Work Text:
Poison swirls around Percy, burning his skin and threatening to get through his eyes and lips to his internal organs. It takes all his power and concentration to hold them at bay. He’s back in Tartarus, tied to a post, all alone. The ceiling is black, occasionally lighting up with flashes of light from gods and primorials in their true form.
In front of him, Akhlys laughs sadistically.
“Did you think you could really get away from me, little hero?” Akhlys croons. She steps closer to him, and traces a finger down his cheek. “Did you really think you could get away from my misery?”
The harmful liquids press even harder against him, and beads of sweat form on Percy’s forehead. A drop of poison gets past his lips, and makes his mouth burn like he had just thrown up.
Akhlys laughs gleefully, and re-doubles her efforts. Poison slides in ears, over his eyes, up his nostrils, in his mouth, stinging and burning painfully.
“Look at you: weak and separated from your waters.” Akhlys mocks. “Your gods, your father can’t reach you here. You’re all alone; mine to torment, mine to kill.”
Percy is terrified. The ropes are laced with celestial bronze, so he can’t break him. The post is also celestial bronze. There’s no water around them. He knows he won’t get away this time. He’s dying. Akhlys forces his mouth open and liters of her poison shoves it way into his mouth and-
-Percy wakes himself up screaming. He’s in his room in Atlantis, but the door is open and in the dim lighting he sees a darkened figure standing over his bed, reaching towards him.
Percy doesn’t think; just acts on instinct. He grasps all the ocean water around him shoves it at the figure with enough force to instantly kill any mortal, or demigod.
The figure is thrown backward, slamming into the furniture behind them.
Fear and adrenaline still coursing through his veins, Percy has Riptide out in sword form in an instant and is vaulting out of his bed and swinging at the figure in the next second with superhuman strength and speed.
The figure backs up, but not before the edge of Riptide manages to catch them on the arm. Golden ichor spills out of the wound into the water around them.
The greenish-blue Greek fire lights turn on, and Percy freezes.
The figure in front of him is Queen Amphitrite, his dad’s wife. His step-mother, who has been nothing but kind, understanding and welcoming since his dad rescued him from Tartarus. Amphitrite, who sent hippocampi to help Percy on his quest to the sea of monsters, despite not knowing him. Amphitrite, who doesn’t hate him or fear him for being the child of two great prophecies. Amphrite who has always wanted to develop a kinship with him, especially after finding out that Percy used to sacrifice sleep to entertain her hippocampi and take care of the marine life around camp half blood.
Her green skin and normally colorful scales look pale. She stays where Percy had pinned her against his wardrobe, eerily still. There’s a broken bottle of nectar lying at her feet, and ichor dripping out of the wound on her arm.
Oh gods. What has he done?
Percy drops Riptide, staggering backward in horror.
“I’m sorry-” Percy chokes out, hating every inch of himself.
“Percy-” Amphritrite starts, but they’re both interrupted as a third figure comes swimming through the door at top speed.
Triton barely takes a second to assess the situation before he’s rounding on Percy, godly rage etched on every millimeter of his face.
“You dare attack my mother?!” Triton snarls, approaching him, and placing himself in front of his mother protectively.
“I didn’t mean-” Percy stammers, quickly shrinking back.
Triton has never really liked him. Before the final battle during the siege of Manhattan, he had seemed amused at Percy’s existence, the way one is momentarily fascinated with a particularly vibrantly coloured bug. After Poseidon had rescued Percy from Tartarus, Triton had been cold. He hadn’t spoken a single word to Percy that his parents didn’t command. Whenever Percy went into a room that he was in, Percy either found the water currents shoving him out, or saw Triton leaving. Whenever he looked at Percy, there was a layer of poorly hidden hatred.
None of the hatred is hidden now, and it's terrifying. Just as terrifying as Akhlys was, or perhaps even more.
“Triton.” Amphitrite places a hand on his shoulder. Percy can’t see her expression, can’t see much of her at all with the way Triton blocks his view of her protectively. “Sto-”
“After everything you’ve done. You dare. You made her bleed.” Triton snarls livid, bits of his true form leaking through his mortal, merman body. Percy is abruptly reminded that for all that Percy can fight with the strength comparable to gods and occasionally, momentarily overpower or scare them, he isn’t one, and he will never be.
