AN: New chapter woo woo! Back down to a neat and friendly word count, thank the gods. This chapter will answer some questions I've been getting, I hope they're to your liking.

On a separate, but equally important, note! I have been invited to, and by now joined, an online forum tournament for fanfic writers in the PJO fandom! We still need members, so if you're interested you guys can PM me for the link and check it out, I am counselor of the Demeter Cabin where I've set up a Discord server for my own cabin mates, so if you guys are interested just head in to the Sign-Up topic page and follow the instructions! The event takes place May 7th I believe, so better hurry fast!

Now, onto the chapter!

xxx

The med bay about fifteen yards from the Big House was a beacon of activity for the first time in almost five years. Bustling campers did their best to take care of those injured in the capture the flag game, mostly Apollo kids doing the work. The most work being done was in the back corner, where the newly crowned son of Poseidon laid out unconscious on a cot with three medics hovering around him, trying their best to find the injuries.

His dip in the creek had done good work taking care of surface injuries like scratching and bruises, but even with prolonged mending on the internal problems there was still much to do. Bandaging up his shoulder was step one, after disinfecting the teeth marks just for sake of healthy practice. The puncture wounds were healed over in skin, but the muscle beneath still needed time to heal back completely. The next problem to address were his cracked ribs, four of them, and his concussion. Given he had already passed out, time was of the essence for the demigods. Dionysus had done a temporary job of mending his mind, but that only lasted until Percy had collapsed for the third time that day.

Said god stood at the side with Chiron and Luke, both acting as superiors and Dionysus as a godly set of eyes that would watch over the new problem in his life. He wiped his face with the back of his hand, feeling fatigue which, for a god, was something to look at later. Nights of staying up trying to contact those he couldn't reach at the camp were proving to be more than futile, but actually detrimental to his divine health. Despite popular belief, gods did need to take care of themselves, just not to the degree that mortals did. A god could go months without sleep and be fine, could sustain themselves on little more than a piece of Ambrosia every other week and a sip of Nectar.

Dionysus, however, never liked to sleep much. He could get away with a good twelve-hour nap every year without feeling too out of place, maybe a quick nap if he had to use a good amount of energy on something. Something like healing a demigod, even for a few moments, after said demigod fought a monster for the first time.

Dionysus let out a small chuckle, the boy did have some heavy balls if he took one look at a hellhound and decided to take it on himself. That matter, however, bothered Dionysus more than he would like to admit. Most assumed he cared little for Camp Half-Blood, and they were right for the most part. He didn't despise the camp, just felt that it wasn't the place for him, a god, to be spending all his time between meetings on Olympus. Damn his father, and damn his pride.

Nevertheless, an attack inside of camp boundaries meant one thing only, and that there was someone in here that summoned the beast. Dionysus knew a thing or two about being a demigod, having been one even before he was a god. Demigods were surprisingly resilient creatures, much like their parents, and had more in common with the gods than anyone dare say. The demigod who summoned the monster would be found, sooner rather than later if Dionysus had anything to say about it. Leaning against the wall, he watched the medics work on the son of Poseidon.

He was having a nightmare, that much Dionysus could see even without invading his mind and was to be assumed given the events that took place. He shuddered to think what horrors the boy would conjure up.

xXxXx

Percy was running, running as fast as he could. Trees whipped past him in blurs of black and green. His feet hurt like hell, but that didn't stop him. The cracking of trees behind him only stirred him on, filling him with shaking fear.

"Come out, Jackson. I know you are there, I can taaaaste you on my tongue."

Percy almost fell down, his knees were knocking together, legs shaking. He kept on, hoping and praying for anything, anyone, to save him. His answer was just ahead, a spark of light bleeding through the pitch-black trees. He took off towards the light, desperate for anything. More trees cracked and fell behind him, the heavy stomping of something approaching very, very fast. Percy launched his body through the tree, breaking his skin against branches and bark in his effort to get away.

