated with seashells and corals, and the cabin in the center of them all was the biggest and looked like an Ancient Greek temple with a lightning bolt motif. The cabin that Josie led Y/N to was a soft brown and looked like it had been extended several times. It had a Caduceus symbol on its roof and several traffic signs attached to its walls.

“Well, this is Hermes,”

“Why do I got to stay with Hermes?” Josie kneeled to be eye-level with Y/N.

“Hermes is the god of travelers. Unclaimed demigods are considered under his protection until they are claimed,” Y/N tilted their head as they thought over the new information.

“Isn’t Mister Hermes also the messenger of the gods? So does he tell our parents when we’re here?” Josie blinked in surprise. She had not thought about that before; did Hermes tell the gods when a new camper arrived?

“You know, that’s a good question. I’m not sure, but maybe we can ask,”

“We can ask Mister Hermes?” Josie stood up, taking back Y/N’s hand into hers.

“No, but we can ask his children,” Together, the two walked up the steps of the Hermes Cabin. One of the doors was propped open with a gladiator’s helmet that Y/N ran their fingers through its bright blue crest as they walked through the doors. Inside, there were bunk beds that went up to the ceiling built into the walls, leaving the actual floor plan open. There were several tables throughout the cabin; each looked to have something different happening at it. One table was playing a card game, another had a bunch of books and notebooks with a couple of kids doing homework and towards the back of the cabin, a teenage boy was standing on a table in front of a group of other kids. He had curly hair, freckles on his face and his orange camp shirt had several holes in it as well as tie-dye stains. A girl who was standing in front of the table noticed Josie and Y/N getting closer and nudged the boy’s legs to make him look too.

“Alright. Let’s take a break. Group up and think of some more ideas for tomorrow. I want at least five more to take to the meeting after dinner,” The group that was standing around the table broke apart into smaller groups while the boy jumped down. He smiled a lopsided grin at Josie and Y/N; the tiny demigod felt a twinge in their heart because his smile was almost similar to Dick’s when he was younger.

“Josie! My favorite daughter of Aphrodite!” Josie let out a laugh.

“Oh please, Stoll, you only like that I teach you curses in other languages. Me and you both know your favorite is Lacy and her ability to generate glitter,” Stoll gave a hearty laugh.

“You’re right. That reminds me. Hey, Fitz!” A teen with bright green hair that clashed with their orange camp shirt turned their head towards Stoll.

“What, Connor?”

“Go to the stables and find Lacy. Tell her I’ll trade some sweets that Trav sent from New Rome for 10 of her special glitter bombs,” Fitz gave Connor a thumbs-up before heading for the door to the cabin. The teen in front of Josie and Y/N turned back to them.

“Anyway, Poppy stopped by with a trunk. That must mean a new camper,” Connor turned his bright blue eyes to Y/N, who stared back at him. The teen crouched down so he could be eye-level.

“Sup, the name’s Connor Stoll. Leader of this little asylum for the next three months,” Y/N tilted their head at the word ‘asylum’.

“It’s like Arkham here?” Josie cringed but Connor looked confused.

“Uh, what’s Arkham? That sounds familiar,” Josie let go of Y/N’s hand to run a hand through their hair; she barely resisted the urge to coo as the little demigod leaned into her touch.

“Arkham is an asylum in Y/N’s hometown, Gotham. You probably know it from listening about Batman on your radio. I know you follow hero news,” Connor blinked up at Josie, before an understanding look spread across his face. He turned back to Y/N.

“Sorry, kiddo. Wrong choice of words. We’re a rambunctious bunch but not like that. We only wage mayhem on our fellow campers and monsters, okay?” Y/N nodded, feeling a little better. They had heard about some of the awful details about the asylum back at home; before Jason, Bruce had gotten started on trying to make things better for the patients there. The Gothamite looked around the cabin; they spotted their trunk by a bunk nearby. Then, they noticed the girl who nudged Connor come their way. She had long dark curly hair pulled half-up, dark green eyes and her camp shirt was tucked into her denim shorts.

“Connor, Olivia is suggesting firecracker arrows again,” Connor’s blue eyes had a wicked glee to them, but he tried to tone it down in front of his new camper.

“I’ll talk to her. Will threatened to shave my head if we pulled that trick again,” Connor stood back up to his full height; he was probably a little shorter than Dick. He began to walk towards a brown-haired girl with a braid crown.

“Sorry, Capture the Flag strategy meetings. It’s Connor’s last year and he wants to have a win streak for the whole summer,” Y/N looked at the new girl, as Josie let out a giggle.

“Yeah, I understand. I remember the Victor twins’ last summer where they transformed camp into a miniature Olympic games,” The other girl smiled.

“That one was fun. Especially since they made people who were proficient in some of the sports have a handicap. Anyway, sorry, introductions. I’m Julia Feingold, future Hermes cabin counselor. I’m Connor’s half-sister,” Julia held out her hand to Y/N; she looked slightly embarrassed when she realized she was attempting to shake hands with a seven-year-old. To her surprise, Y/N gave the older girl a firm handshake.

“Y/N Wayne, Miss Julia,”

“Oh, oh no, please don’t call me Miss. I’m too young for that,” Y/N nodded. They knew from Alfred’s etiquette lessons to always use a formal honorific until asked otherwise; though, Jason had always had Y/N use the wrong ones for people that annoyed him at galas, which was almost everyone.

“Anyway, your bunk is over here. We wanted to give you a little privacy so you don’t have any neighbors, but my bunk is over here if you need anything at night,” Julia led Josie and Y/N to the newcomer’s bunk, pointing her own bunk, but the little Wayne’s attention was to the window their bunk was right next to. The view was mostly of the surrounding forest but also part of the sound. Y/N had to stand on their tip-toes just to look out the window; they could see some people swimming, someone had tossed another into the water and a few more people were having a chicken-fight. Y/N turned back to look at Julia and Josie, who were having a whispered conversation, but glancing over at the new demigod. Y/N nodded to themself; they think they are going to like it here.

XX

Y/N’s first week at Camp Half-Blood was filled with so much activity and classes. It was almost overwhelming but as a Wayne, they were used to hectic schedules. Their classes did not feel like the classes they took back at Gotham Academy and the activities designed for the vast amount of energy a young demigod would have. Almost everything at Camp Half-Blood was spent outdoors in open-air areas; usually a building dedicated to said activity or sport was merely holding the supplies for it.

Ancient Greek was taught by a son of Athena named Ramzi. Y/N was surprised by the fact that the Greek letters did not move like ones in English did. Ramzi had helped them better understand that their demigod brain was suited for Ancient Greek than English; that the shifting letters the child often saw was their brain just trying to help. The nature hikes were led by the Satyrs; usually a different one each time and often a different trail. But the first hike Y/N went on was led by Poppy who upon seeing his former charge grinned and held out a hand for the child to take as they walked the trail together with their group.

Chiron taught about the ancient myths, but he mostly taught about the humans behind the myth: Achilles was a great warrior but he was not the best cook, Atalanta was a great hunter but she often cried at the sight of baby animals, Jason was a great leader but he had horrible jokes and there was so much more to the humans that would later become myths. The centaur had not minded when Y/N asked about the myth of Penelope; he had even been delighted that she was their favorite myth. Chiron told Y/N about the Penelope not many knew; she was a warrior just as much as Odysseus. It was one of the reasons why the soon-to-be-king fell in love with the girl; that and the fact that he witnessed Penelope best several grown men at a discus match without breaking much of a sweat.

Cooking lessons were led by Josie. The daughter of Aphrodite waved from her spot at the front of the kitchen when Y/N came to their first class. There was not much the young camper could do just yet since Josie agreed with Alfred’s rule of ‘no cooking until they could see over the counter without the step-stool’, but the daughter of Aphrodite began teaching Y/N about the different herbs that could go into cooking. Swimming lessons were watched over by the Aphrodite Cabin, but a girl named Sabrine took over looking after Y/N. The young Wayne knew how to at least float thanks to their brothers, but other than a doggy-paddle, the child could not do much else. Sabrine was easygoing with her lessons, showing Y/N how to do the strokes for swimming before she had the young camper try them.