“Triton!” Amphitrite snaps with alarm and anger in her voice.
Percy doesn’t notice. Triton’s eyes are pure white. There’s fangs poking out of his mouth. He’s beginning to glow, and it kind of hurts Percy’s eyes to look at him.
“I’m sorry.” Percy says, pleading. The ocean roars in his head, and everything feels like static. He barely recognizes his own voice. “I didn’t mean-”
“Get out!”
Triton flings out his hand like he’s going to smack Percy. Percy flinches hard, but the impact never comes. Instead, the world around him melts away. Percy doesn’t know how much later, but eventually the world re-materializes around him, and Percy slams into the ground.
For a moment, all he feels is pain. Percy rolls over to his side, and breathes. It’s a few minutes before he can open his eyes and look around. He’s on dry land. There’s cracked dirt underneath him, and a road that’s more of a dirt path in front of him. Bits of plastic bags and other litter surround the road.
Then he notices his skin. It’s red, and faintly steaming like the time he sat on Poseidon’s throne and nearly got smited for it. His head throbs like Triton took a hammer to it. His eyes burn and face is wet. Percy wipes his cheeks and looks at his hands, half expecting to see blood.
It’s just tears.
Triton had literally kicked him out, and dumped him at the side of the road with the trash. The message couldn’t be clearer.
Percy curls into a ball as he fails to stifle his sobs. His shoulders tremble with effort. He feels like he’s been cut into two. Everything had happened so fast; the nightmare, attacking Amphitrite and then Triton storming in.
He hadn’t meant to hurt her, but the memory of Akhlys had been so fresh, so vivid from his nightmare that he hadn’t hesitated. He had hurt Amphitrite. He had made her bleed. More tears slip down Percy’s face. He became a monster in the pit, and didn’t regain his humanity when Poseidon brought him out.
Triton was right. He doesn’t deserve her kindness.
Percy can only imagine how his father will react. He’ll be angry with Percy for sure. Percy has seen the two of them together; him and Amphitirte. Despite the fact that they occasionally take other lovers - with each other’s permission, it's clear as day that they love each other. Percy hadn’t seen another couple so devoted to each other, although Paul and his mom come at a close second.
As the tears dry on his skin with the heat of the sun, Percy wonders what his father will do to him. He’s not naive enough to think that Poseidon will choose him over his immortal wife, who he’s loved for eternity. Maybe he’ll be satisfied with Triton kicking him out. Or maybe he’ll find Percy and give Percy a piece of his mind.
His father has always tried to be kind and gentle with Percy, but Percy knows he has another side. It’s well documented in the myths; people who offended Poseidon getting killed violently: drowned at sea or getting hit with hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes.
Poseidon has done his best to be good to Percy, but Percy knows he isn’t an easy kid. He sent Medusa's decapitated head to him and the other Olympians when they were on the brink of war. Being obedient is a constant struggle. He had pushed back on his father’s orders, asking him to let Tyson fight in the Titan War and he’d seen glimpses of Poseidon’s anger. He sat on Poseidon’s throne and was nearly destroyed by the sheer force of his father’s rage. He woke up Typhon, the gods greatest enemy, and then emotionally manipulated Poseidon into sacrificing Atlantis to defeat Typhon.
Hurting Amphitrite is probably just the final straw.
Percy doesn’t know how long he sits there, feeling numb, scared and empty. Eventually he gets up. His limbs shake, and it takes him two tries before he’s on his feet. In the distance, Percy spots a small town and heads there.
By the time he reaches the town, he’s completely emotionally and physically spent. He’s sweaty and dirty and exhausted. He just wants to curl up somewhere and sleep. Maybe in his mom’s apartment. He doesn’t think he can bear her disappointment on top of everything, but he knows that she’ll love him and accept him, regardless of how monstrous he’s become.
One of the first few buildings Percy finds in an incredibly small train station. Percy treks inside, and approaches the front desk.
“Hi.” Percy croaks, and then clears his throat. The woman on the other side of the glass looks up from her newspaper and startles at his appearance. Percy doesn’t blame her. His eyes around probably red from crying, his skin tinged with pink from whatever Triton did and his clothes worn from trekking across the plains.
