Chapter 2: Story 2: Welcome Back, Jason
Jason groggily opened his eyes, his head pounding as he sat up, trying to process what had just happened. He had been resting in Elysium—peaceful, calm, and at ease for the first time in what felt like forever. And now? He was back in his body, and not only was he alive, but surrounded by five girls who were staring at him with a mix of awe, fear, and excitement.
One of them, a blonde girl with wide eyes, took a cautious step forward.
Girl 1: "Holy shit! It worked! We summoned a demon!"
Jason blinked, looking around in confusion. His heart was racing. A demon?
Jason (internally): What the hell is going on?
He rubbed his eyes and stood up, swaying a bit as the ground beneath him felt oddly unfamiliar. He was no longer in the peaceful fields of Elysium—no, now he was in some kind of dark, run-down room, with arcane symbols painted on the walls and a strange, cold atmosphere hanging in the air. He could barely process the situation when one of the girls spoke again.
Girl 2 (excitedly): "Did you see that?! The ritual was supposed to bring a demon back from the underworld. We... we actually did it! We summoned someone!"
Jason (still disoriented): "What? No! I'm no demon! I'm just—"
Girl 3 (interrupting): "Wait, hold on a second! This is... this is impossible. You look just like him!" Her eyes narrowed. "Jason Grace, right? From Camp Half-Blood?"
Jason froze, his mind flashing back to his life as a demigod—the memories of fighting gods, Titans, and the constant battle for survival. He remembered how he'd died in the battle against the forces of Gaea, fighting until his last breath to protect his friends.
Jason (internally): Wait... Camp Half-Blood? How do they know about me?
Jason looked at the group of girls, trying to piece together what was going on. These weren't normal people; they had that look—an air of mystery and power, like they knew things Jason couldn't even comprehend.
Girl 4 (looking cautiously at him): "You're really... Jason Grace, aren't you? You don't look like a demon, but the energy you're radiating..." She trailed off, looking confused but fascinated.
Jason: "I... I was in Elysium." He shook his head, trying to make sense of what was happening. "I was dead. Why am I here? How am I back?"
Girl 5, who had been silent up until now, stepped forward, her voice quieter than the rest. She tilted her head slightly, studying Jason with an intensity that made him feel like she could see straight through him.
Girl 5: "This is... strange. We thought we could summon someone back from the dead, but a demigod? A hero from the world of the gods? I wasn't expecting that." She glanced at her friends before turning back to Jason. "We were trying to summon a demon to help us with a task. But it seems... the ritual must have worked differently than we thought."
Jason's confusion was growing, and he felt a flare of annoyance rising up. This was not how he imagined coming back to life. Not that he had expected to come back to life at all.
Jason: "Why would you summon me? I'm not some... demon. I'm a son of Jupiter. A demigod." He rubbed his temples, still trying to understand the situation. "And why do you even know who I am?"
The five girls exchanged uncertain glances. Finally, Girl 1 spoke again, though her tone was more respectful now.
Girl 1: "We've been following your stories for years. Your battles with gods and titans... your adventures with the other heroes. We thought that if we could summon someone of great power, we could..." She hesitated. "We need help. A great war is coming, and we need a warrior who can stand against the darkness that's coming."
Jason: A war?
Jason's heart sank. He had been through wars before, but this time... it didn't feel like just another battle. There was something darker, more ominous about it.
Jason: "You dragged me out of Elysium for some war? I just—"
Girl 2: "We didn't mean to pull you out of peace, Jason. But we didn't have a choice. The world is changing, and we need someone strong to lead us through the coming darkness." She stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Please, help us. You're the hero we need."
Jason took a step back, running his hand through his hair. He felt a mix of anger and confusion, not knowing what to say.
He had just come to terms with the fact that he was finally at peace. Now, it looked like fate—or whatever gods were involved in this mess—had other plans for him.
Jason (sighing): "This is insane. I thought I was done with all this. I didn't ask for this. I just wanted peace..." His voice trailed off as his gaze flickered to the girls, who were looking at him with hope in their eyes.
He let out a frustrated breath, his mind still spinning.
Jason: "Fine, I'll help. But you're going to have to explain exactly what kind of war this is. Because I'm not going in blind again."
The girls exchanged relieved looks, and Girl 5 stepped forward, smiling softly.