Archery was watched over by a son of Apollo, Timoti, who was one of the tallest people Y/N had ever seen. He had long curly black hair that he kept up in a bun while at the archery range. Timoti did not seem deterred by Y/N’s short stature and limbs; everyone had to start somewhere after all. But the new camper could barely draw even the smallest of bows and gave Timoti a certified Wayne glare when the next time they came for their lessons, Y/N was handed a toy bow. The son of Apollo gave them a shrug before he showed them over to the short distance targets. When Y/N went to their first sword and shield lesson, they were greeted by a tall girl with her dark hair in a half-up half-down style and two long scars on her face. Clarisse La Rue took one look at Y/N and her frown deepened. For a long moment, the two stared each other down until eventually, the daughter of Ares lifted an eyebrow. Clarisse took long strides over to Y/N before grabbing the back of their camp shirt, like she were merely scruffing a kitten. The young Wayne was stunned in silence as they were carried across the field and deposited onto the bench next to the water coolers. Eventually, Y/N tried to argue that they were here to learn and Clarisse responded by tossing them a wooden dagger and gave the new camper one command ‘Watch’ before pointing to the field. So the young Wayne did what they were told; they watched the other campers around the sparring arena as the older demigods trained while holding onto their newly acquired dagger.

Sienna watched over Y/N as they helped pick strawberries for one of their camp chores; the daughter of Demeter made a deal with the new camper that for every basket they helped fill, they could have five free strawberries. Sienna showed Y/N how to tell when a berry was ripe, how to pull them from the vine gently and even gave them a tour of the fields that held the lesser known fruit that Camp Half-Blood grew. A son of Apollo named Lochlan watched over the arts and crafts hour, making sure everyone had access to the art supplies and that they always tried out different mediums. The red-haired teen grinned at Y/N when they got excited about finding the right shade of blue that matched Dick’s favorite sweater and then swore to help the child find the right red for Jason.

Pegasi riding was led by the Aphrodite Cabin while a tiny strawberry blonde girl with rainbow glitter streaks in her hair took charge. Her name was Lacy and she introduced Y/N to the smallest of the Pegasi, Lullaby. The Pegasus was still young, only two years old with beautiful black hair, mane and feathers and just a spot of white on her left eye. Lullaby nibbled on Y/N’s hair, making the child giggle. Lacy was clear with the newest camper that they had to get to know the Pegasi before they thought about riding one, let alone flying with them. The rope obstacle course was watched over by the Hermes Cabin, often using winged shoes to glide in the air alongside those walking the course. Y/N had thought they would be scared of this activity but found themself loving it instead. The safety precautions helped; they had to wear a harness that was attached to a safety lead and Julia made the child wear a helmet. Connor and the other Hermes kids could not help but laugh when they realized barely anyone could keep up with Y/N as they practically flew through the obstacle course, even finding clever ways to get through some of the challenges.

For meal times, Y/N was required to sit at the Hermes Cabin, not really understanding the rule about the seating. But Julia always saved a spot next to herself for the youngest camper. The daughter of Hermes also made sure that Y/N’s meals were well-balanced with vegetables, much to the child’s displeasure. Y/N took the meal times to look around at the other campers, mostly at the Cabins that they did not have much interaction with yet. No Cabin had as many kids as Hermes, but there were some that were still large groups like Athena and Aphrodite. However, it was the tables that had barely any campers that drew Y/N’s attention the most. It was because they often looked so lonely that it felt too familiar; some tables had 2-3 kids at them, one had about 5, but there was one towards the back of the dining pavilion that had a sole occupant. Y/N did not know why a girl with white-blonde hair felt so familiar despite not even knowing her name, but it was the same feeling they got when they were near one of the ghosts at the Manor.

The day typically ended with campfire singalongs that were always led by the Apollo Cabin; some songs were ones that Y/N recognized but mostly it was often covers of songs that were changed to better suit their Greek demigod heritage, like ‘Down by the Aegean’ or ‘Livin On a Prophecy’ or even ‘99 Cans of Diet Coke on the Walls’ which usually annoyed Mr. D. Usually, by the time of the campfire songs, Y/N was barely awake after all of the activity throughout the day and would cling to the nearest camper that would let them curl against them. Josie was the usual choice, who was always quick to wrap Y/N in a blanket since it got surprisingly cold at night, but Julia and Connor did not mind the child snuggling against them; the son of Hermes usually liked to draw on people who fell asleep during the singalongs but surprisingly he did not do so with Y/N and Julia would rock herself and the youngest camper side-to-side, which never helped their sleepiness.

XX

After dinner was usually supposed to be some sort of sport activity for the campers. It was meant to burn off the energy they gained from dinner. But the first Monday that Y/N was at camp and this timeslot came up, it was when the Hermes Cabin hit their first snag. Because what sport could they let a seven-year-old play in a camp full of competitive teens? Volleyball often got too violent as did baseball, basketball and any other ball related sport. But it turned out that Y/N had their own idea on what they wanted to do, as they tugged on Julia’s shirt while holding a skateboard. The soon-to-be-counselor led the newcomer back into their Cabin; supposedly the best skateboarder of the Hermes Cabin was a teen Y/N had seen in passing on their first day.

“Fitz!” Julia yelled into the half-empty Cabin as Y/N trailed after her like a duckling with their acquired skateboard. The teen with bright green hair hung themself upside down from their bunk up towards the ceiling.

“Aye captain?” Fitz’s glasses were barely hanging onto their face and their amber eyes twinkled with mischief, which was a common trait for the Hermes kids. Julia rolled her eyes, but a small smile came to her face.

“I’m not the counselor yet. Don’t call me that,” Fitz laughed and crossed their arms across their chest. The green-haired teen’s face was starting to turn a little red from being upside down.

“Oh please, Jules, me and you both know that you’ve been running this place since Trav left. Conman is just a decorative figurehead,” Julia rubbed her face with a deep sigh as Fitz talked; she looked used to their words.

“I’m not discussing this again with you. Y/N needs your help,” Fitz’s amber eyes glanced over at the young Wayne, widening them some as if they had not seen the young Wayne. The green-haired teen held out their hand, though it was a little too high for Y/N to reach.

“Fitz Williams, at your service,” Y/N tilted their head curiously at Fitz’s name.

“Like Mister Darcy?” Fitz was so surprised by Y/N’s question that they fell from their bunk. They quickly sat up from the floor, fixing their hair and glasses.

“Exactly like Darcy. You know Austen? Aren’t you like a toddler?” Y/N frowned at that.

“I’m seven, and my brother, Jay, read it to me,” Not that Y/N remembered much about the plot, but the child had always liked all the names from the book, like Mister Bingley and Kitty.

“Oh, a man after my own heart. Is he single?” Y/N hid their face into Julia’s leg. Even half a year later, they still did not quite understand what had happened to their Jay; only that Alfred said Jason would not be coming home for the foreseeable future and that he looked really sad when he said it. The child shook their head and Fitz could see that Y/N was sad about something so they quickly changed topics.

“Anywhoosies, how may this humble child of Hermes help you?” Julia let out a snort.

“Nothing about you is humble. But Y/N wants to learn how to skateboard and well, you are the best of us here,” Y/N held up the skateboard they had grabbed from the sports shed. It was scuffed up, had a rainbow checkerboard pattern on its back, and orange wheels. The child wondered if Alfred would take them to get their own when they got back from camp. Y/N glanced back up at Fitz, whose grin widened a little.

“Oh, I can certainly help with that,” Fitz led Julia and Y/N out of the Hermes Cabin and back towards the sports shed. They then began to throw things around to look for any protective gear the camp had. It was clear from the sizes that they were mostly for the teenaged so their next stop was to the nearby Hephaestus forge.

“Oh Alphy!!” A tall teen boy looked up from where he was stitching together leather. His tanned skin and clothes had smudges of soot on them like someone else who had been covered in the stuff had patted the boy in passing. He lifted his glasses up into his brown hair as he narrowed his eyes at Fitz.

“Casse-toi, Fitz. You still owe me for the last scheme ya pulled,” The teen boy had a slight French accent. He pushed his glasses back down his nose before he started to turn back to his leather project. Fitz grimaced and rubbed the back of their neck.

