The Godless Tide

by sams_ashes

Summary:

The faint sound of some old country song trickles in from the car’s radio, the tap-tap-tap of his fingers on the steering wheel alluding to his nerves. Percy had always known he would one day return to the godless place he had once called home, however short a period of time that may have been. Sometimes, it was all he could think of, in the quiet moments after sharing laughs with those closest to him, the ones he called family. He thinks of what could have been, had Jason not died, had Bruce not sent him away, had he not discovered his heritage.

The What if’s? plaguing his every thought. It had gotten better as he had grown, learned to embrace the world around him rather than resent it. He made life long friends, he lost some, he had fallen in and out of love, he graduated high school, he’d gone to college. So many life changing experiences, and yet, he still found himself longing for the dreariness that was home. And so here he was, in a car gifted to him by his godly sunshine cousin, driving himself back to where it all started. Gotham City.

Notes:

Not only is this my first fic, but English is also not my first language. I am open to constructive criticism and suggestions. Happy Reading:)

Chapter 1

The faint sound of some old country song trickles in from the car’s radio, the tap-tap-tap of his fingers on the steering wheel alluding to his nerves. Percy had always known he would one day return to the godless place he had once called home, however short a period of time that may have been. Sometimes, it was all he could think of, in the quiet moments after sharing laughs with those closest to him, the ones he called family. He thinks of what could have been, had Jason not died, had Bruce not sent him away, had he not discovered his heritage. 

The What if’s? plaguing his every thought.  It had gotten better as he had grown, learned to embrace the world around him rather than resent it. He made life long friends, he lost some, he had fallen in and out of love, he graduated high school,  he’d gone to college. So many life changing experiences, and yet, he still found himself longing for the dreariness that was home. And so here he was, in a car gifted to him by his godly sunshine cousin, driving himself back to where it all started. Gotham City. 

Chapter 2: Home Sweet Hell

Percy let out a sigh as his vehicle approached the LEAVING NEW YORK sign.  Going back to Gotham hadn’t been an easy decision, if anything it may have been the hardest decision he had ever made. He had felt so much less conflicted when he had the weight of the world on his shoulders–literally and figuratively. 

 

At this rate, it wasn’t up to Percy anymore, he had to see his family. Who knew when or if he would even be allowed to see them again. Deciding to become a year-rounder at camp wasn’t a decision he took lightly, logically he knew his family could protect themselves and him if need be, but in all his 12 year old wisdom he ultimately decided to stay away, if not for his family’s safety, then his own sanity. 

 

See, when he was 9 his mother, Sally, was diagnosed with some rare form of cancer, and by the time he was 10 she was already gone. Here’s something everyone should know about Percy’s mother: she was the kindest, strongest person you could ever meet. She would bake the most amazing cookies and always had a small hidden stash of candy she would bring home from work. She would read him stories and constantly show her love for her only child whenever possible. They had a tradition, where whenever he was out of school and she could take time off work, they would go visit Montauk. That was where she and his father, Poseidon, Greek God of the Sea, not that Percy knew who he was at the time, met and fell in love. His mom would always tell him the best stories there, under the stars and cuddled up against each other toasting marshmallows in the fire. 

 

Her death was not the most tragic thing he could think of, no, the most tragic thing Sally Jackson had ever done was marry some repulsive excuse of a man named Gabriel Ugliano.

 

You see, Percy hadn’t known it just yet, but when his mother decided to marry Smelly Gabe, it was to hide Percy’s scent from the monsters. What good that did him, since he and his mother were basically living with one. He was so sure that if his mother ever found out what Gabe had done to him when she wasn’t around, she would have packed their things up and left, but Percy didn’t tell her. She already did so much for him, why would he cause her more stress, he had been kicked out of nearly every school he’d ever attended, and with her diagnosis, Percy decided that her health and happiness were more important than a few odd hits here and there.

 

It wasn’t like he didn’t deserve them, or at least, that’s how he felt as a young boy, manipulated into thinking his failures were the reason he was mistreated in such a way. Not that Percy had realized it at the time, but his mother may have also fallen victim to his step father’s hand, nowadays he considers her death a small mercy, for she would no longer have to suffer under the careful manipulations of that man.

