Chapter Text
At eighteen years old, Percy was starting to wonder if maybe (just maybe) his life was beginning to settle down into something of a normal life - or as normal as life for a demigod could be.
...and then things like this happened, and it was just a 'nope! Nevermind! Maybe we'll get 'em next time!' before chaos descended upon them all.
To be clear, it wasn't unusual for demigods to make that desperate leap of faith across camp boundaries when running from a monster. In fact, Percy didn't even blink as he noticed the dot making its way to camp. He yanked out Riptide, readying himself for whatever monster was chasing after the figure dashing to the camp. A few others paused - looking out at the person getting closer and closer. He couldn't see what was chasing the newcomer… nor did he recognize the person. There wasn't a satyr with them. How did they know where they were if they weren't a regular?
"Annabeth?" he called as he jogged towards the boundary lines. "Can you get Piper?"
Piper was usually the best person to have on hand when dealing with strangers. She could pretty much order them into submission, which Percy both detested and admired greatly depending on the circumstance. Annabeth gave a shout of acknowledgment as Percy readied himself for the demigod.
"Hey-" he began when the person crashed over the boundary line and kept running. "Hey, you made it," he said and reached out to stop them. There was a gasp, and within seconds he found himself crossing swords with a loud clang. The person had a red sweatshirt on - hood covering most of their face, but Percy felt a strange sense of familiarity strike him. "Calm down. You're in the camp," he told them.
It was strange. This person was clearly trained based on how quickly they had pulled out a sword and - wait. Percy did a double-take. The sword… His brows furrowed as he glanced down the length of it before looking at his own sword. What the…?
"What the Hell is this?" the person asked and shoved back his hood. Percy choked.
Come on. Give him one gods forsaken summer without this weird shit.
The person in front of him was… him. Sort of. There were differences. This boy's hair was actually… like… somewhat neat. Whereas his hair was wild and windswept, this Percy's was actually styled. It even looked like the very tips had some color to them - the barest hint of blue that might have once taken up more but had grown out. He also had the same white streak in his hair from holding up the sky.
Even outside of the hair, there was a strangeness about him. Bracelets and hair ties sat on his wrist and - was that a tattoo peeking out from under the sleeve? Percy couldn't be sure.
"What are you?" Percy asked and ducked when the Other-Percy yanked his sword back and went to strike again.
"I could ask you the same thing," he greeted and kicked out. Percy blocked. "Where are the others? Where did you put them?" Other-Percy swung the sword again. Another loud clang echoed when their blades met. From behind him, he could hear whispers from other campers. Small gasps fell over them all as they caught a good look at the newcomer.
"Put who?"
"Don't play games with me!" Other-Percy growled and went to hit again when his sword wavered. "Annabeth?" he asked and took a couple of breaths. "You're okay," he said. Percy looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, Annabeth was there with wide eyes and Piper by her side. Frank and Leo had also joined - looking equally alarmed.
"What is this?" Annabeth asked and grabbed her knife.
"Is he a monster?" Frank frowned.
"No, he wouldn't be able to get into camp-"
"A god in disguise!"
"Maybe he's cursed-"
Other-Percy's expression of relief flickered.
"You… don't recognize me?"
"Oh, I recognize you," Annabeth said and slowly crept up beside Percy. "But I don't know what the Hell you are," she told him, voice hardened with a threat as she grabbed Percy's arm. He let her pull him back slightly as the Other-Percy raised his sword again - eyes flickering around quickly. He reached into his sweatshirt and pulled out a water bottle.
"Put the weapon down," Piper said as she stepped up. Other-Percy stiffened. "Now."
A few people nearby obliged immediately. Other-Percy stared at her. His sword lowered slightly, but he didn't comply completely.
"You can charmspeak," he said, sounding surprised.
Piper jutted out her chin. "Put it down," she tried again. He let the sword fall to his side - then flicked off the cap of the water bottle and raised it slowly.
"Ooh, careful, everyone," Leo said. "He has adequate hydration."
"I can control water, dumbass," Percy hissed.
Leo shrugged. "But that isn't you. And you can stop anything he does," he said.
Other-Percy didn't respond to their quips. He only poured the water over his head and tossed the bottle to the side as more demigods gathered around him.
"Easy," Other-Percy said, and his eyes flicked around again as he shook off the droplets of water from his hair. There was a warning signal in the back of Percy's head. Why didn't he just dry himself off? What did he need the water for? "Nobody here wants to attack me," he said, voice soothing. Instantly, everyone relaxed. Percy frowned. What was this? He looked around to see Piper's knife lowering as Annabeth dropped her weapon altogether. Other-Percy's eyes quickly darted back and forth between the group before landing on Leo.
A concerning glint caught his eyes.
"Hey, there," he said softly, and Leo narrowed his eyes. "Could you come here for a second?" he asked.
Percy almost scoffed until Leo immediately took two steps forward.
"Hey!" he said sharply and went forward, but the Other-Percy raised his sword again in warning. Percy raised Riptide in response.
"Settle down," Other-Percy warned and turned his eyes back to Leo. "We're just getting to know one another. What's your name?" he asked and - no way. Percy didn't actually sound like that, did he? His voice was so soft and smooth. Angelic, even. Percy didn't quite know what to make of it.