On the outside the light was almost blinding, and hotter than fire. Percy shied away, almost preferring the darkness of the woods. Remembering the cracking trees and voice on his tail, he surged forward into the light. Emerging head first, he fell to the ground with a groan. The grass underneath him didn't sway, instead staying perfectly still. He got to his feet and to his bearings, trying to find out where he was.

To his surprise he found himself in Queens, in fact on the street he lived on as a small kid with his birth mom. He walks off his spot of grass, the only vegetation on the street, and walked down the sidewalk. Kids ran past, laughter echoing as they went. The sun was so bright, casting long shadows that crept up buildings and across the street. When Percy reached his old apartment, he found a kid with green eyes and black hair standing outside the doors, staring into his own green eyes. There was a haunted look in the kids eyes, like he was looking at a ghost. Percy felt the same.

He walked through the doors and up the stairs, noticing just how quiet it was in the building. He arrived at the door to his apartment, the faded paint peeling at the edges and chipped. He pushed open the door and saw his mother on the floor, dead, in a pool of her own blade. Above her stood not Gabe, who he expected, but a teenager almost as old as Luke. He had long black hair that fell to his shoulders and tan skin that was riddled with little white scars here and there. The man had his fists clenched, water rippling violently across his arms like pulses of energy. The man looked up and revealed solid gold eyes, the same gold that Percy remembered the beast having.

He cracked a smile, before flexing his hand to form a long blade made of hardened water. He lunged at Percy and impaled him through the heart, never breaking the smile.

xXxXx

Percy shot up, gasping and sweating buckets. He almost fell out of the cot he lay in, the blanket that was covering him sliding down his naked torso. Percy cried out in pain and terror, clutching his stomach. He felt like he had swallowed a cup of ash and eaten razor blades, but more than anything his head was pounding in pain like a railroad spike was being driven into it slowly.

"Easy there Peter, you shouldn't even be awake right now." Percy turned to the sound of the voice, finding the purple-eyed stranger that stood with Chiron. "Who are you? Where am I?" He asked warily, clutching the blanket in his lap.

"I am Dionysus, God of Wine, and you are in the medic bay at Camp Half-Blood. Do you remember Camp Half-Blood?" He answered calmly, eyes never leaving Percy's. The demigod nodded, taking in the information with surprising ease. At this point meeting an Olympian wasn't as strange as what he had gone through as of yet, though the man before him didn't scream divine. He had short curly hair the color of a dark red wine and skin that was on the paler side of white. He looked permanently flushed drunk, and his eyes were the color of grapes. His build, as well, seemed far too mortal. He was chubby, for one, and short for another, though Percy recalled something from his limited knowledge of mythology, a scene from Fantasia that showed Dionysus as much different from this and still godly.

"Good, you don't have any retrograde amnesia. I can rest a little easier." He chuckled at his own inside joke while Percy considered staring. "So, Peter, that was quite a show you put on."

"My name is Percy." Dionysus rolled his eyes like it was an actual struggle to get his name right. "Potato tomato, that doesn't matter. What matters is that you shouldn't exist." Percy was taken aback by this, and rightfully so. "W-What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!" He shouted. Dionysus raised his hands in defense. "I don't mean it as an insult, but as a fact. There are things you should know, Peter, before you leave this room." Percy calmed down and kept from correcting the god a second time.

"The gods have great influence on the inner mechanisms of the world, especially when it comes to their offspring. After World War II, a product of the children of Zeus, Hades, and your father, the Big Three swore an oath to not sire anymore demigods." Percy let that sink in, and found he was not too shocked. The gods seemed like exactly the type of beings that would tear the world apart over nothing, and the fact that they would even attempt to try not to be was the most surprising thing about the story. "So, I am the product of a broken oath. Is that why I was… attacked last night?" Dionysus looked hesitant, even going so far as to glance around the empty room.

"That may be a reason, but it is most certainly not the biggest." He leaned forward in his chair so as to whisper. "There are rumors on Olympus that a certain weapon of great power has been stolen, right under our noses. The Master Bolt, Zeus' symbol of power." Despite their whispers, Percy could still hear the peal of thunder that sounded at the mention of the great weapon. "What does this have to do with me?" Percy asked in a similar whisper.