 

After his mother’s death, things were quiet for a bit. He was still in school, silently grieving, until that fateful incident involving a bus and a loaded cannon. He was expelled right then and there. Of course, Gabe had been forced to come to the school to collect Percy and his things, he was furious, practically seething. And when no one else was in sight, he grabbed 10 year-old Percy by the ear and dragged him off to his car and practically screamed his ears off, it was clear Gabe had been drinking, maybe the school had called in the middle of a gambling session. By the time they got home, Percy had a sinking feeling that it may have been his last night alive. What happened that night didn’t just leave physical scars on him, but even now at his big twenty-two years of age, he would sometimes wake up screaming in remembrance of what had happened. 

 

It was unclear to Percy how he had survived that night, perhaps some unknown deity saw and took pity on him, because a mere few hours after Percy had received the beating of a lifetime, he found the strength to get up, pack what little necessities he could, make sure Gabe was asleep and crawl out of their fire escape.

 

From there, Percy spent months on the run, not that there was anyone on the lookout for him. Most of that summer had passed in shoplifting, odd jobs and nights on the streets, that is–until he arrived at Gotham.

 

—-----------------------------------------------------------

 

When the radio signal started to fade, the frequency slipping away as he drove farther from the city he called home , Percy reached towards the car’s screen to switch to some album Apollo had downloaded onto it. When Green Day started playing, he relaxed marginally. From the moment he had gotten into his car, all he could think about was that short year spent in the Wayne household. He and Jason had gotten along like a house on fire, in the beginning, at least.

 

They couldn’t stand each other, constantly sniping at one another, pulling pranks and tricks and neither boy would call it quits until the day Dick Grayson showed up. It seems the younger boys had formed a strange alliance with one another, they still pulled pranks on each other of course, but one of their favorite pastimes was pissing off Dick, who was significantly older than them, and with his near constant arguments with Bruce, seemed more childish than them sometimes, which was saying something since Percy had definitely inherited his mischievous streak from his dad. 

 

Over that year in which Percy had lived with the Waynes, he grew to care for Jason as a brother, and Bruce as somewhat a father figure. And let’s not forget Alfred, that man is probably the only reason they were alive and still a family, a true saint for having to deal with all of their shenanigans. He had even warmed up to Dick eventually, although he had stopped visiting a while before Jay’s death.

 

The family never actually gave Percy any proper excuses since they hadn’t actually told him about their secret nighttime activities, that's not to say that he didn’t already know what it was they did that had them constantly exhausted and nursing injuries they thought were well hidden. People never truly cared to credit Percy’s intelligence, he wasn’t an idiot, it was not sheer dumb luck that had him leading them through two wars.

Just because he didn’t announce it to the world did not mean Percy wasn't strangely observant of the world around him, it was how he discovered the identities of the family he was taken in by not three weeks after they had found him. Of course, Percy already struggled with wanting to feel normal as it was, so he never clued them into the fact that they had been made.

 

 It didn’t matter anyways, after his brother’s death, and his subsequent expulsion from the school Bruce had him enrolled in. He had gotten into a fight with some asshole who was talking about Jason, loudly . Percy had had enough, he was already dealing with his papa closing himself off from the world, for acting as though he was the only one grieving. What about Alfred? What about Dick? Was Jason not his brother? Did Dick even know that Jason was dead or was Bruce so caught up in grief that he forgot to tell his own son that his brother was dead. What about Percy ? Had he not already been through enough when Bruce finally decided to ship him back off to New York.

 

Taking in a deep breath–Percy tried banishing those thoughts from his head. It was already a struggle, trying to keep his emotions in check. He shouldn’t pick at the already scabbed over wounds in his soul, just try thinking of what is now and what is to come. Would his family accept him back readily? No, of course not. Percy wonders what he will have to do to earn their trust. Not back, he doubts he ever had their trust, not even as a scared child. Well he thought there’s no going back now as the WELCOME TO GOTHAM sign appeared ahead.

Notes:

How is this so far? I'm not sure how regularly update but will do my best on that front. School is starting up again soon so i might not be able to do as much as I'd like. Anyways, happy reading:)

Edit: 11/08/25
i noticed some spelling mistakes lol, i will also probably be posting another chapter or two sometime this week🙃

Chapter 3: Welcome to the Jungle

By the time Percy’s new apartment came into view, Apollo had already begun dragging the sun away with his chariot, making way for his sister Artemis to raise the moon. A sleek glass-and-steel exterior that somehow reflected the lazing sun as it settled behind the smog and gothic buildings—essentially a Gotham Starter Pack. As he put the car in park and grabbed the stuff he had taken with him out of the car–it was just some old beat-up duffel bag he’s had for as long as he could remember that contained a few things, and in particular an item he held dear; an old photo album his mom had made.