"I'm… I'm Leo," Leo told him, looking dazed. "I- wait, we know each other-" he began, but Other-Percy shushed him, giving a slight wiggle of his fingers to gesture him closer. Leo hesitated. Other-Percy smiled, and to his utter bewilderment… Leo listened. He took another step forward. Yeah. As if Percy was letting that happen. He took a step to disarm him, but out of nowhere, Other-Percy lunged. He had been so focused on his sword, he hadn't seen the knife strapped to his thigh. Within seconds it was placed across Leo's neck while Other-Percy's Riptide raised up again.
"It's like Silena told me," he said casually as Leo swore loudly. "Sometimes you need someone to gawk at how pretty you are so they don't notice when you slit their throat," he said, tapping the blade tauntingly across Leo's neck.
"Let him go," Piper hissed, seemingly snapped out of whatever trance she had been in. She raised her own knife again. "Nobody here wants to hurt you!"
"Yeah, right," Other-Percy snorted. "Listen, I know the war is over, but you're out of your mind if you think I'm going to trust a bunch of campers I don't know," he said coolly and then grimaced at where Leo was still in his hold. "Sorry, handsome," he added. "It's nothing personal. You were just the only one I could see without a weapon," he told him with a note of genuine sincerity.
Leo said something under his breath in Spanish that Percy couldn't fully make out but doubted was very nice.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Frank tried and stepped forward. "Let's all take a breath. I'm sure we all have questions," he added. Other-Percy scowled. "Percy," he said, and both of them turned. "Oh, um, this one," he said with a nod towards Leo's captor. "You were running here. What were you running from?"
That was a good question. Percy had almost forgotten the initial greeting. Other-Percy went white, and his hand on the blade tightened.
"I…" he began and hesitated. "We were in my cabin," he said uncertainly. "I was… falling asleep and… she came and we… they…." Other-Percy frowned, voice wavering. "I was in a white room. There were pieces of… black?" he asked. "I was fighting it and I tried running but..."
Percy's heart thudded louder.
"What?" Annabeth frowned and shook her head. "What white room?"
A dim whisper of a memory touched Percy's mind. Something lodged in his subconscious as he remembered waking up for only a moment with Hera hovering above him. He gripped Riptide tighter.
"You're from the past," he said, and everyone turned to him. "You're only sixteen, aren't you?" Other-Percy stared but slowly nodded. "That means he's running from Hera."
"What?"
"I… I don't remember much of it," Percy admitted. "But… I think that when Hera took me from the Greek camp, she put me somewhere outside of the normal mortal world," he said slowly. "And she kept me asleep there. I only woke up once, and it… it was really fuzzy…" he admitted. "I wanted to move, but I couldn't, and then I just... went back to sleep," he said.
Other-Percy nodded. "I managed to move," he told them. "And then I was falling until... I was here."
Everyone looked at one another worriedly. Percy didn't blame them. A few other campers backed away. Time travel was a thing? Given that was Kronos' realm, it was a little concerning to hear.
"Okay, but even if you were in some weird pocket of time and space, that doesn't explain him," Piper said with a jerk of her head to Other-Percy. "Did you happen to escape to the future at one point? And when did you have hair like that?" she asked.
Percy bit his lip. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "He could still be a god in disguise."
Other-Percy snorted. "Rumor has it that I'm much worse than that," he said darkly and looked around. "Get me Silena." Percy frowned. It was the second time he had mentioned that name. "I want her. She is the only person I'll talk to," he warned.
Everyone looked at one another.
"Silena… who?" Frank asked.
Other-Percy's eyes narrowed. "Silena Beauregard. My sister," he clarified, and the entire group all seemed to grow completely silent at once. "Where is she?"
"What the fuck?" someone from behind Percy whispered.
"You're a child of Aphrodite?" someone asked.
Other-Percy blinked a few times before looking around, bewildered. "Am I…? Yes?" he said, confused. "I mean, don't tell my dad I finally admitted it, but yes," he said and then frowned. "Wait, you aren't?" he asked, looking at Percy.
Leo sighed. "I'm still here," he reminded him from under the knife. Other-Percy shushed him. "Oh, sure. Typical. My girlfriend is going to kick your ass," he muttered. "Have you heard of Calypso? Yeah, from the myths?" he asked smugly.
Other-Percy glanced down at him. "...the one Nico, Pollux, and I busted out of Ogygia?" he asked. Percy stared. The one he had what? Leo looked up at him for a few seconds before giving a small 'huh' under his breath. "Yeah, bring her here. She'll help me," he decided.
"Let's go back to before," Piper interrupted. "Who is your godly parent?" she asked him.
Other-Percy narrowed his eyes at her. A full ten seconds went by before answering.
“Poseidon and Aphrodite.”
"So you are a god."
"No."
"...I hate this guy," Leo muttered and met Percy's eyes. "No offense."
"My mortal mother is Sally Jackson," Other-Percy snapped, growing more irritated as he tightened his hold on Leo.
Piper made an alarmed sound. "So...you're a threesome baby?" she asked, sounding equal parts horrified and curious.
Other-Percy grimaced as kept his knife firmly against Leo's throat.
"What? No! I - well, I don't know what they do when I'm not around," he shuddered, "My mom had my half-sister Estelle and I'm pretty sure she's just Aphrodite's kid-"
"I have a sister named Estelle," Percy said. "She's Paul Blofis' kid, though."
"Blowfish?"