"You are the thief." Percy almost choked on his indulgent cry. Dionysus shushed him quickly. "That's what they think, 'they' being the council. At a meeting, a couple weeks ago, it was revealed that the bolt was missing, and after a meeting held yesterday after your little spat with the hellhound, the council has deemed you to be the most likely to be the thief." Dionysus leaned back in his chair with a sigh, running his hand through his curls. "Not all of us, mind you, but a goo seven to five ratio. Your father wouldn't have you named a criminal, which is the only reason you haven't been brought before the council."

Percy didn't know how to feel about that. On some level he wanted to know his father cared for him, but on another he despised the thought of it. Poseidon could have chosen any moment in his life to help out, but only when the good name of Poseidon is being drug through the mud will he step forward.

"If it's any consolation, I also argued against you being the thief." Percy looked to the god again, confusion in his eyes. Dionysus rolled his own. "Look, I may not like you half-bloods, but I do know justice should be brought down on the real party here. And so does my father, given one of his domains is justice." He smirked down at the demigod, feeling pleased with himself. "And the other gods?" Percy asked softly, looking back to the floor. "Athena thought it smarter to do further investigating, Hermes figured you were way too fresh into this world to be an Olympic size threat, and Aphrodite thought you were 'just too cute'." Dionysus huffed, irritated that his consideration was so easily brushed away.

Percy made to stand up, but found his legs were still weak. Before he could tumble to the floor, Dionysus caught him and lowered him back into the cot. "Jeez kid, you'd think there was a fire nearby." He scoffed, missing the light blush that covered Percy's face. "If I'm a wanted criminal now, I should probably leave camp, right? This is the first place they'll look for me." Dionysus nodded with a hum, mulling over the options. "Well, you have been given till the summer solstice to clear your name and find the bolt, so you might want to start there."

Percy startled at the news. "What? When were you going to tell me?!" Dionysus gave another chuckle, standing out of his chair. "Assemble a questing group, you'll need two others with you. Come see me and Chiron at the Big House tomorrow, and we'll set you off on a quest." Percy was still stumbling over his own tongue with question, much to the humor of the god. "Good luck hero, you'll need it." With that, Dionysus was gone with nothing but the soft scent of wine in the air.

Percy gave a grunt of disapproval before falling back into his cot. Tomorrow morning he would ask around the camp, starting with the people he knew, and get him a questing party. He hoped it would go better than how most things seemed to go at this gods forsaken camp.

xXxXx

"I'm sorry Perce, but when I brought you into camp without any problems the Council of Cloven Elders thought I was ready for my searcher's license. I'm leaving at the end of the summer, and until then I have to do a lot of studying." Grover had frighteningly good puppy eyes, especially for being half goat. Percy sighed, scratching the first name off his list of people. "It's no problem G-man, you told me how important this was to you. I'd never ask you to give up your dreams for me."

Truth be told, Percy didn't think he even could convince the satyr to come with him. Ever since he pried the truth out of Grover almost nine months ago, he would always talk about how much he longed to become a searcher for the lost god Pan, like his father before him. It surprised Percy to see so much ambition from his friend who usually was meek and trepid around most things. Grover did help him find someone who, apparently, wanted to go on a quest more than anyone else at camp.

"Are you kidding? You're absolutely serious?" Annabeth had the widest eyes Percy had ever seen at the moment, her usual stern exterior cracking with excitement. "Honest. I want you to come on a very dangerous, probably life-ending quest to clear my name as a terrorist against Olympus." Annabeth was practically vibrating with glee. "Oh my gods, you're serious! Oh, I have start packing immediately! Give me like, three hours to make sure I don't miss anything!" She rushed back into her cabin in a blur of blonde hair, leaving Percy on the porch. He laughed lightly to himself, checking off her name and moving to the Hermes cabin.