“Ok, yeah. Look, Alphonse, I’m serious. I need your help,” Alphonse paused and turned back around at the lack of humor in Fitz’s voice; his eyes were still slightly narrowed however.

“Speak,” Fitz held up the safety gear they had scavenged from the sports shed. Alphonse looked confused now, and then the child of Hermes stepped out of the way and let the son of Hephaestus catch sight of Y/N.

“Ah,”

“Please, Al. I’ve heard the kid talk about their butler and I’m slightly terrified of him. Apparently, even Batman is scared of the guy,” Alphonse raised an eyebrow and looked at Y/N for clarity; the child shrugged and gave the older boy a nod.

“Ok, but we have nectar and ambrosia. If the kid gets hurt, they’ll still be fine,” Julia stepped into the forge a little more.

“Um, actually, Alphonse, me, Connor and Will are to report to Chiron if Y/N gets injured in any way. It was a request from Mister Pennyworth,” With a small sigh, Alphonse put down his leather project. He gestured to a nearby stool.

“Alright, hop up, kid. Let’s make sure our Fitz doesn’t have the Underworld reign down upon him from your butler,”

XX

The next snag the whole camp had with Y/N was a few days into their first week at dinner. Y/N was in the middle of telling Julia about what they saw on their nature hike earlier, but then the child’s speech started to slur a little and their eyes and head began to droop a little before Y/N snapped back up but it kept happening. At first, Julia was a little concerned when the little camper stopped talking.

“You okay, Y/N?” The kid nodded slowly but did not speak up. Then, it happened so sudden that no one could stop Y/N from falling forward, straight into their plate of spaghetti.

“Shit!” Julia and Connor’s voice was raised so high that a majority of the camp turned their way. The son of Hermes gently pulled Y/N’s head off their plate and towards him, but the child was limp against the older boy.

“Will! We need your help!” A blond boy at the Apollo table stood up at the sound of Julia’s voice. Meanwhile, Connor used a napkin to quickly clean up Y/N’s face.

“Kiddo, come on. Talk to me,” Will Solace was at their side within seconds, since the rest of the concerned campers that started to crowd around the Hermes table got out of the way. The son of Apollo gently tilted Y/N’s head back, checking their eyes and pulse with practiced efficiency. Will let out a breath of relief after a moment. The child’s eyes fluttered open, blinking a few times as the world swam back into focus. Connor’s concerned face was hovering a little above them, but Will was the one right in front of them and was giving them a soft smile.

“Wh’ happen?” Y/N’s voice was slurred and they tried to sit back up, but Connor kept them leaning back against his chest.

“You face-planted into your dinner, kiddo. Gave us all a scare,” Y/N looked down at their orange camp shirt; there was sauce on the top of their shirt.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Will laughed softly.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about your shirt. That’s what the camp washing machine is for. How do you feel?” Y/N took stock of their body. They felt heavy; their limbs were like lead weights, their eyelids just wanted to droop close again and their head felt fuzzy.

“Sleepy, really sleepy,”

“When’s the last time you slept?” Will’s voice was soft and gentle and did not help with Y/N’s sleepiness. His hands were glowing gold as they hovered over the child. His expression was focused but not worried, more like he was checking something.

“L-last night? At bedtime?”

“And you got up at 7 when me and Connor woke the Cabin up,” Will looked over at Julia before going back to Y/N. The son of Apollo pulled away his hand and it stopped glowing.

“I’m not seeing any injuries or sickness. You’re just exhausted. I’m going to guess you’re not used to all the activity we do here,” Will’s voice was starting to sound far away, but Y/N tried to fight the sleepiness that was trying to claim them again. The child adjusted themself until they were curled up fully in Connor’s lap, their head resting against the son of Hermes’s shoulder as they tried to pay attention to Will.

“They’re seven, and they’re going through a normal schedule that is supposed to tire out teenaged demigods. Speak with Chiron about adjusting their schedule. They need a nap or two throughout the day to regain their energy. And then, I suggest an earlier bedtime,” Y/N was nodding, but it was clear that they were fighting sleep. Will looked up at Connor, who was paying attention to the son of Apollo as was Julia.

“I have not glanced at their medical files yet but I’ll do so after dinner. Just to make sure they’re not narcoleptic. If the sleepiness continues with the new schedule, I’ll ask Chiron if I can call Y/N’s guardian,” Connor looked like he was about to argue, but Will gave him a look that made him pause.

“Not to send them home, but to find a way to adjust their home schedule. That way they can be better prepared for next summer,” Y/N had finally lost their fight against sleep once more and went limp in Connor’s arms. Will let out a small chuckle.

“Yup, definitely exhausted if they’re choosing Connor as a pillow. I say let them sleep, but maybe somewhere that’s not a dinner table,” Julia stood up, pushing away her full plate.

“I’ll take them back to the Cabin,”

“Nope. I’ve got them. You finish dinner, Jules. You barely ate anything,” Connor stood carefully with Y/N cradled against his chest. The child did not even stir, one small hand fisted loosely in the fabric of the son of Hermes’s camp shirt. Will stepped out of Connor’s way as he stepped over the table bench; the son of Apollo laid a hand on Julia’s shoulder, making her look up at the blond boy.

“Connor’s right. You need to eat too. We can’t have you running ragged as well. But, after you finish, go get something small for Y/N to eat in a little bit,” Will looked at the plate of spaghetti the Hermes Cabin had started to clean up. Y/N would probably be hungry when they wake up later. Julia nodded in understanding. Connor gave his little sister a small appreciative smile before he began to walk out of the dining pavilion. The other campers parted easily to let him through, and Y/N slept on, oblivious to the concerned whispers following them.

“Did they seriously just face-plant into their spaghetti?”

“I thought they were having a seizure or something. That was scary. They’re just a baby,”

“Will said they’re just tired,”

“Yeah, but he also said something about narcolepsy. Did you see how fast they fell? It was like someone hit their power button,” Connor ignored the murmurs, carefully navigating back to the Cabin area. The evening air was starting to cool down, carrying the laughter and shouting of a nearby volleyball game. Y/N shifted slightly in Connor’s arms, burrowing closer to the warmth of his chest, and the son of Hermes could not help but smile a little despite himself.

“Alright, kiddo, let’s get you to bed,” The Hermes Cabin was mercifully quiet when Connor pushed open the door. Most of the Cabin was still at dinner or headed for their sports timeslot. Connor gently laid Y/N on their bunk, grabbing the pillow from the head of the bed and tucking it under the child’s head. Y/N’s eyes fluttered open for just a moment, glassy and unfocused.

“Jay?” Y/N’s voice was small and sleepy.

“It’s okay. Go back to sleep,”

“Mmkay,” And just like that, Y/N was out again. Connor stood there for a moment, his heart heavy in his chest. He had asked Poppy about the specifics of his new camper’s family after their first nightmare at camp; they had called for a ‘Jay’ then too. Connor had been through war before and lost siblings who just wanted their existence to be acknowledged; for all that he did wrong, Luke had still been Connor’s older brother and there were days that he still missed the old Luke. But Y/N was just a kid, too young to lose someone that close to them, and then have their father drown himself in his grief, neglecting Y/N and their needs. Connor glanced at the backpack that the new camper took everywhere, despite it being too big for them. His eyes traced over the patches and pins adorning its canvas; it was clear that the bag did not truly belong to Y/N. Connor turned away from the backpack and leaned down to open Y/N’s trunk. He grabbed the pajama shirt on top of the clothes inside and carefully swapped out Y/N’s messy one, figuring the kid would appreciate not waking up in dried tomato sauce.

When Julia finally slipped into the Cabin an hour later, holding a plate of food, she found Connor sitting on the floor beside Y/N’s bunk, absently flipping through a worn book. He looked up when she got closer, one finger pressed to his lips.

“They’ve been out cold the whole time,” Julia let out a soft sigh of relief, walking the plate over to the mini-fridge the Cabin had. She, then, walked over to Connor, catching sight of Y/N in their bunk finally. The newest camper was completely dead to the world, hugging their pillow instead of having their head on it.