"No- Blofis," he corrected and then lowered his sword. "Wait, mom had a kid with Aphrodite?" he asked and then looked at Piper. "Can your mom have kids with other women?" he asked. Piper shrugged. Well, Apollo had children with other men, so sure. "My mom went for Aphrodite?" he tacked on. Weird. Weird, weird, weird, weird. "I don't understand how you're a kid of all three," he added. "And you don't know Paul?" he tacked on.
Other-Percy shrugged.
"Um, I know I Mr. Blofis at Goode High School?" he said. "He was my English teacher, but I got kicked out." Percy frowned. How did he get in if-? Nevermind. That didn't matter right now. "And to answer your other question, Sally had me with Poseidon, but I hid with Aphrodite. Who did you hide with?" he asked Percy.
"Hide? What are you-? I don't know. With Gabe, I guess?" he asked.
Other-Percy blinked. "Gabe… Ugliano? The mortal? He's a god here?" he asked, horrified.
"No, he's dead."
"Oh, good. He's dead where I'm from too."
"Good."
"Great."
Silence.
"Who are you people?" Other-Percy finally said. "Where is Silena? Bring her here, or I slit his throat," he warned and pressed the blade harder into Leo's neck, so a drop of blood rolled down. Percy narrowed his eyes. He didn't care if this asshole was wearing his face. He would boil his blood if he kept threatening him like that.
"Silena Beauregard is dead," Piper finally said. Other-Percy stiffened. "She's been dead for years. She died in the Titan War." Other-Percy turned to her. "If you want to talk to an Aphrodite kid, I'm right here. My name is Piper," she said.
Everyone held their breaths. Percy began inching forward - not trusting this to be well-received. Other-Percy stared.
"Piper?" he breathed out. "Mom told me about you at the end of the war. She said…" he trailed off and shook his head. "I don't understand. Silena was alive. She is alive," he said firmly. "I…" he began and then let go of Leo suddenly. "Is Drew or Michell here?" he asked uncertainly. "Maybe they can - Nico!" he said, and Percy whipped around. Oh, thank the gods. Nico had known about the Greek and Roman pantheons. Maybe he knew what this was.
Based on his expression… he did not.
"Percy?" he asked, bewildered, and then turned to where the actual Percy was standing.
"Yes, I- why do you look like that?" Other-Percy frowned. "What happened to you? You look awful," he said. Nico raised an eyebrow. "Why do you have both arms? Did Bianca finally bully you into taking your old one back?" he asked and then brightened. "Bianca! Yes, get her over here. She was there that night. She probably knows what happened. Nico, do you remember when we were in the cabin last night and - nope. You don't know me either," he cut himself off with a huff.
Nico slowly turned to the rest of them. "What did you do?" he asked quietly.
"I don't know! He just appeared!"
"And held me hostage," Leo added as he backed away back to the group. Other-Percy groaned and put his knife back into the holster in his thigh. Apparently, they were no longer considered dangerous, which was a little insulting, but Percy liked that his weapons were down, and Leo was released.
"Can I at least see Bianca?" Other-Percy asked.
Nico slowly turned back to him. "She's dead."
More silence.
"You have got to be kidding me," Other-Percy said and ran a hand through his hair. "I - honestly, Nico go take a nap," he snapped, irritated. Nico spluttered. "We talked about this. You can't stay up all night playing Mythomagic with Calypso," he said, which was just a confusing thing to say since Nico was pretty secretive about his Mythomagic ways and… was he friends with Calypso? "I'll tell Demeter," he added.
"What does Demeter care?" Nico asked defensively.
Other-Percy's mouth dropped. "How are you two alive?" he demanded. "Demeter didn't claim you?"
"Claim me? I'm Hades' kid!"
"I know! That's why she had to claim you! Like how Aphrodite claimed me!"
"I'm so confused," Frank muttered.
"Wait, Aphrodite actually claimed you?"
"Yes, that's how I survived!"
"Survived what?!"
"I- everything?" Other-Percy said and shook his head. "This is insane. What is this place?" he asked. "Were you guys not hunted?" They all stared back blankly. "Oh. You… weren't?" he asked and then put a hand on his hip. "Well, I'll be damned. Aren't you two lucky?" he asked, and Nico cleared his throat.
"My sister is dead."
"So is mine," Percy said, and Piper shook her head.
"You just said Silena was-"
"Not that one," Other-Percy waved her away. "The Poseidon one. Evelyn," he said. Percy's mouth fell open. He had a sister? "You know, from the 1940s?" he asked, and Percy's excitement died away. Oh.
"Yeah, well, obviously she's dead, dumbass. That was over seventy years ago!"
"I- wait, she didn't come back?" Other-Percy shouted and threw his sword down. "What have you people been doing here?"
Percy raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, recently, I went to Tartarus."
An awkward moment passed.
"Ah," Other-Percy said and then nodded. "That is super unfortunate for you," he said, and Percy snorted. "Okay, look, this is fun, but I need to figure out what's going on," he said, running his hand through his hair. "Are kátaras safe here?"
"...like the girl from Nickelodeon?" he asked.
Other-Percy put a hand over his mouth and said something under his breath in - was that French? He turned to Piper, who looked equally alarmed as she raised her eyebrows.
"Do you kill children of the Big Three?" Other-Percy asked more bluntly. Everyone stared for a few moments - digesting that question before Annabeth finally choked out a response.
"No!" she managed and shook her head. "How could you even think that?"
"Because they do where I come from," Other-Percy said and shook his head. "Is this like… a weird alternate reality?" he muttered. "That is somehow better and worse than my own?" he asked.
