Walk With the Shadows [ Percy Jackson OC ]

FIFTEEN | Alex

ALEX HAD TO HAND IT TO PERCY, the kid didn't even mind being a blow-dryer after their fairly violent duel. He'd never been on the receiving end of the Percy Jackson version of a Super Soaker and after today, he hoped never to do it again. He'd probably deserved it, though.

Maybe.

Had it been anyone else, Alex would've felt bad for landing several nasty punches and kicks. The elbow crack to Percy's nose had been particularly nasty. But he didn't set out to compete to not win. And Percy could take it.

It felt a bit weird to walk back to the other campers and be heralded as a hero. Most people had been giving him a wide berth since word got round about him threatening the entire council of Olympians. While he felt absolutely zero guilt for drawing his weapon on the gods, he did feel bad about scaring, or at least worrying, some of his fellow Half-Bloods. After all, they'd been fighting a war against a rogue son of Hermes for years at that point.

He got hugs from almost everyone. Cheers went up for Kitty and for Alex, and even Ophelia who apparently had managed to distract half the Ares kids with her manipulation of the Mist. Beside Annabeth, all four were marched with cheers and enthusiastic hollering towards the campfire.

Surrounded by children who had just fought a war but now, only days later, screamed We Are The Champions at the top of their lungs led by Apollo's son Austin reminded Alex of why he fought for Camp Half-Blood. Not for the gods. For this.

For them.

For Clarisse, brooding in a corner with two of her brothers and munching on graham crackers.

For Miranda and Katie, rushing around, making sure no one littered while they settled around the campfire.

Even for heroes like Annabeth and Percy, sitting together on one of the front marble benches, the former cracking up while Percy buried his face in his hands.

Even if Percy hadn't pulled all the water from his clothes and hair before the campfire, Alex figured the fire was hot and bright enough to have done it for him. Where just days ago it had glowed a cold purple, now gold and orange flames roared towards the star-studded sky.

Nymphs joined some of the members of the losing team in distributing chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers. Alex opted for just a chocolate bar. He stood towards the back of the gleeful crowd—now singing a dissonant version of Bohemian Rhapsody while the Apollo cabin tried to conduct—and looked up. He followed the smoke trail to the constellations far above.

"Bigger is better, Chiron. How have you not figured that out yet?"

Alex turned around. A man in a white toga barely covering his muscular, tanned body, golden Ray-Ban sunglasses on despite it being well after dark, and a cocky smile with teeth so white they literally glowed walked next to Chiron. Apollo, god of way too many things. On his other side walked Rachel Elizabeth Dare, the new Oracle.