“Did Will say anything else?” Julia sat down before she answered Connor’s question with a shake of her head.

“He finished his food and headed for the healing tent. Probably to look over Y/N’s medical file, like he said he would,” Connor sighed a little, leaning his head back against Y/N’s mattress.

“Okay, I’m going to stay with them for the rest of the night. But pass a message to our siblings for me, they need to keep an eye on Y/N during the day. If they fall asleep like that again, they need to tell you or me,”

XX

Letter dictated by Connor Stoll, son of Hermes

Dearest Alfred Pennyworth of Gotham,

How fare ye? How I long for thee and the rainstorms of Gotham. But alas, I am here at Camp. It is a joyous time here and I am looked after by all around me. The food is good, but not quite like yours. Connor stole my last biscuit, but he calls them cookies. Do thou mind sending some to Camp? Particularly extras so my favorite cabin counselor of all time, Connor Stoll, can have some of his own; he really likes mint chocolate chip.

The activities and classes art fun. They don’t leave me restless like school. A kid in my Cabin, Fitz, be teaching me how to skateboard. He covered me in all sort of protective get since he was worried how thou would react if thou found out I got hurt. But it was so much fun. Can I hast a skateboard of mine own?

How be Pa? And Dickie? Hast they made up? Hath Pa been eating? I’m also sending them letters. I know the rules: nothing about the magic of camp or being Greek. But Dickie should be happy. A girl named Clarisse helped me dost a cartwheel. I fell over a bunch but always got back up to try again. Nay sign of mine mother yet though, but Connor says this be common. It’s only been a week.

Oh, there’s the conch shell. Dinner time.

Love you

Y/N

PS from Connor: Sorry, Alfred, I couldn’t help myself. I felt important when the kiddo asked me to write a letter for them. But seriously though, they’re doing great. Everyone at camp adores them and is looking out for them. Chiron is going to try to schedule some nap times into Y/N’s schedule. They dropped like a fly at dinner last night, face first into a plate of spaghetti. Put the whole camp in a tizzy until our head medic checked them out and Y/N woke back up. I’m guessing they don’t do that at home since at first Will had worried about narcolepsy but it wasn’t in the file you sent. Will said it was because Y/N is still young for a demigod; their body craves all the activity we go through, but their energy reserves aren’t built up yet.

I’m only kidding about the chocolate chip cookies, but if your baking is that good, could I trouble you to bake a celebration cake for my little sister? It’s actually my last year here as counselor, and I’m officially handing over the reins to her at the end of summer. And I just want to be a good big brother to her. I can pay you kinda; I have a surplus of drachma that I was going to divvy up with my siblings, but I can trade you some more. I saw Y/N’s supply and it’s probably going to last a year or two here. The kid’s trying to save them for a rainy day, but we’re trying to encourage them to use the coins to call you when they miss you badly, which is almost every night.

Oh, they’ve been experiencing nightmares. It’s commonplace here, so we usually make warm honey cinnamon milk to help the nerves. But Julia moved bunks so Y/N wouldn’t be so alone at nights; we thought we were helping by not giving them a bunk neighbor.

I know you’re worried, Alfred, but Camp Half-Blood looks after its own. Y/N is protected even when they don’t know about it.

XX

Written by Josie for Y/N

Dear Dickie

I hope Alfred told you I went to a summer camp. It’s a lot of fun. I think you would have fun here too. They have a tall climbing wall that people flip off of. No trampoline here but a girl named Clarisse is teaching me a cartwheel. I fell over a bunch but always got up to try again.

My cabin counselor, Connor, reminds me of you; he tells a lot of jokes. My favorite activity so far is skateboarding. I’m only allowed to skate through the camp right now but Fitz said I can try the small half-pipe soon.

Oh, I’m learning Greek for one of the language classes here. Is that one of the languages you know?

How have you been? Did you and Pa make up? How is Miss Kori? I miss her too, can you tell her that?

I love you, Dickie. I’ll write again soon.

Y/N

XX

Written by Josie for Y/N

Dear Pa

The summer camp is really fun so far. It’s really pretty too. I like to go sit at the dock and look out at the ocean in the morning. The sky and water are so blue here, Pa; sometimes the water is so clear you can see all sorts of fish. But I think I miss Gotham’s grays.

I’m making lots of friends. There are a lot of kids like me. They have ADHD too. No one here thinks I’m weird for it. There’s a girl named Sienna who showed me how to pick strawberries. An older kid named Fitz is teaching me how to skateboard. And my Cabin counselor, Connor, reminds me a lot of Dickie. They would get along so well, bad jokes and puns all the time.

Did you and Dickie make up yet? You both just got to say you’re sorry. I hope you’re eating. I know Alfred’s worried about you and I am too.

I miss you, Pa. I’ll write again soon. I love you.

Y/N

XX

The days at Camp Half-Blood began to blur together in the best possible way. Y/N’s new schedule -with its carefully placed nap times at midmorning and midafternoon- made a world of difference. The young demigod was still tired by the end of each day, but at least they weren’t falling into their dinner plate anymore. The older campers had made it into a game to see who could catch Y/N falling asleep first. It had somehow become a competition on who would get to carry the young demigod back to their bunk. Connor and Julia were tied but Josie and Fitz were close behind them. Y/N found that they did not mind the older demigods picking them up all the time. It reminded them of being carried by Dickie when they were younger and the world was still simple. Or of the way Jason would carry them piggy-back as they ran through the deserted hallways of the Manor.

Weekends for Camp Half-Blood were usually free-time, giving Y/N the freedom to choose what they wanted to do. Sundays, however, were for the camp-wide activities. The child did not mind being left out of the more combat-heavy exercises; they would just spend that extra time exploring while avoiding the forest where the games were being held. Usually, someone of the Hermes Cabin would be excused from playing so they could keep Y/N company. A lot of the time, it was Fitz volunteering; they claimed they were more of a lover than a fighter, though Y/N did not understand what the child of Hermes meant by that.

“Alright, look alive, Baby Bat,” One thing Y/N liked most about Fitz was all the nicknames they gave everyone: Connor was Conman, Julia was Captain, Clarisse was Grumpy. Y/N’s nickname was Baby Bat; Fitz claimed it was simply because they were from Gotham, but still the Gothamite liked it. Y/N looked from trying to tie their shoelaces, as Fitz rolled closer to the child on their own skateboard.

“Today, we’re going to learn how to do an ollie. It’s the foundation for, like, a bajillion other tricks,” Y/N scrambled to their feet, grabbing their own skateboard.

“What’s an ollie?” Fitz’s grin was pure mischief.

“Watch and learn, little one,” The child of Hermes popped their board into the air with a snap of their tail, all of its wheels lifting off the ground before Fitz landed smoothly back down. Y/N’s eyes went wide. They wanted to do that. They wanted to learn everything.

Fitz spent the next hour breaking down the motion, showing Y/N how to position their feet, how to pop the tail, and how to jump. It was frustrating and slow, and Y/N fell more times than they could count. But each time, Fitz was there, helping them get back up, giving them pointers, making sure they took quick breaks to drink water, and telling them they were doing great for a seven-year-old.

“There you go, kid!” Fitz cheered as Y/N managed to get all four wheels off the ground for a split second. The younger demigod let out a delighted shriek, which turned into a yelp as they lost their balance and tumbled sideways onto the soft grass. Fitz jogged over, flopping onto the grass next to Y/N. The child of Hermes gave the Gothamite a lopsided grin.

“You’re a natural, kiddo. Next summer, we’ll get you started on kickflips and the big half-pipe,” Y/N was covered in grass stains and tiny scuffs, but they were grinning ear to ear. In the distance, the two campers could hear the fighting going on in the woods; Capture The Flag seemed like it was going great.

“Do you think Alfred will let me skate at home?”

“Depends. Is he as scary as you said?” Fitz sat up and began to brush some of the grass off themself. Y/N sat up as well, taking off their helmet.

“He’s not scary. He just looks at you and you want to be good,” Fitz snorted.

“That’s called fear, kid,”

“No, it’s called respect. I don’t want to disappoint him. He’s been so sad lately…” Y/N’s smile faded a little, but they shook it off.