Percy wasn't really sure how this place was worse than someplace where Big Three people were apparently killed. Was it because he went to Tartarus? Percy didn't have the heart to tell him that if he truly was from the past… that might still be in the cards for him, too.
He opened his mouth to ask how he even got here when there was a shout of alarm.
"WE FOUND ANOTHER!" Clarisse's voice cut in. Percy drew Riptide out again as Other-Percy whirled around. "We thought she was with us, but then she started asking about Jason and trying to kill us," she said, shoving a struggling girl forward. Oh, no.
"Who's Jason?" Other-Percy asked as the girl suddenly jerked free and lunged. A few campers scattered, but Percy moved forward to stop her. She probably wouldn't recognize him, but-
"You-" Reyna breathed out, halting her attack. Oh. Okay. Weird. So maybe she did recognize him. Her weapon hovered. "You're the boy from the mountain," she said, voice somehow soft and stern at once. Um. What?
"Not quite," Other-Percy said and leaned around Percy to wave. "Hi. I believe you said your name was Reyna?" he asked. Percy straightened up and looked between them. He and Reyna… already knew one another? How? When? Why? Reyna blinked.
"There are two of you?" she muttered and took a step back. "What is this place? Why…?" she trailed off.
Leo raised his hands. "Have the Greeks and Romans already met where you're from?" he asked. Reyna and Other-Percy turned to him simultaneously.
"Greeks?"
"Romans?"
"Alright, that sounds like a no," Leo muttered. "My bad."
"Annabeth was right," Other-Percy said, which at least was one thing that sounded familiar. "The Romans do exist. Hazel wasn't wrong when she said her father was Pluto…" he trailed off.
"You know Hazel?"
"She was a tree in the demigod garden," Other-Percy shrugged. Everyone stared at him. "Do you know about that garden?" Percy shook his head. "Really? This place is bizarre," he said and ran a hand through his hair. "Wait, wait, wait - who is the reigning god in this universe?" he asked curiously. Everyone exchanged wary glances.
"Um, Zeus…?"
"Is that to imply Jupiter is no longer in charge of ours?" Reyna asked and raised her spear. "It was you, wasn't it? I knew something strange happened that day. What did you do to him?" she asked coldly. Other-Percy raised Riptide and took a step to the side, so they circled one another.
"I put him in his place," Other-Percy said coldly. "He murdered innocent children. He would have killed me! Are you going to say he didn't do the same bullshit on your side, Roman?"
Reyna jutted out her chin as she kept her spear raised - dark eyes sparkling with danger.
Percy, for his part, was a little concerned. Put him in his place? What the Hell did this version of him do? He turned to look at Annabeth with wide eyes. She seemed equally concerned by the conversation, so at least he wasn't alone. Reyna shifted her spear.
"You have no idea what you've done."
"I put the right god on the throne. Athena is more than capable-"
"Athena?" Annabeth interjected. Her voice raised an octave. "That's who's in charge of where you're from?" she asked.
Other-Percy's eyes moved to her for a moment before refocusing on Reyna.
"It isn't that simple," Reyna said, ignoring Annabeth completely. "You think you can trade off higher powers without consequences-"
"You're a hypocrite," Other-Percy told her. "I can tell just by looking at you that you're the same as me. Maybe not a kátara, but you've done things to protect one," he said. Percy glanced at him. Reyna's grip tightened around her spear. "Who have you killed to protect?" he asked lowly.
Reyna's breath caught. "Only monsters."
A hint of a smile touched Other-Percy's lips.
"But not all of them turn into golden dust, do they?" he asked. Reyna said nothing. Other-Percy lowered his sword. "I won't judge you for it." He pursed his lips. "Did Hera take you?" he asked. Reyna nodded. "Why?" he frowned, shaking his head. "What do they want with us?" he frowned.
Okay, that Percy could answer.
"She's going to wipe your memory," he said quietly. Reyna and Other-Percy turned to him. "I've lived through this - or some of it. Hera took me and put me in the Roman camp with no memories to unite Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood," he explained and then frowned at Reyna. "She did the same with Jason, though. Not with you," he added to her.
"Jason?" Reyna snorted and shook her head. "It would be dangerous to wipe his memory. I'm surprised you survived him," she said with a touch of fondness. Percy didn't know what that meant… again. Jason had been pretty docile when he arrived from what he heard. They both had. "She wants to unite Greeks and Romans?" she asked. "Wiping us seems counterintuitive. There are better ways of-"
"It's more than that," Other-Percy cut in bitterly. "She wants my memory gone because I can't hold them accountable without it," he said in disgust. "Typical. I tell them to raise their standards, and they make it so we can't remember the standards," he said and sigh. "The others won't let her get away with this," he said. "They'd have to wipe more than just me." He threw Riptide into the ground to take his sweatshirt off and tie it around his waist.
Percy stared at the tattoo that crawled up his arm. It seemed to move along with him - vines with green and golden leaves that morphed into blue waves with lines of silver.
"Camp Jupiter isn't prepared for any of this," Reyna said warily. "And with me gone…" she trailed off with a shake of her head. "There isn't a praetor."
"What about Jason?" Percy asked, confused. "Aren't there supposed to be two of you?"
Reyna blinked. "Have you… met Jason?" she asked slowly. Percy frowned at her. "He hates that camp. I guess he was technically a praetor for a bit, but he stepped down the first opportunity he got."