“Hi. Um. I need to get back to New York.” Percy says. He doesn’t have any money on him, but maybe he can do something for her. Sweep, or something else janitorial and she’ll let him go.
“Well, you’ll need a passport for that, hon.” The woman says. “We’re in Mexico.”
Fuck.
Mexico.
Triton hadn’t just kicked him out of the oceans, he had kicked him to the edge of their parthenon’s territory. Tears brim at the edge of his aching eyes. And here he thought he had run out of tears.
“I don’t have my passport.” Percy croaks, blinking hard. “Don’t have any money either.”
“Where’s your parents, hon?” The woman asks, eyeing him with no small amount of concern.
“Dad’s family kicked me out.”
“And you’re mother’s in New York?”
Percy nods.
“I’ll see what I can do.” The woman says. “For now, take a seat. Drink some water. I’ll be back.”
The woman hands him a cool plastic bottle of water, and something in Percy aches at the kindness. He takes it, sits down on the bench within sight of the door and the train ticket booth and starts sipping it. He spills a little bit on his face, arms and everywhere he can reach, and manipulates the water to move everywhere else he can’t.
It alleviates the pain in his limbs, slightly. He’ll need nectar, ambrosia or ocean water to fully heal.
Percy leans his head back on the old wall behind him and closes his eyes. He doesn’t quite sleep, but it’s restful.
A few minutes later the door slams open, startling him. Percy’s eyes fly open, and then his heart stops.
It’s Poseidon.
Percy carefully stands up as his father scans the tiny train station with urgency. His eyes land on Percy and he immediately strides towards his son.
“I’m sorry.” Percy says quickly, heart jack hammering in his throat. “I didn’t mean to hurt her. I was having a nightmare and I got startled. It was an accident; I would never-”
Poseidon reaches for him, and Percy flinches hard. The back of his legs bump into the bench and Percy nearly falls back into the bench.
Poseidon freezes, and lowers his hand slowly. “Percy-”
“I’m sorry.” Percy says again because whatever happens, it’s important to him that his father knows that, that Amphitrite knows it. Unshed tears fill his eyes, making his father’s figure blurry. “I didn’t know it was her. It was dark and I was just dreaming about Akhlys so when I woke up and saw someone hovering I just reacted-”
“Percy-”
“She's been so kind to me since you rescued me from Tartarus," Percy chokes out miserably, in his hysterical rambling. "I would never even wish ill on her for anything. Nothing. I know I've never been good, but I'm trying but it's not working, and I hurt her."
A horrible thought occurs to Percy. He had gotten lucky, in a way. The amount of power he used only gave her a bruises and a cut, but what if it had been his mom? Paul? Grover? Any of his demigod friends? They would've been killed instantly. "Maybe you should've just left me in Tartar-"
Poseidon snarls, suddenly angry.
Percy finally blinks and the unshed tears make their ways down his cheeks. Poseidon reaches out to him again, and Percy flinches, scared of what the angry god will do. Poseidon ignores it and grasps Percy's shoulder, and then he's pulled into a crushing embrace.
Oh.
One hand goes at the back of Percy's neck, and the other on the small of his back. Percy doesn't know if that's just how Poseidon hugs his children when they're distressed, but the way he's covering Percy's most vulnerable spots (neck and his old mortal spot), feels protective.
A strange warmth starts spreading from when his father's arms are touching him. It takes him a moment to realize that his father is healing him.
Oh.
He didn't push his father over the edge.
He's okay. They're okay.
And if his father is hugging him, then Amphitrite is okay too.
"Do not finish that sentence." Poseidon growls out, and then takes a shuddering breath. When he speaks again, his voice is much more calm and less emotional. "Listen to me, my son. I will not hurt you. Never. Regardless of what you do, intentionally or otherwise. You do not need to apologize for your trauma. Amphitrite and I both know that you might react violently when awoken because of your nightmares. Which is fine. We keep the mortal servants away from your room when you're asleep, and we wake you up ourselves to avoid this; because as powerful as you are, you are not capable of truly hurting me or Amphitrite. You're still healing, and we will continue to accommodate that. Neither of us are angry with you. We're worried."
"But Triton-"
"Triton is dealing - very poorly - with his own issues from the Titan War." His dad says, and starts petting his hair. Percy closes his eyes. It feels nice. He no longer feels like he's one word from emotionally collapsing.