“But when I go back home, I’m going to tell him all about skateboarding and maybe he’ll let me keep going,” Fitz’s expression softened a bit, as they reached over and ruffled Y/N’s sweaty hair.

“I’m sure he will, buddy,”

XX

My dear Y/N

It warms my heart that you are having a good time. When I received your letter this morning, the gray sky opened up and it began pouring. I believe Gotham missed you as well.

If you keep practicing and show me when you get home that you can handle a skateboard on your own, we shall discuss obtaining a skateboard of your own.

Your father has been…occupied as has Master Dick. I have not witnessed any further arguments while they’re both up in the Manor. But I can say that your father has been eating. I believe he finally has had enough of his protein shakes. Thank the gods.

As you’ve certainly noticed, you have a care package. The silver tin is for yourself only, the green one is for Mister Stoll, and the red one is to share with your Cabin mates. I have had much time to myself while you are gone and our family occupied, so I spent the time baking and working on different recipes. But now I have found myself a project to work on.

I await your next letter. Have fun, Young Master.

Alfred

XX

To Mister Connor Stoll

I must admit that the letter you wrote for my charge had made me chuckle. I’m glad that your camp is watching over them. I had received a call from Sir Chiron and a Will Solace about improving Y/N’s schedule while they are at home. Hopefully we will not any more impromptu falling asleep at the dining table. I must say I have given them many lessons on dining etiquette but nothing prepares you for falling asleep into your meal.

By now, Y/N has surely given you the tin of biscuits I’ve sent to you. Never be afraid to ask for more. You are looking after my charge, this is the least I could do. If you could tell me what kind of cake your sister will like and when you want me to send it, I can begin planning the cake. No drachmas necessary; I have secured more and have my own stockpile.

I entrust you with Y/N’s safety, Connor Stoll.

Alfred Pennyworth of Gotham

XX

Little Wing

I’m so glad you’re having fun. When you come back from summer camp, you’ve got to show me your cartwheels. Kori is good, she misses you too. She made me promise to take her with me when you come home so she could see you herself.

I miss you too. Keep having fun.

Dickie

XX

Y/N

Glad you’re having fun. Be good. When you come home, we can have dinner and you can tell me all about your summer camp.

Your father

XX

Before they knew it, a month had passed by with Y/N at Camp Half-Blood. The child was starting to get used to everything; they did not get lost as much anymore, they remembered to pay tribute to the gods at meal times without being prompted to anymore, and they were even excelling in their classes. And yet, Y/N’s godly parent still had not claimed the child. Connor and the rest of the camp tried to distract the young Gothamite: Fitz would show off tricks on the big half-pipe that was nestled behind the arena, Connor would tell all sorts of jokes that even Dick would groan at, Josie finally gave into Y/N’s big eyes and they learned how to make pancakes, Julia grabbed some translated books from the Athena Cabin and would read to Y/N before bed every night, and even the grumpy Alphonse placed a pair of noise-canceling headphones on Y/N’s head when the summer solstice came and there was a huge firework display.

Then, Y/N woke on the first of July and something felt different. There was a heaviness to the air that was reminiscent of what it felt like before a huge storm that would cover Gotham, and yet the sky above the child currently was crystal blue. Y/N was in the middle of a Greek mythology lesson with Chiron. This week, Chiron was explaining about the gods and goddesses of the Underworld and today’s lesson was exploring the story of Hecate, the goddess of magic, crossroads and ghosts. The Gothamite had perked up at that last part, thinking about all the ghosts back at home. The ghosts at camp were different; they were fainter, more like echoes than people.

“Y/N, are you paying attention?” Chiron’s voice made Y/N look back down, away from the sky.

“Yes, sir. Sorry. You were talking about Hecate and her role in the Underworld,” Chiron raised an eyebrow, clearly expecting that Y/N had not been paying attention.

“Correct, Y/N. Please, keep your eyes up front. Hecate is one of the more powerful gods, though she often keeps to the shadows. Her domain is vast and complex. She is the goddess of magic, of the boundaries between worlds. Many consider her both a protector and a threat, depending on the circumstances. The same could be said for her children. Hecate is the mother of the Empousai, vampiric creatures who serve her will. But not all of her children become monsters. Her demigod children often have a natural aptitude for the mystical arts, for understanding things others cannot. They are seers, sorcerers, spirit guides and those who walk between worlds,” Chiron paused, looking at Y/N with a curious expression; the child almost had stars in their eyes.

“You seem very interested in her,”

“I can see ghosts,” Y/N had not meant to blurt that out. The other campers in the lesson turned to look at the Gothamite. Y/N shrank back, embarrassed.

“I mean, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that…” Y/N chanced a glance up at the centaur, but Chiron’s expression was not one of shock or disgust. It was thoughtful.

“Y/N, many demigods who can see the dead are children of the gods of the Underworld. Have you always been able to see ghosts?” Y/N nodded slowly.

“I thought everyone else could. But then I saw how sad Grandma Martha got when Pa walked right through her. Teta Mary always tries to hug Dickie when he’s sad. There are others too: Grandpa Thomas, Unchi John and Aunt Catherine. The others didn’t tell me their name. They just watch me. They just look sad,”

“Y/N, I want you to close your eyes and think about something for me,” Chiron’s voice was as gentle as it had been the first day. Y/N obeyed, squeezing their eyes shut.

“Think about the ghosts you see at home. Are you afraid of them?” Y/N shook their head.

“No, they’re not scary. They’re lonely,”

“What about the ghosts at camp?” Y/N thought over the ghosts they had seen throughout the camp: Satyrs that linger on the edge of the forest, kids in gladiator gear that watch over the arena and the ones that lingered outside the dining pavilion that watch the camp gather for dinner -they always looked the loneliest.

“They’re lonely too…”

“Open your eyes, Y/N,” The young camper opened their eyes and the world around them was shimmering. They looked up to find a symbol floating above their head: crossed torches. It was glowing a soft silver-white and the torches that were lit around the open-air classroom had their flames turn the same silvery color. All the other campers were staring at Y/N with wide eyes, but the young demigod could only look up at the symbol above them.

“What is that?”

“That is your mother’s symbol, Y/N. Crossed torches. The goddess of magic, of secrets, of the night. Your mother is Hecate,”

XX

The news of Y/N’s claiming spread through Camp Half-Blood like Greek fire. By the time the young demigod made it to the dining pavilion for lunch, every single camper seemed to know. The Hermes Cabin had already cleared a spot at their table, but Connor and Fitz had other ideas.

“Wait, wait, wait. We can’t just let you sit down like nothing happened,” Connor held up his hand to stop Y/N as they approached the table. The son of Hermes had a wicked grin on his face.

“Yup. This calls for a proper celebration,” Fitz agreed, already positioning themself behind Y/N. Before the Gothamite could ask what they meant, two pairs of hands grabbed them and hoisted them into the air. The youngest demigod let out a surprised squeak as Connor and Fitz lifted them onto their shoulders, parading them around the dining pavilion like a victorious champion.

“HAIL, Y/N WAYNE, CHILD OF HECATE!!” Connor’s voice was loud enough that the entire pavilion could hear him, but it only made the whole camp start to cheer. Everyone was making some sort of noise: clapping, stomping their feet, banging their hands on the tables and whistling. Y/N’s face felt hot, but they could not stop the grin spreading across their face. It was so different from the galas back home, where people clapped politely because they had to, where the attention always felt like a performance. This was loud, chaotic and genuine.

“Put them down before they fall!” Julia shouted over the noise, but she was smiling too. Connor and Fitz carefully lowered Y/N back to the ground, and the child wobbled slightly, dizzy from the sudden height change.

“You’re officially one of us now, kid,” Connor ruffled Y/N’s hair. The child of Hecate looked around the pavilion at all the smiling faces. For the first time since Jason left, they felt like they truly belonged somewhere.

XX

After lunch, Chiron pulled Y/N aside before they left for their next class.

“There is someone I believe you should meet. She’s been waiting for you,” Chiron’s voice was gentle and he was in his magic wheelchair, so Y/N did not have to crane their head just to look up at the centaur. The child of Hecate tilted their head.