Percy frowned. That did sound like the Jason he knew, but for different reasons. Jason never hated Camp Jupiter. He just liked Camp Half-Blood more after everything.
"Well," Frank interjected. "There still has to be someone else aside from you, right?" he asked. Reyna raised an eyebrow.
"Nope," she said and shifted her spear over her shoulder. "I see you're wearing the praetor cloak yourself," she added to him. Frank's hand jerked his hand to the clasp around his cloak. "You must trust your co-praetor a lot to be here rather than there," she mused and then shook her head. "The last praetor caused some… problems," she said and then grimaced. "Jason took care of the problem."
Other-Percy pursed his lips. "How so?"
"Well," Reyna said calmly. "When he found out my co-praetor was causing problems, he decided the easiest solution was to rip his throat out," she said. Oh. Percy nodded slowly. Okay, he could see the differences in their Jasons a little more clearly now.
"He sounds like a real peach-" Other-Percy muttered only to cut himself off by the shadows morphing around them. Oh, good. Hazel. At least, Percy had assumed it was Hazel, given that Nico was here and no other demigod could shadow travel outside of them.
It wasn't Hazel. Percy's luck didn't work out like that. A loud clang followed alongside a string of swearing that probably shouldn't have come out of someone so young.
"...ow," the person ended with and sat up. "Traveling between various dimensions sucks," a second Nico di Angelo said and then promptly threw up in the grass. Other-Percy gawked for a full ten seconds before snapping out of it and kneeling beside him.
Percy turned to his Nico and stared."I have no answers for any of this-" he began but was cut off by Other-Nico gasping.
"Oh my gods, it's me!" he said, looking downright delighted. "I- what happened to me?" he frowned. Nico scowled back in return. "Am I usually that pale?" he whispered to Other-Percy.
"This takes on a new meaning to self-deprecation," Nico muttered. "I - why do you have a metal arm?" he demanded.
Other-Nico glanced down before a feral grin touched his lips. "I lost it while holding up the sky," he said, and Other-Percy rolled his eyes. "No, no! I got it eaten off like Captain Hook-" he began but was shushed up Other-Percy. "What? I need a good story!"
"You have a good story," came the half-irritated and half-amused response. "You cut it off yourself to keep from going insane. How is there a better story than that?" he asked.
Nico choked - hand fluttering to his own arm in alarm. Percy didn't blame him.
"Excuse me?"
"Hercules," Other-Percy said as if that cleared anything up. "...you didn't have the Curse of Hercules here either?" he asked with a frown. "I…" he said and then shook his head. "Oh, whatever. Here." He helped Other-Nico up. "How did you get here? Did Hera kidnap you, too?" he asked as he let the other boy lean on him with a yawn.
"Nah, I… oh, gods. Bianca is going to kill me," he muttered and rubbed his eyes. "Bianca said she needed to talk to you about something. There isn't much time to explain," he said and faltered again. "I had to get, like, three hellhounds and harness their powers to shadow travel after you. There's no way I'm getting back by myself," he added with a grimace. "But, listen," he said and shook his head. "Our dad told us some stuff. Bianca is going to look after this Reyna girl - oh, hi," he added when Reyna cleared her throat. "And I'm in charge of you."
"...in charge of me?" Other-Percy repeated slowly and readjusted his grip on him. "Uh-huh. Let's pretend like I haven't been saving your ass for the past couple of years," he muttered. This seemed to perk Other-Nico up as he glared up at him.
"Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Let's-Get-You-Claimed-By-Demeter-But-Also-She-Immediately-Knew-The Truth-So-Actually-You-Suck-At-This," he snapped.
Other-Percy paused. "Alright, fair enough," he said and looked around. "Is there somewhere else we can go? Because as much as I love standing around, my brave protector is about to pass out here," he said.
Nico jumped before spinning around to yell at Will to get over here. Percy almost laughed at him before Will really did appear. What kind of sonic hearing did that boy have? He was almost impressed as Other-Nico jolted at the name.
"You."
"Oh, Nico, please," Other-Percy complained.
Will stared between Reyna, Other-Nico, and Other-Percy before turning to them. To his credit, his shock only lasted about ten seconds before he walked over to the younger Nico and pulled some stuff out of his bags.
"Not going to question the weirdness of this," Will informed them. "But - whoa, you have a metal arm?" he asked, looking down. Other-Nico shrugged. "You're like Bucky!" he said brightly.
Other-Nico frowned. "Who the Hell is Bucky?"
"...I can't tell if that's a joke or not," Will said and then glanced over his shoulder again. "Here, drink some Gatorade. We can get you to the infirmary. And, uh, why is there a younger version of my boyfriend with a metal arm here again?" he asked, going around to Nico's other side to haul him up. There was a yelp as Other-Nico scrambled up.
"Boyfriend?"
"Called it," Other-Percy said as Other-Nico shot him a scandalized look. "Sorry," he added.
"You are not my boyfriend," Other-Nico said vehemently. Will blinked. "You are my mortal enemy and maybe my friend… sometimes," he said with a grumble.
Will gave a small nod before turning to his Nico, who shrugged.
"I also considered you my mortal enemy sometimes," he said solemnly. Will stuck out his tongue in return, and Nico grinned. Other-Nico stared between them in pure betrayal. Then paused as confusion touched his face.
"...so I am gay," he said to himself. He turned to look back at Percy. "Why didn't you tell me about this?" he demanded.
"What makes you think I knew?"
