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Frank Russell was a six feet, five inches tall talented athlete going into his senior year of high school. In his senior year Frank was the captain of his high school’s soccer, basketball, and baseball teams. Frank was able to bring victory to all of his teams and subsequently was hailed as a top college prospect in that year. He garnered the attention of many of the nation’s top schools and even got some of the local media to turn the spotlight on him.
One night while at a party in his honor Frank met a fit woman named Nichole. She was unlike anyone Frank had ever seen and he decided he must have her. Frank then did everything in his power to make Nichole fall for him... and it apparently worked. A couple of months later Nichole gave birth to Vince... and two days afterward vanished without a trace or a word.
Frank was devastated and had no idea what he was going to do. He had received a free ride scholarship to play multiple sports at the University of Connecticut, but he’d never be able to go to college and raise a child. Frank’s parents intervened, however, and told him that they’d raise the child while he pursued his dreams. Frank was overjoyed and ended up becoming a decent player in both basketball and baseball for his school.
While his father was attending college Vince grew at a very rapid pace. He was walking before the age of one and was running around before he hit two. Vince was also very hyper and constantly caused problems for his grandparents, but they never got overly upset with him. Vince had trouble learning to speak and read initially, only saying his first words at the age of three.
During Vince’s early childhood he never really got to see his father due to Frank’s busy schedule during college. This only worsened when Frank was drafted into the NBA and became a solid bench player. Frank tried hard to see his son but he could never truly be there for him as a father. Vince had to be entirely raised by his grandparents due to his father’s busy life and his mother’s absence.
Despite being unable to see his father, Vince always tried his hardest to impress his old man. He started playing baseball, basketball, and football at an early age. Vince joined his town’s pop warner football program, PAL (Police Athletic League) basketball program, and summer league baseball program. He did very well in every athletic activity he attempted. Despite these accomplishments though, Vince was never able to catch his father’s attention for very long.
Once Vince hit middle school, and began playing school sports, was when he truly began to shine. Vince became taller and could dunk a basketball by age thirteen when he was six feet tall. Despite being athletically inclined... Vince wasn't a great student and only managed to get low C’s because he put most of his focus on sports.
Due to his heavy focus on sports, Vince had only one friend named Zeke. Zeke was a fairly weak kid who seemed to take a shine to Vince while watching him play sports. Vince befriended Zeke because he really didn't have any other friends and Zeke seemed like a nice enough guy. Although at times Vince found Zeke a bit odd with the choices of food Zeke’d make.
The day before Vince’s fourteenth birthday he was playing in his school’s regional championship game. That day Vince noticed something... odd in the crowd while he was waiting for play to resume. This “odd” thing was a man in a long, dark trench coat and hat that covered his face. Despite being unable to see his eyes Vince could tell this man was starring right at him. After the game was over and Vince’s team had won the strange man approached Vince and simply said, “Good game kid.” Vince was creeped out by the man so he simply thanked him and went home.
The night of his fourteenth birthday Vince had, what he thought, was a strange dream about a woman named Nichole. She told Vince that he’d soon be in danger and warned him to go to a place called Camp Half-Blood for safety. Vince woke up the next morning and passed the experience off as nothing but a dream. That day though Zeke seemed really on edge and pleaded with Vince to take a new bat Zeke had gotten for him. Despite asking Zeke multiple times why Zeke continuously gave him the same answer, “We’re good friends and I wanted you to have it.” Not wanting to offend his friend Vince caved and took the bat.
That day after school Zeke told Vince that they should take a trip to Long Island that weekend as they walked through an alley. Before Vince was able to respond though the strange man from his game appeared at the end of the alley. Zeke became pale and Vince could tell something was wrong. The man removed his tench-coat and hat to show he was extremely muscular and only had one eye. Vince was both scared and confused by what he saw and just starred until Zeke yelled, “Run Vince!”
Then the creature which was obviously a cyclops charged at the pair. Zeke stepped in front of Vince to protect him but the cyclops knocked Zeke back and sent him flying into a brick wall and knocking him out. With the cyclops now focusing on him Vince did the one thing he knew how to do, he swung his bat. The cyclops tried to catch the bat in mid swing but found a rude surprise when the bat sprouted celestial bronze spikes. The cyclops howled in pain as he recoiled from the damage his hand had just taken. Then Vince, in a movement that seemed as if he’d done it a million times, brought the bat down and crushed the monster’s skull.
When all was said and done and Zeke had woken up he gave Vince the full explanation. Zeke told Vince that he was a demigod and urged him to go to Camp Half-Blood. Vince was conflicted and instead decided that he’d stay and try to live a normal life. Zeke pleaded with Vince to reconsider but the teen had made up his mind and was not going to be urged otherwise. Zeke told Vince that he wouldn’t stay and watch out for Vince if he decided to remain in Connecticut. Vince said his mind was made up and Zeke ended up leaving the next day.
For three years Vince avoided going to Camp Half-Blood, and in that time many things changed. Vince grew to a full height of six feet seven inches tall and became an extremely good athlete who won state championship’s with the teams he played for. On the flip side Vince trained heavily with his weapon, which he nicknamed, “Slugger.” A few more weak monsters found their way to Vince in that time, but they were all defeated by his hand.
One day though, on Vince’s seventeenth birthday, Zeke returned and once again coaxed Vince to come to Camp Half-Blood. Zeke then told Vince a powerful monster had picked up Vince’s scent and he it was only a matter of time before that monster found him. However... Zeke was in fact bluffing and this was a clever lie to get Vince to finally go to Camp Half-Blood. Vince was still determined to stay until Zeke told him this monster would destroy everything Vince held dear to him. Thinking of the consequences that could face his grandparents or even his father for the first time, Vince caved and decided he’d go with Zeke to Camp Half-Blood. Telling his grandparents he had been accepted to a private school (and having a faux letter from Zeke to prove it) Vince set out for Camp Half-Blood.
Vince and Zeke managed to make it most of the way to camp before being attacked near the camp’s boundary by a pack of hellhounds. Vince fought the hellhounds and showed that all his training was paying off, but as he fought he didn’t notice that one had strayed from the pack and gone after Zeke. When Vince had dispatched of all the hellhounds he heard a shrill cry of pain come from near by. When he arrived at the cry’s source he found Zeke with bite marks on his neck laying in blood soaked grass with a hellhound standing over him. In a fit of rage Vince crushed the hellhounds skull in a swift motion and then rushed to Zeke’s side. Zeke was, however, already dead and in a show of respect Vince slid Zeke’s eyelids closed and carried his body into camp.
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