Girl 5: "Thank you, Jason. We'll explain everything. The darkness is coming, and we can't do it alone. You're not just a hero; you're the hero we need."
Jason nodded, his determination starting to resurface. He was back, and whatever this war was, he wasn't going to run from it. He had faced gods, monsters, and Titans before. This... this was just another challenge.
But something about this felt different. And as he looked around at the five girls—each with a different power and purpose—he realized that this time, it wasn't just about him. It was about all of them.
And maybe, just maybe, they could stop whatever darkness was coming together.
But first, he needed answers. And for that, he had to trust these strangers... these mysterious girls who seemed to know way too much about him.
Jason: "Alright. Let's hear it."
Jason was sitting on a plush, overstuffed chair in one of the girl's rooms, trying to make sense of everything. But instead of facing down an epic war or preparing for an army of terrifying monsters, he was holding an Xbox controller, staring at the TV screen as "Elden Ring 3" played.
Jason (internally): Was I tricked?
He shifted uncomfortably in the chair, his gaze flicking over to the group of girls, who were sitting around him with eager smiles. They were all watching him intently, waiting for him to do something impressive. Apparently, summoning a dead demigod wasn't just for a war—it was for gaming.
Girl 1: "Come on, Jason! You have to defeat this boss! It's the ultimate test of strength!"
Girl 2: "Yeah! We were told you could fight anything. Now show us you can beat the Elden Ring 3 boss. We need someone who can handle this level of chaos!"
Jason blinked, still processing. He had been brought back from Elysium, dragged out of peace, and summoned by these... gamers? For this?
He glanced at the screen. The boss was a giant, spiny creature with glowing red eyes, spewing fire and chaos. Jason frowned.
Jason: "So... this is the war? Fighting a video game boss? Are you all... serious?"
Girl 3: "Absolutely! This game is insane. The world is at stake here, Jason! We need you to focus. You've fought gods, Titans, monsters—this is just a different kind of fight."
Jason: "Right. A fight where I have no powers, no lightning bolts, and I'm holding a controller..."
Girl 4: "Yeah, and you can't use that excuse anymore. You're a demigod! You're supposed to be good at everything!"
Jason groaned. The controller felt foreign in his hands. How did people even play this? He had been more accustomed to wielding a sword or calling down lightning, not pressing buttons. Still, with the girls watching expectantly, he figured he had no choice but to give it a shot.
He pressed the wrong button, and the character on screen stumbled and fell, getting incinerated by the fiery boss's attack.
Jason: "Okay, okay, I get it. This is... hard."
Girl 5: "Don't worry, Jason! You're getting there. I mean, sort of."
Jason (internally): I really should've stayed dead.
He tried again, this time managing to dodge a few of the fiery blasts, but ultimately, the boss still crushed his character like a bug. The girls cheered, but Jason wasn't sure if it was out of genuine support or just out of pity.
Girl 2: "You're doing great! This is your warm-up!"
Jason: "I'm dead again, how is this a warm-up?"
Girl 1: "Well, technically, you were dead before, so it's like... a second chance?"
Jason threw his hands up in frustration. Was he really stuck in a video game?
He had faced down monsters, giants, and gods, but nothing in his training had prepared him for the true battlefield of Elden Ring 3.
Girl 4: "Alright, alright. Let's switch it up. Maybe we should try something else. Like a party game. Something fun."
The girls scrambled to grab other games, throwing Jason a few more controllers. But Jason just sank back into the chair, trying not to scream.
Jason: "Next thing you're going to tell me is that I'm now stuck in the Matrix and I have to learn how to win at Fortnite."
Girl 3: "Ooh, do you want to play Fortnite? We have that too!"
Jason let out a long, exasperated sigh, sinking deeper into the chair. He had just come back to life for... this? He thought he was going to fight a literal war. Instead, he was fighting pixelated monsters while the girls cheered him on.
Jason (internally): You know what? At least this is better than Tartarus. Barely.
As the girls threw on a game of Super Smash Bros next, Jason couldn't help but wonder if he'd gotten himself into a new kind of "war" altogether... one where no one actually cared about monsters or Titans. They just wanted to see a demigod fail miserably at video games.
And, for some reason, he had a sinking feeling that this was only the beginning.
To be continued
Yes I brought Jason back just so he can join this story