"You're an Aphrodite kid!"
"Nico, that's something you have to figure out yourself," Other-Percy told him.
Nico spluttered. "I can't believe this," Other-Nico said. "I- oh my gods," he said with a horrified look at Will. "You're pretty and blonde." He dug his feet into the dirt, so Will had to stop in leading him away. "I like a blonde boy - I, no way, I'm you," he added to Other-Percy (who looked somewhere between insulted and smug). "I can't believe this!"
"Percy liked a blonde boy?" Leo asked. Wait.
"Annabeth is a boy in your universe?" Percy asked, bewildered. Other-Percy turned to him in confusion.
"No?" he said. "He's talking about Castor," he said. Percy stared. Other-Percy stared back. A full ten seconds passed.
"Like… Mr. D's kid?" he finally asked, trying to wrap his head around the mere idea of it. Other-Percy nodded. Huh. Well… um, what? He turned to Annabeth, who was also in a state of shock before Frank calmly suggested they move this to the Big House.
The walk there was silent. Reyna and Other-Percy were kept separated as other campers all scattered - possibly to spread the bewildering news. Castor. Castor? As in Pollux's brother? Well, Nico said he just liked a blonde boy… still, Percy had such limited interaction with Castor that even a crush seemed impossible.
He glanced over. This was so bizarre… what did they even do with them? And Nico? Who had apparently managed to shadow travel through dimensions? Yeah, it felt like that was just casually glossed over. He looked back to his Nico. Was he that powerful? Honestly, he might not put it past him. Harnessing hellhounds or not, that was just impressive.
"Alright," Annabeth said calmly as they all settled into one of the bigger rooms. Leo casually flicked his hand to start the fireplace. "Chiron should be coming soon. He'll know what to do to get you back to your… time and universe," she said uncertainly. Other-Percy grimaced, tapping his fingers across the oak table they had all sat in. "I think it's clear there are quite a few differences in our worlds," she added.
"Yeah, I would think-" Other-Percy began, but his voice broke when the door opened. "-so," he finished softly. They all turned.
"Pollux," Percy greeted. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Someone said my brother's name was mentioned. I wanted to investigate." Other-Percy swallowed before he shifted back. That was fast. "Holy shit," he added as he looked across the table. "That is so weird…" he breathed out. "Is… is Castor here?" he asked, a little hopefully. "Or, like, a version of him?"
Everyone turned to Other-Percy.
"Um…" he began, and his voice broke. "No. No, you… you're both dead where I'm from," he said and bit his lip. Pollux's expression went blank. "Is… Castor alive here?" he asked. Pollux shook his head. "Ah," Other-Percy murmured. "I see."
"How did I die?" Pollux asked curiously.
Other-Percy flinched. "I would rather not talk about that," he said and shook his head. Pollux stared. "It… it's good to see you again, Pollux," he said quietly.
Pollux looked at him for a couple seconds - confusion evident on his face before he nodded.
"You mentioned my brother's name. Why? You guys were never close."
"We… weren't?" Other-Percy asked and then moved his chair back to show the sweatshirt around his waist. "We were where I'm from," he said.
Pollux stared at the sweatshirt before a strange look touched his face. "He gave you that?" he asked. Other-Percy nodded. "Huh."
"I kind of stole it, actually," Percy admitted. "He gave it to me, and I said I wasn't giving it back. We were dating, so I didn't think it mattered much," he explained.
Pollux's brows raised. Then he turned to Percy, who had to fight to keep his expression neutral. Alright, so they were dating. Interesting.
A few more awkward minutes passed before Pollux finally seemed to have gotten what he came for and left without another word. Other-Percy watched him go with sad eyes. He wondered what happened to his version of Pollux for him to look that sad.
"I never even knew his name," Percy said to him. Other-Percy tilted his head. "Castor's. Not until after he died," he said.
For a second, he was worried he might have offended him with that comment. Other-Percy only sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"Then you're both far luckier and unluckier than me and my Castor," he grimaced. Other-Percy looked over at Annabeth. "...are you two dating?" he asked, gesturing between them. Oh. Yeah, they hadn't officially established that yet, had they? Percy nodded. "Damn, I really do have a thing with blondes," he muttered.
Reyna snorted. "Be careful. Jason's blonde," she warned him.
"I'd rather not get my throat ripped out, thanks," Other-Percy said.
Percy felt a stab of panic at Jason's name. No, no, no. Not going there.
Leo spoke up next. "How were you able to charmspeak?" Piper snapped her fingers and pointed to him. "Was that because Aphrodite blessed you or…?"
"For me, it's technically siren-speaking," Other-Percy shrugged. "I need water to do it, and it works a little differently than actual charmspeak, but it's the closest I can get," he said. "I can do other stuff too. Enchant people, alter perceptions, show them their desires - I don't use that stuff as much," he admitted. Percy wrinkled his nose. Could he do that? "Rhode taught me," Other-Percy added.
He shook his head. "Who's that?"
Other-Percy might have answered but was cut off by the door opening again. Chiron walked in - not at all shocked by these random visitors. In fact, his expression changed from worried to mere exasperation as he saw the second Percy sitting at the table, giving him a charming grin.
"Hey there, Chiron," he greeted, "It looks as if I'm a little lost."
"Yes," he said dryly and let his hooves clop softly as he moved further into the room, ducking underneath a light. "I've already informed the gods-" he began. Other-Percy's light smile disappeared within seconds. His hand jerked to the knife at his thigh again.