"Hey Luke!" He called, waving at the counselor. He was standing outside the cabin with another camper that was facing away from Percy but turned when he heard the shout. "Alabaster?" The son of Hecate grinned wickedly at him; hands tucked into his pockets. "If it isn't the son of Poseidon! I knew there was something about you, Jackson."

Percy smiled at the brunette, feeling good about seeing the boy who saved his life almost two months ago. "So, what did you need Percy?" Luke questioned with a tight smile. "I was going to ask if you would accompany me and Annabeth on a quest, we're trying to retrieve the Master Bolt. Apparently, someone stole it." Alabaster's eyes flicked to Luke for just a second, before settling back on Percy. "That is interesting." Luke said, eyes glazing slightly.

He focused back on the demigod looking expectantly at him. "Sorry kid no can do. I went on a quest a couple years ago, never really recovered from it. I don't do quests." Percy frowned but nodded in understanding, looking now to Alabaster. The mage looked to Luke quickly, seeing the deep frown on the blonde's face as his answer. "I would, but I've actually got some more things to do for Chiron. Not every demigod is so lucky to have me at their beck and call like you did." He chuckled in a nasally way that was so obviously fake it made Percy cringe.

Clearly something was going on with him, but Percy didn't have time to investigate. He left the porch in disappointment, hoping his next stop would be the last. He knocked on the door of the Ares cabin, before remembering the last time he stood outside that door. With a deep blush he called out. "Clarisse? It's Percy, I need to ask you something."

The door opened to not-Clarisse, a boy who was much taller than Percy with dirty blonde hair and burning brown eyes. "Clarisse ain't here, she's in the arena with her toothpick." The venom in his voice was very present, as was the Southern accent. 'Georgia.' Percy thought to himself, before pressing on. "Alright, will she be back soon, or should I go to her now?" The boy in front of him leaned against the frame of the door, raking his eyes up and down Percy like he was reading a book. "She should be done in half an hour, but you're welcome to stay here with me if you'd like." He smirked at the younger boy, making Percy blush lightly. Why everyone at this camp had that effect on him, he would never know.

"I think I'll go see her. It's urgent." The boy gave a small pout. "Well, if you feel like hanging out don't hesitate to give a shout for little ole me. Name's Dallas, be sure to use it all you want." With a wink he closed the door, leaving a flabbergasted son of Poseidon wondering what exactly had just happened. He was still in a state of shock by the time he reached the arena, and by then he was in a state of confusion that rivaled all previous ones.

'Am I gay?' Percy thought back to all the boys he had met and found that most if not all of them had caused a serious flushness to his cheeks. Luke, Dallas, Alabaster, even Dionysus made Percy feel slightly fuzzy, but he was a god so that hardly counted. He thought of the girls he knew and found the blushing and stuttering brain didn't segregate the two. Clarisse had, on multiple occasions, made him feel warm and flustered after a particular flirty comment, and Annabeth made him feel special just by giving him a stupid job guarding a creek. 'So does that make me bisexual?' The answer would have to wait, at least until the quest was over. Right now he needed to recruit Clarisse, whose sweat covered body was not helping Percy think of something else at the moment.

"Fish face! What are you doing here?" She spun her spear once to adjust her grip and switch the point to face into the air. Sweat rolled down her body in beads, but Percy ignored it as best he could. "I'm going on a quest with Annabeth to retrieve the-"

"I'm in." Percy startled from his words and stared at the daughter of war. "What? You were gonna ask if I would go with you guys, right? I'm in, I don't need to know all the details till later." The way Clarisse grinned at him, leaning against her spear with her hip cocked to the side, had him flushed red and stammering out a reply. "W-Well, we're g-gonna be meeting in a, uh, in three hours at the Big House, so better get your stuff, you know?" Clarisse gave him a curious stare as he ran off, but just attributed it to the series of strange events taking place around here lately that were slowly shifting around her top ten list.

Percy raced off to the Big House with a beet red face, trying his best to avoid the stares of others. When he arrived, he found Dionysus and Chiron playing a card game on the large porch, with the legendary trainer seeming to be winning. "Damn you Chiron and your tricky ways, I'll never win against you." The god cursed, throwing his hand to the table while his opponent laughed good naturedly.

