Archived:Alex Shield

Personality
Untrusting and distant. But fiercely loyal and a good conversationalist if you get to know him. He's the type that gets cold and sarcastic when mad, but if pushed over the edge can be downright nasty. It doesn't take much to make him feel awkward, and he typically doesn't know what to do about it.

History
His parents met one snowy night in December. It was a winter festival, held annually for so long that nobody really rememberd why it happened, just that it did. She caught his eye from across the room, and they were enchanted with each other. Quickly falling for each other, they began dating. After a few dates, she offered for him to move in. As happens with such relationships, she became pregnant. However, shortly after this he stumbled across her dark side. She had been abused as a child, and slipped into depression. Turning to alcohol, and eventually drugs. Distraught, Alex's father tried to turn her life around, but was unable to. Her stubbornness, one of her most charming features in his eyes, caused her to refuse his help. Thinking she could tackle it on her own, she'd slip up again. Fearing for the health of his child, he finally made her promise to keep clean. His callings at Olympus caused him to have to leave, broken hearted.

For seven long years, Stacey kept her promise. She lost many a fake friend, but moved on into her new life. Working and taking care of her kid was stressful, but her stubborn nature shone through and she managed. Until the day that her abusive father died. She forced herself to attend the funeral, bringing little Alex who was six at the time along. It was a drink, just one. She managed to take drinking back up, staying far away from drugs and going with the right people to keep herself from slipping up. However, an old friend returned to her life. He swept her off her feet with his promises of having changed like she did. He was lying. He brought her down with him, and on a rainy night in March Clare Shield failed to return home.

Alex rememberd a few things when he was little. His mothers face, smiling down on him. A vague recollection of his grandfather's funeral, and the night Stacey Shield didn't come home. She broke her promise, her body was later found by the police. She had died of an overdose. He was around eight at the time and was immediantly shoved into foster care. He was shoved from home to home, and only the painful memories are rememberd. It seemed wherever he went trouble followed him. Little did he know monsters were stalking him. His dismissal list ranged from, "destroyed furniture", (which was in fact the closest he came to a monster attack in his early year, a Cyclopse had broken into the house), to "unable to deal with his personality". The unfortunate events and abuseful homes caused Alex to retract farther and farther into himself. He became distant and untrusting. But at the same time he was seldom left alone, and the people around him, along with his frequent movements, kept the monsters of his scent. His socail life was virtually non-existent. Most thought him creepy, and he was often a target of bullying.

At the age of ten monsters finally managed to get to him. On his way home from school a Telekhine attacked. Alex ran, and the Telekhine wasn't able to keep up. However, Alex was in such a panic that he stepped into traffic. His recounts of what happened were disregarded as he suffered minor head injuries. It took four more years of moving and attacks until a Satyr found him. During this time he encountered Harpies, Cyclopes, Empousai and Stymphalian Birds. He survived due to luck, long legs, and his general distaste for people kept him warry of any strangers he came across.

After this time Alex met his Saytr. Alex was on a field trip, away from the group to examine a painting that caught his eye. He was ambushed by Harpies however, this caught the attention of a Saytr that had had his eye on Alex for a while. The Saytr intervened, playing a song on his reed pipes that bound the Harpies in plants, allowing Alex to escape. Alex left his foster parents and they began their travels to Camp Halfblood. They were near Camp Halfblood when they were attacked by three Laistrygonian Giants. Overwhelmed they beat a hasty retreat, but couldn't outrun them. They fled into a museum and hid among the statues. A pair of assassin blades caught Alex's eye, and he snatched them. Unknown to him, they had been placed there by his father and were celestial bronze, a perfect fit. His dad had been montitoring his progress, and placed them there but moments before they had entered the building. Alex donned the blades, and the giants found their prey. Alex attempted to fight but was promptly smacked across the room, knocking his head against a statue and bluring his vision. His Saytr was prepared to sacrifice himself for Alex's escape, but another demigod Saytr pair stumbled across them. With a lucky bow shot one of the Laistrygonian Giants was taken out, and the Saytr aided Alex's escape while the other two kept the Laistrygonians distracted. Thankfully the other demigod's Saytr had a car, and their escape was swift. After this it was a rather uneventful journey, and they made it to camp. The day of his arrival he turned five-teen, and began his new life at camp.