"You got the gods?" he asked and stood up, knocking the chair back. "Where's Nico? Not you," he added when Nico looked up at his name. "My Nico. The disaster," he clarified, and Nico flipped him off. "Damnit, Chiron-" he began as he eyed the infirmary through the window.
"Child, you are not of this world. You need to go home-"
"I wouldn't be going home. I would be going to get my memory wiped and thrown in some Roman camp, according to him," he said with a nod towards Percy. There was a heavy sigh. Whoops. Was he not supposed to say that? It wasn't like he was going to remember anyway. "No offense, but you're kind of useless in these situations, Chiron," he muttered and looked around before turning to Reyna. "Your thoughts?"
"I want to get back home, but not with my memory wiped," she said and bit her lip. "But I'm not seeing how we can achieve that without a god. Your friend could barely get himself here," she said and then turned to Nico. "Would you be able to transport us?" she asked. "You're older. Maybe more powerful?"
Nico opened his mouth to respond, but Chiron cleared his throat.
"It is not wise to mess with time and space," he warned, "You being here could already impact our universe as well as yours," he said. Other-Percy narrowed his eyes. "Hera is aware of your presence. There is no hiding for you."
"...he is useless," Reyna muttered. Percy frowned at them, opening his mouth to defend Chion when the door (once again) slammed open. Other-Nico had joined them again - looking downright crazed as Will casually followed him through the door.
"WE HAVE TO LEAVE!" he announced and ducked under the table to get to the side Percy was at. "Bianca is apparently dead here. No, thanks. Let's go," he said, and Other-Percy gave a weak smile.
"I'm not sure we can," he said with a bitter look at Chiron. "Hera is coming... traitor," he added under his breath but looked around. "I guess I would rather be in a universe where Silena is alive."
"I want to be in a universe where Bianca is alive," Other-Nico said and looked at his older self. "And where I get adequate sleep."
"I like living in a universe where I have two arms," Nico told him dryly. "And I have a boyfriend," he tacked on.
Other-Nico scowled at him. "...whatever," he muttered, and from outside, a bright light flashed over them. "I wonder who that could be," he said dryly, wringing his hands. Then looked around. "Did you really lose your memories?" he asked Percy. He nodded. "Did… I lose my memories?" he asked, glancing at the other version of himself who shook his head.
"So… I have to do this alone?" he asked, voice rising. Other-Percy glanced down at him. Whatever trepidation was on Other-Nico's face flittered. "But I'm not going to let you down," he added on gently. "You did take care of me. I can do the same for you."
Other-Percy smiled weakly.
"You're just a kid. I don't know what Hades said to you," he told him and put a hand on his shoulder. "But you don't have to do anything, okay?" he said. "The hard part is over. We made it through. Whatever is next should be easy," he whispered. Nico smiled weakly, but it seemed fake.
"Easy," he agreed, and Hera's voice suddenly shook the building.
"JACKSON!" she boomed. Other-Percy rolled his eyes.
"Why isn't she yelling at you?" he asked Reyna and stepped out of the room. The other hesitantly filed out behind him. Hera was on the hilltop - sending demigods all scattering in various directions as they tried to get away from her. Absently, Percy wondered if there were different gods in different universes or if technically they were slivers of one being thrown across various spaces and times. "HEY!" Other-Percy yelled as they stepped out. "YOU LEFT THE DOOR TO YOUR WEIRD CHAMBER UNLOCKED!"
"You have some nerve," she hissed, looking down at him. Reyna pushed past him and up to Hera as the others all gathered around. Frank was whispering something lowly to Annabeth as she watched the interaction with uncertainty. They were wondering if they should get involved. Percy wondered the same thing.
"You think she'll wipe out memories of this, too?" Piper asked him quietly. Another good question. He watched Reyna speaking to Hera with narrowed eyes. There was a snapping sound, and suddenly, her eyes rolled towards the back of her head. Nico jerked forward - possibly forgetting this Reyna wasn't the one he knew - but her chest rose slowly as a white tear suddenly appeared - like a crack in a painting that shimmered with white light. Swirls of black were weaved around the outside.
Percy turned to find his own eyes digging into him.
"Your story isn't happy either," he decided. Percy leaned away - a little taken aback by the certainty behind that statement. "What did they do to you? The gods?" he asked. Percy stared. Then looked around for a moment before answering.
"I didn't have to hide," he said and shook his head. "But they just kept… taking." The Other-Percy pursed his lips. "I think if they took one more thing, I would break," he admitted quietly. "But, I mean, it should be over now," he said, trying to sound confident. "I… I get to go to school." He smiled weakly. "In New Rome. I can go to college there. Get married. Grow old."
"You think?"
"I hope."
"They're trying to shut you up," the Other-Percy said softly. Percy felt a lump in his throat rise. He knew that. Deep down. "They're trying to give you what you need, so you won't be a problem. You shouldn't trust them," he warned. Percy looked away. "If Zeus is still in charge…" he began, but Percy shook his head.
"What did you do to him?" he asked.
Other-Percy's eyes glittered. There was something unsettling about him. He was reminded of when the Demeter kids sat them all down to show them the difference between non-poisonous and poisonous flowers. The poisonous ones always looked... harmless. Pretty. Percy would probably be the idiot to touch them if someone didn't point out they could be dangerous. There was a similar gleam in this version of himself. He wondered if he had it, too.
