<div class="floatleft">(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcQlmbe8hOei3dfpW3A_Y5pasVRCOx0mJ8bPozh5xFpPpBPlnVbh&amp;usqp=CAU)</div><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: engravers mt;">Alexandra Rose Pretorius</span></span><br/><strong>Blessed By::</strong>Ares<br/><strong>Location::</strong>Approaching the Gates<br/><strong>Company::</strong>Open {Mentioning: Seth}<br/><strong>Date/Time::</strong>June 20th, Morning<br/><strong>Mood::</strong>Pissed the fuck off!<br/><strong>Wearing::</strong><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">This</div><div class="spoiler_body">(https://i.pinimg.com/474x/7e/e8/57/7ee857258674b138a345926551e71f50.jpg)</div></div>--> See picture<br/><strong>TRIGGER WARNINGS::</strong><br/><br/><br/><hr/>Lex was on her way to the temple when some boy attempted to run her over.  Oh, he was so lucky she hadn't dropped her offering for Ares.  He'd have been dead right then and there.  But he just kept moving on.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: engravers mt;">"Hey, bitch!  Why don't you watch where you're going, you little fucker?!?"</span></span>She wasn't sure how much of that he heard but she sure as hell hoped he knew she wasn't going to let him get away with that.<br/><br/>When they reached the temple, Lex hated the next part to come.  These stupid rituals were supposed to help the camp and really they were a horrible waste of time.  She should have just left and gone to Ares's room inside the temple.  And yet, for some stupid reason, she stayed, positioning herself between Fire and Water.  Out of all the elements, Fire was really the one she connected like there was no other element in the world but between Water or Air, she had a closer connection to Water.  During the ritual, it wasn't hard to find the boy who had tried to trample her and the moment she did, her eyes refused to stop glaring holes into the side of his head.  She wanted to kick his ass right there.  Right during the ritual.  Oh, he was so lucky he was right next to Akira.  That was the only thing keeping this circle from becoming a ring.<br/><br/>When she reached the Temple, she had no hesitation but to go down the stairs to meet with Ares.  The decapitated head was thrown at the statue's feet and Lex put all her weight on one side of her body, resting her fist on her waist.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">"There you go, Dad.  Meet Julio.  I never got his last name but his group was way too close to the camp.  If I didn't do something, they were going to make themselves enemies soon enough.  So there you go.  Your little gift."</span></span><br/><br/>As soon as Lex turned around to leave, a deep voice bellowed out in fury.  "Now is that any way to treat the God who allowed you to live, little girl?"<br/><br/>A smile crossing across her face, the raven-haired woman turned around to face the God, her demeanor as if she was ready to kill this man.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">"Well, seeing as how I've had to pick up your messes for the last..."</span></span>She paused as if she was counting the time in her head.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">"Oh...I don't even know how long anymore...I'd say yes."</span></span><br/><br/>With a booming voice that echoed throughout the temple and shook the ground under which the rooms were built, Ares's scowl turned into a smile and he threw his arms out.  "Cut the crap and get over here!"  He demanded to which Lex looked truly happy as she went to bear hug the God that stood before her.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">"I've missed you, Dad."</span></span>She said, her eyes closed and arms refusing to let go of Ares.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">"It's not easy, you know...  They don't know what it's like and...  And, dad, I think they hate me.  I truly think they hate me."</span></span><br/><br/>"Good."  The god said, placing his hands on her shoulders and pulling her away from himself.  "You don't need to worry about them.  I've told you before and I'll tell you again.  Caring about someone other than Number One,"  With a pause, he smiled before continuing again.  "And yourself, of course...will only lead to putting yourself in more danger than you need.  You are a strong little warrior.  Don't let some fools change that.  You know what happened to me because of that damned goddess of beauty, don't you?"  After waiting for a nod from Alexandra, he continued on again.  "If you keep them at a distance, you keep yourself safe and you can keep doing what you need to do."<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">"But dad--"</span></span>She started before Ares looked up as if he was hearing someone other than her talking.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">"Are you even <em>listening</em> to me right now?!?  Or is your damn Aphrodite calling you back to your leash?"</span></span><br/><br/>With that, Lex's world went black and when she started to see anything again, she was lying on the floor, Ares gone and a note left where the head had landed.<br/><br/>"HOW DARE YOU, LITTLE GIRL!!!  REMEMBER YOUR PLACE OR I WILL BE BACK TO REMIND YOU OF IT!!!  Now, I wanted to tell you that War is coming.  With a pissed chuckle, Lex whispered.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">"War is always coming.  What's new?"</span></span>Before reading on.  "You are a strong warrior and I know you can handle what is to come.  Just keep doing what you're doing."<br/><br/>Ripping the paper up, Lex looked towards the ceiling of the room as if she were speaking to Ares again.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">"Yea...Fuck you, Dad!"</span></span>After a moment, she shook her head and scattered the tiny pieces of the paper on the floor in front of her.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">"No.  Actually...Damn you!  Damn you straight to the pits of Tartarus!"</span></span>With that, she left the temple, slamming the door to Ares's room as hard as she could behind her.<br/><br/>When she left the Temple, she already felt a burst of fear coursing through her as if someone had a fear so strong it was negating all the positive emotions people around the camp were feeling.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">"Whoever you are..."</span></span>Lex said to no one in particular.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">"Thank you."</span></span><br/><br/>With that, the young Ares girl took off, speeding through the camp until she got to her cabin.  Once there, she made quick work of taking off the clothes she had been wearing for days, throwing on a see-through tank top and pair of black running shorts that hugged tight to her legs and covered only just enough.  She threw her hair up in a ponytail and then took off again, nearly tearing the door of her cabin right off its hinges as she threw it open, not bothering to close it.  In her pain, she didn't even think to feed her dogs so they followed after her, barking away until they all reached the training grounds and Lex punched a bag right off its hook and across the field.<br/><br/>Only then did she calm down for a second, enough time to reach up and touch her cheek where the god of war had slapped her.  She winced harshly at the sting of pain that ran down her spine and her back stiffened.  Anyone who was watching her could see she was in pain and when she removed her hand, they'd see why.  Her left cheek was stained the dark red color of blood with the imprint of a hand.  Anyone who knew about her healing process would also have known that there was only one type of being in the world that could have made an imprint as dark as that that lasted as long as it was: a God.<br/><br/>With that, the woman of war began destroying every bit of the training grounds.  She threw every weight as far as it would fly.  She tore the punching bags from their hooks and punched her fists through them.  The whole time this was happening, Angel and Spike were howling at the top of their lungs as if looking for someone to help her.  But she didn't need any help, did she?  She was doing just fine on her own, wasn't she?  That Athena child had picked a bad day to mess with her.  He would pay.  When she knew she wouldn't kill him, she would make him pay.