Percy cleared his throat to gain their attention, sitting down when Dionysus waved him to a chair. "So I assume you have chosen your fellow questers?" Percy nodded, taking in the great house before him. It had sky blue walls and a shingled roof, was three stories tall, and felt warm even just from the outside. "Is that where you got your current appearance?" Percy zoned back in on the conversation.

"What?"

"Your red complexion, was it due to one of the questers you chose? Maybe someone you fancy?"

Now Percy was even more flushed at the god's wiggling eyebrows and the small chuckle from his former teacher. "I don't know what you're talking about." He said lamely, falling on deaf ears apparently. "It is fine, my boy. We may not be youthful like you, but we know a thing or two about the romanceful life of the young." Chiron offered with a warm smile, while Dionysus gave a lecherous grin.

"So, did she have big tits then?" Percy spluttered while the god of wine hollered in laughter, bent over the table. Chiron shook his head with a sigh. "Mr. D, I'm sure even you can see that sometimes love takes hold past conventional means of beauty and lust." Dionysus nodded solemnly and Percy calmed down slightly. "So he had a big dick then?" More boisterous laughter filled the air as Percy dropped his face to the table and Chiron shook his head and began to scold the immature god.

Once the ruckus came to a simmer, Percy lifted his head and bit his lip. "So if it were a guy, that wouldn't be… looked down upon, would it?" He tested. Dionysus scoffed, almost spilling his can of Diet Coke. "You do realize who you're talking to, right?" At his blank stare, Dionysus sighed and looked Percy in the eyes.

"Look Peter, I'm a god, and you are a demigod. Everyone attending this camp is a demigod or connected to the gods by some for of parentage. As gods, we don't care for mortal statements on what should be considered apropos of sexual desires. We take what we want and who we want, especially in the bedroom. Our desires, and even our forms, are everchanging and fluid. I can't think of a single god who would give two shits about someone's gender or sexuality." Percy nodded along to the gods statements, starting to feel better about himself.

"Furthermore, you are our children, which means you inherit a lot of our way of thinking. You demigods think more like gods than you believe, and that shows in your preference for a sexual partner. I'm not say every camper here is gay, but I am saying that you aren't in a boat of your own when it comes to liking a bit of everything." Dionysus finished with a sip of his soda, leaving Percy in thought. "That's… actually really relieving. Thank you, Dionysus." The god stared at Percy in slight disbelief and was about to make a comment when Chiron cleared his throat.

"So, young Percy, now that you have learned of your quest and gathered your companions, there is only one step left before you depart. Seek out the Oracle in the attic and ask her for a prophecy. Once done, you can return down to us and we will set you off, if you are still sane afterward." Percy gaped at the foreboding words coming out of the centaur, but nevertheless nodded with a purposeful face and left into the Big House, aware of the pair of eyes watching him leave. He took the stairs up to the third floor and found the door to the attic. He pulled it open and ascended the ladder-steps, coming into a room full of dusty relics and a single, mummified corpse wearing clothes that belonged in a 60's memorial magazine.

He stopped in front of her, assuming she was the Oracle he was to speak to and voiced his question. "Uhm, miss Oracle?" Green smoke fell from her open mouth, tumbling to the floor and covering it in the misty fog. "Ssssspeak demigod, tell me what you sssssssseek." Her voice was what he could only imagine a snake would sound like if it could talk. "I need to know how to find the Master Bolt." The mummified Oracle spouted more green smoke, before answering with a prophecy.

"You shall go West, and face the god who has turned,

You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned

You shall be betrayed by one who calls you friend

And see your own home fall, in the end"

xxx

AN: So I hope that clears up some things, I've gotten the odd PM about Percy's sexuality and a pairing, and for the latter I'll just be straight and say I don't know yet, but just know they're will be several people before I settle on any one person. Next chapter will, finally, get into the quest for the Master Bolt!