"He's not a problem anymore," he said and shook his head. "If he's being a problem for you..."
"I don't want any more bloodshed," Percy said, "I'm tired. Enough blood has been spilled."
Other-Percy gave a light laugh.
"It isn't bloodshed," he promised and glanced out the window. "Gods have ichor. Not blood. They aren't human. They can't bleed," he said and put a hand on his arm.
Percy thought to Luke. How during the second war, his thoughts had oscillated a bit more towards his side of things. "You aren't human either," Other-Percy told him quietly. "So whatever normalcy you think you can have… don't rely too much on it. I gave up on that the second I entered Camp Half-Blood. Then again after Castor died," he added on quietly.
Percy's stomach twist. "You loved him?" he asked. Other-Percy smiled a little, shifting his knife a bit.
"Yeah," he said and shook his head. "But it's over now. Maybe… maybe… this memory wipe thing won't be so bad," he said uncertainly. "I won't have to think about him so often," he grimaced. "You and Annabeth?" he asked. Percy smiled. "You love her?" Without a second of hesitation, Percy nodded. "Well," Other-Percy said lightly and reached out to tap his arm. "Then they didn't take everything."
"Definitely not everything," he agreed and hesitated. "Hey, listen. I know you won't remember, but… don't give up on a normal life, okay? We're half-human, too," he said.
Other-Percy smiled weakly at that and nodded. "I'll try to keep that in mind," he said with a snort and then looked him over. "Speaking of which, the human side of you could use some moisturizer," he grinned. Percy raised an eyebrow. "Just a suggestion. Being a demigod is stressful. Worry lines are more common for us," he said with a wink. Then turned to Leo. "Sorry about holding you hostage," he said and gave a flirty salute. "But you were an excellent damsel," he told him. "Tell your girlfriend I said hi."
"I don't like this version of you."
"Aw, but I like you," he said, and Leo flushed. "I really don't get how this works," he said, looking at his hands. "Maybe I do have love magic," he muttered, walking off to where Hera was waiting. "Oh, and Piper?" he added turning to look at her. Piper warily looked back at him. He tilted his head. "Did you come to camp while I was missing?" he asked. A beat passed and she nodded. "You better be nice to my siblings," he warned her. Then grinned. "Drew is going to eat you alive," he said and without waiting for a reaction, turned away again. Piper scowled at his back. Then turned to Percy as if he was responsible for this.
A few feet away, Hera's eyes were still blazing with fury as she glowered down at everyone. Other-Percy smiled at her in greeting. "Wipe my memory, and I will make your life Hell," he told her merrily. Percy scoffed as he caught a flash of movement next to him. He reached out.
"Nico," he said and grabbed his arm before he could join the others. "Hey, listen to me," he said quietly, and part of him wondered if this was cruel. No, it… this was a different universe, right? Nico's feelings might be different. "When you get back to your world, Thanatos might be gone," he said. Nico frowned. "You can sneak people out of the Underworld." It sounded like Hazel is already gone, but… "There is a chance I might fall into Tartarus, and if I do… I'll need someone to help me through it," he told him. Nico's eyes widened. "I think you know of someone down there that could help him."
"Castor…" he breathed out and shook his head. "She'll wipe my memory, too. Not of everything, but at least this," he said.
"Try to cling to this one," Percy told him and then squeezed his arm. "And...hey, one more thing you need to remember. Listen to me, okay?" he said, gripping tighter. "Do not go looking for the Doors of Death, do you understand me?" he asked, and Nico bit his lip. "No. You grab who you need and get out of the Underworld, okay? Tartarus will suck you in. Do not go looking for those doors, okay?" Nico gave a short nod - eyes wide with fear. "Say you won't."
"I won't," he said, and Percy let go of him, relief coursing through him. Hera might take away his memories of this, but maybe something in his subconscious could help keep him away. When he turned - the older Nico was watching him.
"Think that will do much?" he asked as the younger version of himself scrambled away - pulling out a Mythomagic card from his metal arm to present to Hera solemnly. Percy shrugged and put his hands in his pockets.
"Worth a shot," he said and then looked him over. "You okay? With the Bianca stuff?"
Nico pursed his lips. "Yeah," he finally said. "I like that she's out there… somewhere," he said and glanced at the tear of white. "I wish her luck, though. That place they're from… it seems like a disaster. I wonder what awful higher force runs that mess."
"Their Fates seem incredibly cruel," Percy agreed with a shiver. "How messed up do you gotta be to even think of something like that?" he asked as Annabeth circled back to him.
"Definitely in need of some therapy," she told him. "I wish them luck, though," she said as they all disappeared into the tear. Percy bit his lip. For a second, he met his own gaze again, and Other-Percy smiled. His eyes flicked to Hera and then back to him. The silent whisper was there. A voice egging him on.
Don't let them get away with it, it seemed to whisper. Good luck.
Percy's fingers twitched to his pen.
"Good luck," he echoed and then glanced towards the lake in the distance. Slowly, he turned to where Piper was still watching the light disappear. "Hey, Pipes," he said and she looked at him. "Want to help me figure out what this siren-speaking thing he was on about is?"
"You want to learn?" she asked.
Percy shrugged. "You never know," he said and threw his arm around Annabeth. "I never really played too much with my powers. I just used them as needed... maybe I should study up a bit," he said and glanced at the sky. Just in case. After all, if that version of himself had taken down Zeus...
...well, it was never a bad thing to be over-prepared.