"He lost many friends and family members in the war, and he's taking it out on you because you're the prophecy child and it's easier for him to blame you than accept my decisions, and the fact that we weren't powerful enough to defend our realm against Oceanus. Triton has considerable power; second only to the Olympian gods and a few of his immortal siblings. Facing Oceanus, and realizing that he's not as powerful as he thought has made him distraught. Amphitrite is yelling at him now. It was wrong of him to hurt you, and send you away. He will not do it again; I will make sure of it. I am sorry for how he treated you. You deserve better than that. He wouldn't say where he left you, so it took me a while to find you."
That - that doesn't make sense. Percy knows he's constantly pushing against Poseidon's instructions. He knows he's impertinent. Messes up just as much as he succeeds on quests. He'a gotten killed people. Failed at protecting his friends. Unleashed Typhon. Manipulated his friends and family.
Triton has good reason to want him gone.
His father sighs, and there's something sad in his voice. "You don't believe me."
It's a statement, not a question. Percy tenses slightly, but his father hushes him, and kisses the top of his head. "It's alright. We'll talk about it another day, when we're both calm. You're safe now, that's what matters."
The lady from the train booth comes back with someone who looks like the sheriff. Before they can say anything, Poseidon manipulates the mist. Percy watches both women exit, shaking their heads and looking like they don't remember why they came to the station in the first place.
For a long moment, neither of them say anything. His father just continues holding him and running his fingers through Percy's hair, while Percy slowly adjusts to the fact that he messed up, but it'll be okay, and he still has his father's care and protection.
"You must be tired." His father says at last. "I want to take you back to Atlantis. Amphitrite is worried about you, and wants to see that you're okay herself. Triton won't be there. Is that alright?"
Wordlessly, Percy nods.
Unlike earlier, the trip with Poseidon is seamless. One moment he's in Mexico, and the next he's back in his room in Atlantis. There's no unnerving sense that he's lost time, no disorientation or anything.
Amphitrite sees them first. Before Percy can untangle himself from Poseidon's embrace or apologize, Amphitrite is swimming towards them, and replacing Poseidon's hand in his hair with her own.
"Oh, Percy. You didn't hurt me, little fish." Amphitrite says, with a soft look on her face. She leans over and kisses the side of his head. "I'm not upset with you either. I heard you screaming in your sleep, panicked and tried to wake you. I should've stopped Triton from entering. I didn't know he'd be so vengeful. I'm sorry."
"It's alright." Percy says, leaning his head into her hand. And at this moment, he does feel okay. Exhausted, yes, but hovering in his dad's embrace next to his step mom (the best step mom ever, in his opinion) and being told in no uncertain terms that they're not mad at him, that they care about him, he feels much better. The nightmare of Akhlys telling him that he'll never get away from her misery slips away, replaced by a quiet contentment.
Amphitrite turns her attention to her husband, and taps his arm. When she speaks, there's something playful in her voice. "Thank you for returning him to me, dear. You can let go now. It's my turn to hug the little fish."
His dad's arms tighten the slightest degree around him. "No."
"You had your turn. Let go."
"No. He's my favorite son."
"And he's my step-son. What's your point?"
"... I'm not done hugging him. Come back in the morning."
"Uh uh. It took you 17 years to bring him home. Those 17 years were your turn. This is my time. Shoo."
"Shoo? This is my realm!"
"It's my realm too. What's yours is mine and what's mine is yours. Don't you remember our wedding vows?"
To Percy's absolute befuddlement, the two gods devolve into an incredibly childish and petty argument about who gets to hug him. It's completely absurd. Neither of their words are fighting or aggressive; they're having fun. Percy would think that it's entirely for his amusement, except he's seen them bicker about everything from their favorite sofa in the royal family's private room to one of their vacation villas like this.
They always come out of the arguments smiling at each other either smug (if they won) or fondly (if they lost). Percy hasn't seen anything like it. It's baffling, and yet something about the way they interact without any barbs, or the sense that they don't have to work to be worthy of the other appeals to him.
In the end, they compromise by having Percy unwrap one of his arms to hug Amphitrite as well. He's a little worried about getting squished between the two gods, but they're careful with him.
The end.