 

It was one of the few things he could sneak out of Gabe’s apartment that last night. Of course, it didn’t only contain images of him and his mother, over the years it had filled up more than he would have expected. With images from his time with the Waynes to the time spent at both camps, and even Atlantis. Turns out, it is surprisingly easy to use his abilities to keep the camera from getting wet. The bag also held some necessities like his toiletries, a couple of drachmas for communication, an emergency supply of nectar and ambrosia, his wallet and a phone. Leo Valdez is a true miracle worker; he and a few kids from Cabin 9 and Cabin 6, they managed to create a fully functioning phone that would not attract monsters to the demigod using it.

 

Soon, Percy inserted the key into the lock. As the door opened, letting him peer inside his new abode, he groaned in frustration. He was not born and raised into riches despite his short adoption and heritage. Percy Jackson did not like feeling bought, although that is not what this was because as soon as he had let his underwater family know about how he was planning on moving back to Gotham, after they lost their shit for a few hours of course, his father and brother had not only insisted funding him, but also outright buying him the penthouse of some definitely expensive building in Crest Hill, not renting, buying .

 

Triton also insisted on adequate security. In his words, “No sane being would willingly choose to live in Gotham, especially after leaving it!” and, “Brother, if you truly believe Gotham is where you must go, at least let me make sure you won’t be murdered in your sleep. ” It was a bit insulting to hear. Percy fired back, “I can take care of myself, Tri! Have some faith in me, will you?” And no, he definitely wasn’t pouting as he said it. Anyways, not that he wasn’t grateful for all the support they continue to provide him with, but he felt like it was a bit much. Something he actually believes he could not have done on his own was properly furnish his apartment in the way it deserved, no, that job fell to Amphy. She just had him describe what things he’d have liked and she dealt with it. 

 

Now that he’s actually seen his apartment, he can’t help but send up a prayer to them in thanks. There’s a faint sound of waves crashing surrounding him in reply. It’s almost exactly as he imagined it would be, as though Amphitrite had peered through his mind and imprinted what she saw into the apartment. It had a view of one of Gotham’s rivers, as though his father was saying, “I’m watching you.” Percy wondered how his father would fare through all the city’s pollution. It was absolutely disgusting, and he doubted even minor sea deities could stay there for more than a short time.

 

 The apartment itself had a cozy vibe to it, similarly decorated to the cabin at Montauk his mother would rent out. It had an island kitchen and sea blue couches, the walls decorated with shells which had slight metallic accents to match the clock hung up on the wall above a television. The rooms were similarly decorated, with walls painted ocean green to match. His dresser and cupboards were already filled with clothes—both regular mortal wear and traditional Atlantean garb, with a few Greek chitons thrown in. That was great; Percy couldn’t be bothered with the hassle of unpacking and repacking.

 

Just as he was about to throw himself on the bed, his stomach grumbled. Oh right Percy thought I haven’t eaten in a few hours, guess it’s time to check if the fridge is stocked . The fridge was stocked, Percy was just too lazy to cook anything, and anyways it was his first day back in this godless city— why not just go eat at a BatBurger? So he set off to do just that. As much as he would have liked to drive, he felt the need to reconnect with the place—even if it meant dodging a mugger or two.

 

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Percy groaned as he stood from the booth he was sitting at, picking up his trash along the way to dispose of it. Slaying monsters every day really took a lot out of a guy. As soon as the remnants of his meal was in the bin, he headed towards the door where he bumped into someone. A boy somewhere around his age, significantly shorter than him. He had jet black hair and striking blue eyes, and his features spoke of Asian descent, with a baby-face, and that's not to mention his eye bags that were deeper than the Mariana Trench. Looks like the kid hasn’t had a good night’s sleep in weeks. 

 

“Sorry.” the boy muttered, while staring down onto his phone, he hadn’t looked up the entire encounter.

He only looked up when Percy replied. “Nah, you’re good. Should’ve watched where I was going.” he said while rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and sporting a sheepish grin. Oh shit Percy thought that’s Tim Drake, one of Bruce’s other kids . Without letting his smile drop, he groaned internally, It’s only a matter of time before they find out I’m back in Gotham .

 

There was a flash of something in Tim’s gaze, not recognition, but something close. Percy decides to get out of the kid’s way before he actually recognizes him, he does not know who to thank for the boy’s sleep deprived state but whoever it was, they deserved a big smooch on the cheek. 

