Percy Jackson: the Winter Gamer

It was fascinating how the mist could bend the truth. According to the LA news, Ares was a crazy abductor who had gone on a rampage that day, shooting gas lines with a shotgun, causing massive explosions. Percy, Annabeth and Alexander were helpless victims who had just tried to flee their captor. The abductor was the one who caused the Arch's explosion, after all, no kid could've done that. The waitress from before the water park swore up and down that she could see the fear in their eyes when they were talking with their 'abductor'. Percy made a show of dragging his step father through the mud, promising a hearty discount at the place he worked for everyone who had helped in finding him.

Later, Percy couldn't stop laughing as they were on the train ride back to New York, back to olympus.

"You two go back to Camp, I'll bring this", he patted the backpack, "back to my uncle"

[quest complete, rewards will be distributed]

As the two of them walked past the camp border, it didn't take long for the campers to swarm them. They had so many questions, too many to answer. Chiron broke apart the ring of demigods around them, "let them breathe. Tell me, Alexander, Annabeth… were you successful? Where is Percy? He didn't-"

"Die? Not yet, he is currently bringing the bolt to Zeus", Alexander explained, "we did it, the bolt is where it belongs but- Chiron, we have to talk, without any listeners"

"Very well, follow me", they walked into the big house, into one of its many rooms, "what is it you wanted to tell me?"

"Hades didn't steal the bolt, it is way worse than that, your father has been the one plotting", he looked grimly, his hand fidgeting with his white shirt.

"My father? You couldn't possibly mean-?"

"I'm afraid so. He has been manipulating Ares. That god is so simple minded that he was manipulated by the crooked one", he didn't want to say his name, "his thief, he was caught by Ares but the war god was manipulated into aiding the crooked one. Had we arrived at the underworld before we figured it out, he might've gotten the bolt. I'm not quite sure how he was planning on getting me to the pit but still, he had this whole master plan…"

"This is dire news", Chiron looked away, his gaze on something far, far away, "but at least you didn't fall for it. For now, all I can do is train you children more, make sure you are prepared for what is to come, this most certainly won't be the last time he tries something… thank you for bringing this to my attention"

Back outside, Luke was patting his back, "you did good, this calls for a celebration!"

"Yeah!", the camp chorused.

That day, they partied and hard, the nymphs and dryads were bringing out more and more food as they danced and had a good time. Alexander could even see a small smile on Mr D's face, he could appreciate a good party. As the day turned to night, Percy arrived. The party was still in high gear, the normal bedtime completely forgotten. Percy was beaming.

"What got you smiling like that? It can't be just the fact that we finished the quest, can it?" Alexander asked the smiling boy.

"No- it isn't just that. My mom, she's back and- even better, she is leaving Smelly Gabe"

Smelly Gabe, that was Percy's stepdad. Percy loved to complain about him, he was a terrible person and an even worse stepfather. He drank, he indulged in food, not even bothering to show up to work and still, somehow not being fired, "how did you manage to convince her?"

"I told her about our journey, about the dangers we faced and overcame. She said 'if my boy can fight a chimera, I can stand up to a man' and now she is leaving him, isn't that fantastic?", he told him.

"Good for her, come and party with us"

The party went deep into the night, till two in the morning, when Chiron insisted they go to bed.

The next morning was slow, most were still asleep, some of the older kids had a hangover. Someone had somehow snuck in alcohol without any of the adults noticing.

At breakfast, he loaded up on pancakes and walked to Thalia's tree.

[quest: Thalia's final stand

Kill all the monsters

Reward: 1 random attribute rank up]

Huh, that reward was a lot less than previously, maybe the dungeon recognised that he had gotten stronger?

"Alexander!" Thalia called out, "where have you been?"

"I was on a quest", he chuckled, we had to retrieve your dad's master bolt…"

He recounted their journey to the punk girl whilst she was eating pancakes, "well and that's pretty much it", he finished.

"You had quite the adventure whilst you were away. I wish I could go on a quest… all I get to do is fight, day in and day out, it gets boring really fast", she huffed, "promise me to visit me more often"

"Can do", he grinned, "I think it is time for the next wave"

Sure enough, the misters started charging at them. Fighting them was a lot less hard now that he had become stronger, though it was still by no means easy. Alexander sliced at a cyclops's arm before being hit by one of its fists, sent flying into a hellhound, who was all too eager to bite him. He popped an ambrosia square and rushed back into the fight. In a few minutes, they were done, all the monsters vanquished.

They high fived but the system soon forced him out of the dungeon and he smiled sadly, it was such a shame that she was dead. She was cute… wait, what was he thinking? He shut out those thoughts. She is dead, he told himself, shaking his head and walking off