“Waiting for me?” Chiron just smiled his gentle smile and gestured toward the path leading to the Cabins.

“Follow me,” They walked into the Cabin area but did not go near the bigger Cabins. Instead, the two took a smaller path that led to the newer Cabins until they were standing in front of a small Cabin. It was made with dark wood with shiny black stones inlaid around its foundation, there was moss growing on its roof, and a chimney bellowing white smoke. When Y/N stepped closer, they noticed there were symbols carved into the cabin’s doorframe. The dark purple door opened to reveal the girl with white-blonde hair. Her hair was pulled back into a twisted bun with a few strands of hair framing her face, she had impossibly green eyes and was wearing a black shirt under a pair of lavender shortalls. The girl was also barefoot with an anklet of green stones around her right ankle.

“Is…is that them?” The girl had a slight southern accent as she looked at Chiron. The centaur gave her a nod.

“Lou Ellen, meet Y/N Wayne. Your new sibling. Y/N, this is Lou Ellen Blackstone, your half-sister,” Y/N looked between Chiron and Lou Ellen, their eyes big as they processed this new information. They had a sister.

“Y/N, you are excused from your afternoon activities. Take the afternoon to move into the Hecate Cabin and get to know your sister. She will have much to teach you,” Lou Ellen opened the Cabin door some more and stepped out of the way. Chiron

“Come on it, hon,”

XX

The inside of the Hecate Cabin was nothing like the Hermes Cabin. Where the Hermes Cabin was organized chaos and noise, this Cabin was quiet and orderly. Bookshelves lined every wall, filled with worn leatherbound books and papyrus scrolls. Dried herbs hung from the ceiling, and the air smelled faintly of lavender and something smoky. Crystals and candles were placed carefully everywhere. There were only two beds: both were next to the windows on the sides of the room, one was neatly made with coffee brown sheets while the other one looked a little more lived in with dark purple sheets, a small hoard of pillows and a stuffed frog. Y/N looked up at the ceiling and found constellations painted in silver covering the area. Their wide eyes then caught sight of what looked like a mask on a top shelf of a bookcase, but then the mask opened its dark eyes and blinked down at the small child. A screech came from the mask’s mouth.

“Oh, that’s just Maeve. She’s saying hello,” Lou Ellen walked toward the table in the center of the room. She whistled, gesturing to a branch attached to the table.

“Come down and show-off,” Maeve let out a tiny screech before she flew down from her spot in the bookshelf. She was a beautiful American barn owl, mostly white with reddish brown patches on her back. The owl was staring down Y/N, who felt a little intimidated by the eerie noises the owl could make. Maeve opened her wings, letting the child have a good look at her feathers.

“They’ve probably never met an owl before. Not everyone knows what an owl is actually supposed to sound like. Get used to the staring,” Y/N looked between Lou Ellen and Maeve.

“Are you talking to her?” Lou Ellen looked up from the book she had been glancing at on the table. She looked a little embarrassed.

“Yes. Sorry, I should explain. I’m new to this. Teaching, I mean. I had to learn everything myself with our mother occasionally sending me books. Here, come sit,” Lou Ellen gestured to a pair of chairs that was on either side of the table, sitting down in one herself. Y/N walked over and hopped up into the empty chair, glancing at the books that covered the table and wondering what they were about.

“So, first, Maeve. She isn’t just an owl, she is my familiar. She can help with my magic, but she is mostly a companion. Being children of Hecate can be a lonely existence," Maeve hopped down from her branch, walking down the table until she was in front of Lou Ellen. The daughter of Hecate reached forward to tickle the owl’s chin.

“We share a psychic bond, which means I can hear her voice inside my mind,” Y/N stared at Lou Ellen and Maeve with bright eyes, fascinated by the idea of an animal familiar.

“Cool. Will I get one too?” Lou Ellen shrugged her shoulders, but gave her little sibling a small smile.

“Probably when you’re older. Mother didn’t send Maeve my way until Camp Half-Blood changed after the wars,” Y/N had only heard a little bit about the Second Titan War and the Second Giant War. A lot of the other campers did not like to talk about the Second Titan War, but Connor told Y/N it was because they had lost a lot of demigods in that war on both sides; people just did not want to be reminded of those who had died. There was a memorial garden that was near the Big House that had statues, pictures, and plaques about people who were lost during those times; sometimes Y/N spotted Clarisse there leaving a flower in front of a photo of a beautiful girl.

“But our Mother will want you to know the basics before she even thinks about sending a familiar your way,” Y/N tilted their head in confusion.

“The basics?” Lou Ellen grinned.

“Why, the basics of magic, of course,”

XX

Despite Y/N’s clear excitement to learn about magic, the rest of the day was spent getting to know one another. Lou Ellen was a year-round camper, who did not really like to leave the safety of camp but has accompanied people on quests before due to her skillset. She knew of only one other child of Hecate, but he was forbidden from ever stepping foot inside Camp Half-Blood for the rest of his life; he chose the wrong side was all Lou Ellen would say about him.

“So, where are you from? Usually, Mother picks places that are connected to her domain when she wants to have a new child. I’m from St. Augustine, Florida, one of the oldest cities in America, but also one of the most haunted,” The siblings had moved over to Lou Ellen’s bed as they talked to be more comfortable, while Maeve went back to her roost on the bookshelf. Y/N was hugging the daughter of Hecate’s stuffed frog to their chest while Lou Ellen was drawing symbols into a sketchbook.

“Gotham,” Lou Ellen’s neon green eyes looked away from the sketchbook.

“Oh, you definitely have me beat. My town only has one hero, and he spends most of the time pretending to be a pirate for tourists,”

“Sounds better than Condiment King,” The two siblings shared a laugh; though Y/N was more of a giggle because they could remember how much their father and brothers hated fighting Condiment King.

“But, I can understand why Mother chose your city. Even I know that Gotham is a hellmouth,” Y/N tilted their head curiously.

“What’s a hellmouth?” Lou Ellen tapped her fountain pen to her lip as she thought over how to explain.

“A hellmouth is a place where the barriers between worlds are thin. Where monsters, spirits, and all sorts of magical things can cross over more easily. Places like Gotham, New Orleans, Sunnydale, Sleepy Hollow reside over a hellmouth. They’re like magnets for the strange and the dead,” Lou Ellen looked up from her sketchbook and could see that Y/N was not completely understanding what she meant by a barrier. The daughter of Hecate put her sketchbook down onto the bed and flipped to a blank page. She drew two circles close together but not touching and then put a line in between the circles.

“So these are two of the realms, and this is the Veil. Think of it as a forcefield that keeps the two worlds apart. Now a Hellmouth is a hole in the Veil, allowing things to seep through to each side. Now, the worlds can influence each other; they can turn humans into something worse and even let monsters live normal lives,” Y/N thought about Gotham, of how most of the Rogues were once normal humans until something inside them snapped and they changed for the worst, of Poppy’s confusion about the monsters in Gotham that had jobs.

“Is that why Poppy was so confused by the monsters back home? The hellmouth?”

“Your Satyr guide? Probably. The Council of Cloven Elders know about the basics of a hellmouth, but they wouldn’t know what to do with one,” Y/N looked back up at Lou Ellen.

“What do you do with one?”

“Mostly you keep it stabilized. But that takes a lot of magic,” Y/N hugged the stuffed frog tighter to their chest.

“Will I have to do that? Stabilize Gotham?” Lou Ellen’s expression softened. She reached over and gently tucked a strand of hair behind Y/N’s ear.

“I can’t lie to you, Y/N. You probably will have to be the one to stabilize Gotham, but Mother isn’t expecting you to do that right now. You haven’t even started to learn magic yet,” Y/N scooted closer to Lou Ellen as the older girl wrapped an arm around the younger one’s shoulders.

“You’ll teach me though, right?” Lou Ellen leaned her head against the top of Y/N’s.

“You bet. I have so much to teach you, but right now, I still want to get to know you. Now, tell me more about those brothers of yours,”

XX

Even though Y/N moved to the Hecate Cabin, they still followed the schedule they were given with the other Hermes kids. Lou Ellen did not have a schedule of her own that she kept to; she wasn’t obligated to do so since she was an older kid like Connor and Clarisse. The new child of Hecate was not treated any differently with their claiming, though some of the other younger kids were expecting Y/N to start showing off magic tricks as soon as they learned.