 

With his rushed exit, he did not notice when the other boy let out a soft “Huh” as he turned and walked up to the cash register. Percy made it home in nearly half the time it should have taken him, nerves eating at him he decided to just get ready for bed. Today was overwhelming enough, and he needed to gather his energy if he wanted to do anything the coming day.

Notes:

Happy Reading:)

Chapter 4: Caught in the Rain

Notes:

disclaimer: none of these characters belong to me, they belong to DC and Rick Riordan

It’s been a few weeks since Percy officially moved back to Gotham, and it was starting to feel a little bit more like home with each passing day. Don’t get him wrong. Gotham definitely has its issues, just last week he had been pickpocketed by some kid who looked like they may have been no older than ten, but that assumption may have been wrong, with how many homeless or malnourished children this damned city houses. The only reason he noticed was because of how much time he had spent around Hermes and his children, honestly you would think they have better things to do other than dealing in petty theft. Whatever. He had better things to do, like loudly pondering over the price of blueberries.

 

“Seriously Frank. This is outrageous! Why in the ever-loving fuck does a small box of blueberries cost thirteen American dollars? Even New Rome isn’t this damn expensive,” said Percy in a conversational tone, speaking to his close friend, Praetor Frank Zhang, over the phone. 

 

Frank chuckled out an “I don’t know Percy, it kind of is your fault for moving to a place that has abnormal produce prices. Speaking of, how is Gotham so far? We’ve been kind of hoping that the news is being excessive in their description of it.”

Percy let out a wistful sigh. “It really isn’t that bad where I’m living. Around the upscale neighborhoods, it’s no worse than New York. Unless, that is to say, you’re around The Narrows or Crime Alley where, honest to the Gods, you could get shot for your TV being too loud at any time. Not to mention the number of fur-brained vigilantes that regularly patrol there”. He heard Frank let out a slightly concerned snort before he spoke again.

“Yeah about those fur-brained vigilantes ,” he said with a slight scoff before softening his voice slightly, “ Have you contacted your family yet? I know it must be hard, being back home after so long. And that you need time to settle, but Percy you cannot avoid them forever”. He was about to reply when he spotted something. No, not something, someone,   Alfred Pennyworth, a few aisles down. The old Wayne family butler, who acts more like their grandfather than anything. Alfred is probably the only thing keeping The Bats alive and sane.

Letting out a string of curses, Percy rushes away to another aisle, hoping he wasn’t spotted. He may have gotten lucky with Tim, but he of all people knew that absolutely nothing got past the old man. You would assume he’s a legacy of Apollo with his affinity for sniffing out bullshit and lies. 

 

Due to his sudden silence, his friend grows a bit concerned. Only a bit, because anyone with their head on the right way knew Percy could basically handle anything that throws itself in his way. Before Frank got the chance to speak though, Percy said “ Way to freaking jinx me. Man, I just saw Alfred walking down the fucking store aisle! There’s no way I’m getting out of here without him recognizing me and somehow dragging me to Sunday dinner!” with a strained voice, as if trying to keep his voice down to keep Alfred from recognizing it. Never mind the fact that he hasn’t seen or heard from Percy in ten years.

With a small wince, Frank goes “Sorry dude. You really do have rotten luck, but I’m guessing it was bound to happen soon anyways. He hasn’t spotted you yet though, right? There’s still a chance to get away without getting spotted if you really feel that you’re still not ready for this.”. 

 

Percy takes in a deep breath, mentally counting to ten. Frank was right, it was going to happen whether he liked it or not. At least this way, he could reintroduce himself on his own terms.

 

“Nah, I think it’s time to face the music. Won’t be able to run and hide from these guys. Even when they’re unaware of it, they can be persistent as shit. Thanks buddy, I’ll talk to you soon.” And with their goodbyes, Percy promptly hung up the phone. After doing a final check off of his grocery list, he quickly paid and deposited his groceries in his car. 

 

Thankfully, Gotham did not get very hot, it was also currently raining and all his refrigerated items safely packed away in a freezer bag, he made his way to a covered walkway by the store. Despite how many layers he was wearing: leggings under some cargo jeans, two-layered t-shirts, and a hooded jacket on top of it all. Sue him, he ran cold like a fish, as some of his friends liked to say. Which wasn’t exactly wrong considering the fact that he was technically half fish. He was going to be there for a while, it seemed like Alfred was shopping for a feast, and considering the fact that it was Friday, he was probably preparing for Sunday dinner.