Since Lou Ellen was worried about Will coming after her about overloading Y/N’s schedule with more lessons, the weekends were when the two Hecate kids practiced magic. So Saturday morning, after breakfast, Lou Ellen led Y/N back to their little cabin. The table that was in the middle of the room was mostly cleared off. Instead, Lou Ellen’s sketchbook sat with her supply of fountain pens and ink bottles, but there was a new sketchbook with its own pen on Y/N’s side of the table. The two siblings took their usual seats. Y/N had to sit on their knees just so they could see the table properly. They eyed the new sketchbook with barely contained curiosity, fingers twitching to open it.

“Before we start anything, I need you to understand something,” Lou Ellen’s voice was slightly serious and made Y/N look up at her.

“Magic isn’t like what you see in movies or read about in storybooks. It’s not about waving a wand and saying fancy words. It’s about intention, focus, about understanding the language of the world around you, and about respect,” Y/N nodded, trying to look as serious as their older sister.

“What’s the language of the world?” Lou Ellen smiled at Y/N’s question, before she opened her own sketchbook.

“I’m glad you asked,” Lou Ellen showed the first page and it had strange symbols on it. However, for some reason, they looked familiar to Y/N, but they could not figure out where they recognized them from.

“These are glyphs. They are the basic building blocks for magic. Anyone can learn how to use them, but it takes years of studying for them to activate a simple spell. While children of Hecate can understand them just with a glance, tell me what does this one represent?” Lou Ellen pointed to a tiny spiral on the page.

“Wind?” Y/N got a smile as an answer, before Lou Ellen pointed at a different glyph. This time, there were two small lines of waves.

“Water?”

“Good. Let’s try a slightly harder one,” Now Lou Ellen was pointing at a pentagon with a star inside touching each corner of the shape.

“Protection,” Lou Ellen put her sketchbook down.

“Oh, you’re a natural. You’re going to be a menace when you get to learning, ain’t ya?” Lou Ellen’s slight southern accent came out, but her words only made Y/N grin.

XX

From then on, Y/N’s summer became a whirlwind of learning. Lou Ellen had shown them the glyphs and expected them to repeat them until they could draw them without a reference. Y/N’s hands soon became stained with the various colors of inks the Hecate Cabin had in stock. While the Gothamite was practicing the glyphs, Lou Ellen was going through the bookshelves throughout the Cabin, setting books aside so that Y/N could take with them back to their hometown. The younger child of Hecate even got used to the strange screeches from Maeve, knowing that the owl could not help the noises she made.

But the magic lessons were only part of Y/N’s growth; they continued to bloom in other areas in the camp as well. Clarisse had finally allowed the Gothamite to leave the bench, and was even given a small wooden sword. But the daughter of Ares would only allow Y/N to swing the sword repeatedly to get used to its weight. Timoti let the Gothamite try out the smallest bow again and they could finally pull the string back. Ramzi thought that Y/N was excelling with Ancient Greek and could read translated stories at a second to near third-grade level. The son of Athena even promised to give the child of Hecate and their butler a demigod contact out in the normal world that could provide books that are translated into Greek. Josie began to teach the Gothamite more simple recipes: scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, french toast and even an easy bread dough. Fitz celebrated when Y/N managed an ollie without falling over before taking the child over to the smallest half-pipe the camp had.

Just because Y/N was in the Hecate Cabin did not mean that they did not stop interacting with the ones who watched over them. Connor tried to include the Gothamite in his pranks; the Ares kids were easily distracted by the endless questions Y/N had about weapons while Connor planted glitter bombs around the Ares Cabin. Julia still would read stories to Y/N during free time. Poppy would often check on Y/N and still occasionally led the nature walks. Josie would often spirited the Gothamite away and to the Aphrodite Cabin while her siblings would play dress-up with Y/N.

Before Y/N knew it, the summer was almost over. The glyphs Lou Ellen had taught them were becoming second nature. Y/N could now draw a dozen of them without looking at the references they were provided. Though, Lou Ellen insisted that knowing the glyphs and actually using them were two completely different things.

“You’re not ready to cast anything yet. You need to understand what you’re drawing, the intentions behind the spells and how you want the glyphs to transform into spells,” Lou Ellen’s voice had made Y/N look up from a flame glyph. The daughter of Hecate was organizing the Gothamite’s trunk so they could have room for the books the older girl had prepared. Maeve was currently napping on Y/N’s pillow so she could be near Lou Ellen.

“You got to promise me, Y/N. No trying to cast until you come back next year,” Lou Ellen’s neon green eyes looked over at the Gothamite, as she waited for the child to promise. Y/N nodded their head, which got a small smile in return.

XX

The day before Y/N was set to return home, they awoke to a small satin pouch on their pillow. It was tied with a silver ribbon and had faint silver markings stitched in its satin. The child did not immediately open it, and instead they hopped out of bed, running across the room to shake Lou Ellen awake.

“Wha-? Y/N, hon, it’s too early,” Lou Ellen did not do mornings well; she was usually one of the last kids to arrive at breakfast. Y/N hopped into their big sister’s bed, watching the girl blink up at the Gothamite. The child held up the satin pouch.

“This was on my pillow,” Y/N’s voice was filled with barely contained excitement. Lou Ellen sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes before taking the pouch from her little sibling. The daughter of Hecate turned it over in her hands, reading the faint silver markings.

“These are protection runes. This is Mother’s work,” Lou Ellen looked up at Y/N with a soft smile as she placed the pouch back into the child’s hands.

“Mama?” Lou Ellen’s smile softened even more at the term Y/N used for their mother.

“Go ahead, open it. It’s most likely the first of many gifts she will send you. She’s not the most present of mothers but she tries to make up for it,” Lou Ellen had spent the summer telling Y/N all about Hecate. Maeve was the first gift their mother had sent the older girl, but then there were the many books that lined their Cabin walls and the clothes that were sent through the Hermes Express. Y/N pulled the silver ribbon loose and upturned the pouch’s contents into their hand.

A dainty silver necklace fell into the palm of Y/N’s hand, on it was a small charm of a triple moon. Each moon face held a different gemstone, though the child did not know the meanings of the stone: black tourmaline, smoky quartz, and moonstone. The necklace felt warm like it had been sitting in the sun for a while.

“Pretty,”

“There’s a spell on it. One of Mother’s specialties, a notice-me-not. It will make people not quite pay attention to you, but it won’t make you invisible. It should be helpful with your monster-filled city,” Lou Ellen had the anklet that Hecate sent before her first quest still wrapped around her ankle; it had the same spell. The notice-me-not did not work on demigods, those aligned with the camp or clear-sighted humans, regular mortals however might have a reaction to it; Lou Ellen wondered how Y/N’s family would react to the spell.

“Help me put it on?” Y/N handed over the necklace to Lou Ellen before turning around. Soon, the necklace was secured around the child’s neck. It felt warm against their skin and Y/N reached a hand up to touch the charm.

“Thank you, Mama,” There was no answer from Hecate, but a scent of herbs and smoke drifted into the room and Y/N felt a faint breeze ruffle their hair.

“Alright, now lay down with me until the conch goes off. You woke me up too early,” Lou Ellen grabbed Y/N, making them giggle and lay down on the bed with their big sister. The child cuddled into their big sister’s side, tucking their head against her shoulder.

XX

The drive to Gotham was long and quiet. Y/N had fallen asleep before they even reached the highway, exhausted from all the goodbyes. Almost the entire Hermes Cabin had seen the Gothamite off. Connor probably would not be back the next summer but he said he would look forward to their letters. Julia gave Y/N a hug, already looking forward to the next year; supposedly, Connor had made Capture The Flag plans that included the Gothamite as an ace-in-the-hole but he had not been allowed to use them yet. Fitz would also be there next summer and was looking forward to throwing Y/N onto the big half-pipe. Poppy kept the radio in the station wagon low and the air conditioning gentle, letting the child sleep in the backseat.

When they finally pulled into the familiar gates of Wayne Manor hours later, the sun was just beginning to set, painting the stately home in shades of orange and purple. Y/N woke slowly as they got closer to the large mansion. They blinked, disoriented, and peered through the window to see the familiar stone walls. Alfred was standing at the opened front door, looking exactly as he always did; immaculate in his suit and tie and his posture perfect. Y/N barely waited for the station wagon to stop before they started to undo all the belts of the carseat.

“Alfred!” Y/N pushed the car door open and rushed forward. The butler caught them easily, his arms wrapping around the child’s small form with a gentleness that belied his age. For a long moment, he said nothing, simply holding Y/N.

“My, my. It seems camp has agreed with you, Young Master. You’ve grown at least an inch, maybe even two,” Alfred’s voice was thick with emotion he would never fully admit to.

“I missed you. I missed you so much,” Y/N’s voice was muffled against the fabric of Alfred’s shirt. The butler’s hand came to rest on the back of the child’s head, his fingers threading gently through their hair. He looked over Y/N’s head to where Poppy was standing by the station wagon, a soft smile on his face. The Satyr brought over the child’s trunk; it was not as light as it had been before the summer started. Y/N and Alfred reluctantly pulled away from each other, though the child reached a hand up to grab onto the butler’s suit jacket.

“I trust my charge has behaved for the camp?” Poppy let out a soft laugh.

“Sure. Let’s go with that. The Ares kids forgave Y/N pretty quickly at their puppy dog eyes. Connor was the one who went running after the prank was set off,” Alfred looked down at Y/N with a raised eyebrow, but only got a cheeky smile in return. Poppy pulled out a heavy looking envelope out of his hoodie pocket.

“Thought you might want these,” Alfred took the envelope and glanced inside, only to find a bunch of photos. The butler looked up at Poppy, who gave the man an easy smile.

“Y/N had a lot to do during the summer. I had the other campers and Satyrs snap photos when they could,” Alfred took out one of the pictures. It was of Y/N with a tall boy standing in front of the child, the older boy looked to be gently painting warpaint onto the child’s face; it was neon green and very reminiscent of the domino mask their brothers used to wear as Robin. Alfred could not help the soft smile that spread across his face. He closed the envelope, placing it into the inside pocket of his jacket.

“I appreciate this sincere gift. If I could trouble you to do the same in the upcoming years,” Poppy winked at Alfred.

“No problem, Mister Pennyworth. Now I got to get going, Gotham traffic is a nightmare. Remember, if you have any problems or see any monsters sniffing around the Manor, call the camp,” Poppy walked back to the station wagon, waving goodbye to Alfred and Y/N. The two watched the car leave down the long drive, before they looked at each other.

“Dinner, Young Master?” Y/N eagerly nodded.

XX

“Alfred, where’s Pa?” Y/N looked up from the homemade spaghetti Alfred had made. It was a little better than the dish they had fallen asleep into; though the butler was watching them carefully. Alfred let out a small sigh.

“He is preoccupied at the moment. The Riddler escaped this morning,” Y/N frowned, but knew that the job came first; that did not mean it did not hurt. Despite sending a letter almost every week to their family, the only one who returned the most of their letters was Alfred; Bruce only sent the brief one at the beginning of the summer while Dick sent one or two and the occasional postcard from cities the Titans went to. Y/N had so many drawings they wanted to give their father, friendship bracelets that they wanted to give their brother and his friends, and a misshapen clay pot and mug for Alfred.

“Oh, okay…Has he and Dickie made up?” The frown that deepened on Alfred’s face was the only answer Y/N got.

XX

After dinner, Alfred made Y/N go down to the gym to burn off the energy dinner provided them. But afterwards when the child made it up to their room, they found that while it looked like it had barely changed in the three months they had been gone, there was something different. A tapestry that covered one of the walls in their room had been moved to a different wall. In its place was a door. Y/N stood in the doorway of their bedroom, staring at the strange door. Their small hand was still held onto the doorknob, and they blinked a few times as if expecting the new door to vanish. It did not.

“Alfred?” Y/N’s voice was small, but carried down the hallway. The butler appeared at the top of the stairs moments later, a dusting of flour still on his sleeve from the baking he had been doing.

“Yes, Young Master?”

“What’s behind the door?” Alfred walked closer, and Y/N could see something in his expression that they rarely saw on the butler’s face; it was something almost like excitement.

“I had hoped you would ask. Why don’t you open it and see?” Y/N glanced between the door and Alfred, before they walked into their room to the new door. The heavy oak door swung open to reveal a narrow spiral staircase made of stone. The child looked back at Alfred, who nodded encouragingly. Y/N stepped onto the first stair, their small feet barely making any sound on the stone.

The first level they reached opened into a room that took Y/N’s breath away. It was a dressing room that was the same size as their bedroom below. Built-in shelves lined two walls while built-in dressers and closet rods lined the others; there were several cushioned benches throughout the room. It looked like all of their clothes had been moved up here while there looked to be room for more clothes and shoes. A large, full-length mirror stood in the corner, its glass reflecting the fairy-lights that Alfred had lined all around the room.

“This is for me?” Y/N’s voice was barely a whisper as they glanced behind them at Alfred.

“Indeed, Young Master. I thought you might appreciate a space of your own to store your belongings. There is more, if you’d like to see,” Y/N glanced at the spiral staircase that continued upward, before they nodded eagerly. Together, the two climbed another flight of stairs.

The second level was even more incredible. Two walls of tall windows that overlooked both the Manor grounds and out towards the city of Gotham while the other walls had floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that were barely filled with books. There was a large desk near the window that overlooked the Manor gardens with a comfortable looking chair. In the desk drawers was a surplus of fountain pens, ink bottles, and other art supplies that would make any artist jealous. The window that looked out towards Gotham had a window bench with cushions and blankets in Y/N’s favorite colors. In the center of the room was a round table with a few more chairs. The walls were lined with the same fairy-lights from down below.

“I thought you might need a quiet place to study your…new interests,” Alfred’s voice was carefully neutral, but Y/N knew that their butler was referring to the things Lou Ellen had taught them over the summer. The child turned and looked at their butler with shining eyes.

“Thank you, Alfred,”

“You are most welcome, Young Master. But there is one more level,” Y/N gasped and was already racing for the next flight of stairs as Alfred finished speaking.

The third level had a door that opened to an outdoor area. The terrace was as large as the rooms below, with stone balustrades that looked out over the sprawling grounds of Wayne Manor. There was comfortable outdoor furniture set up, perfect for stargazing or reading on warm days. A few potted plants decorated the area; a few small flowering plants that would attract butterflies. In one corner, there was a fire pit and a supply of firewood. But what caught Y/N’s attention the most was the view. From here, they could see the entire estate and even some of their neighbors’ houses, but they could see Gotham illuminating the night sky across the river as the Bat Signal was lit up, calling out for Y/N’s father. And above the child, a canopy of stars that seemed brighter here than anywhere else.

“It’s beautiful,” Alfred came to stand beside Y/N, his gaze also fixed on the stars above. The child leaned against the butler’s side.

“Do you like your surprise, Young Master?” Y/N nodded, their eyes tearing up. Alfred ran a hand through his young charge’s hair.

“Good. Originally, this tower was used for storage. So I had spent the summer renovating everything to your liking,” Y/N had always seen the tower when they played outside and they had always wondered where its entrance was. They never thought to look behind the tapestry in their room.

“Thank you, Alfred. I love it,” Alfred’s eyes twinkled with delight, pleased that his young charge was happy with their new tower. Y/N now had a space where they could practice the magic their mother had gifted them, a place where they could be themself without the weight of Gotham’s expectation pressing down on them. But even as Y/N made their way back down to their bedroom, they could not shake the feeling that something had changed. The necklace around their neck was warm against their skin, and the loneliness that haunted the Manor’s halls had already started to press against Y/N’s body.

Y/N Wayne, child of Hecate, had come home. And their family would never quite see them the same way again.

A/N: FINALLY. I'm so sorry this chapter took so long. So much has happened in my life since the last chapter I posted. But I appreciate y'all waiting.

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