 

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Perhaps less than an hour had passed since Percy found himself waiting outside the store, having spent some of the time on his phone just reading about some ocean documentaries, when he caught the familiar sight of the person he considered a grandfather once upon a time, finally leaving the store, groceries in hand. It takes him a split second to decide what to do. 

He shoved his phone back in his pocket and quickly made his way to Alfred, while making sure his hood was up and that he wasn’t subconsciously keeping himself from getting wet. Keeping his head down and slightly slowing down his pace, while trying to not make it obvious what he was doing; he bumps his shoulder into the other man’s, not hard enough to hurt him but enough to make him drop a few bags.

After letting out a small sound of surprise, Percy stops in his tracks and turns around to face the oh so familiar man who had a good hand in raising him, and lets out about half a dozen apologies.

“Oh geez I’m really sorry about that. Gods, I really should watch where I’m going.”, says the demigod, who’s been bent down trying to pick up the old butler’s groceries. 

 

The older man takes a moment before replying with no hesitation, “It’s quite alright, young man. Accidents are bound to happen in this weather. Thank you for-”. It seemed that he had stopped breathing for a moment, which was honestly a somewhat valid reaction, because there, looking up at him was the young boy his son had taken in nearly twelve years ago. There Percy was, not quite a young lad anymore, kneeling on the wet floor, looking up while handing Alfred the groceries he had dropped. Percy, who he had not seen or spoken to in the past ten years, the little boy who was now a man, who went missing at the age of twelve. 

 

Here was Percy Jackson. Back in Gotham, looking as though he had never left it.

Notes:

Happy Reading:)

Chapter 5: Old Friends

Percy knew the exact moment that Alfred had recognized him. He knew it in Alfie’s held breath and the way his eyes had roved over Percy’s face, as though he thought he was imagining things—that he’d finally gone senile in his old age.

 

Percy also knew when exactly Alfred had accepted the fact that he was back, that Percy was back home in Gotham. That he was alive and doing somewhat well for himself. And so, pushing himself up from the ground to finally stand before the man, mustering up all the courage he could, he said:

“Hey, Alfie. Long time no see.”. With a small, hesitant smile, eyes roving across the face of the other man, as if wondering whether he truly recognized and accepted that the boy standing before him was someone he had once grown to care ab out.

 

“Master Percy,” Alfred breathed out before dropping his bags back on  the floor and gripping the boy in a tight embrace. He held him as if he were something special, as if he were still worth something to him. “I’ve always known you would return home to us.” he said, his voice slightly choked.

 

It didn’t take Percy more than a moment’s hesitation before he wrapped his arms around Alfred just as tightly as he was being held, if not tighter. “Yeah, well,” he started, his voice cracking, “It’s not like I could be kept away forever.”.

 

And there they stood, grocery bags discarded on the wet floor, embracing each other in the rain. It was quite a sorry sight, honestly speaking, the rain was probably influenced by Percy’s own inner turmoil; in the past five minutes it had shifted from a light drizzle to a steady shower.

 

 If he didn’t know any better, Percy would have thought Gotham was crying for them. It was a running joke between locals that Gotham held her own consciousness. And knowing what he does about the metaphysical, he would not put it past the wretched city to be somewhat alive.

 

He was spiraling. Damn ADHD. 

 

Whatever. With that Percy eventually took a step back from Alfred, though he was still holding him by the shoulders. He was now taller than him, which was great because at some point in his childhood Percy wondered if he was destined to be a short king forever. Thank the Fates for his father’s genes pushing through. Do Gods even have genes?   His mother’s as well, she was a bit over average height from what he could remember.

 

They both held small, genuine smiles on their faces. Even the rain couldn’t ruin this moment. “It is good to see you, Master Percy,” said Alfred. The pride in his eyes seemingly couldn’t be diminished.

 

Suddenly feeling a bit bashful, his cheeks warming up. Percy looked to the ground as though trying to find something to distract him from his grandfather’s words. Hey, would you look at that? I’ve got a good grandfather! Alfred is so much better at this than Kronos. They’re not even part of the same dimension.  

 

As if suddenly remembering what Alfred was doing out here, Percy lets out an “Oh, your groceries! Here let me help you get these to your car.” And with that, Percy picked all the bags up from the floor and they started making their way to Alfred’s car.

 

Alfred could hear him muttering something about “-doing with all that damn money? Why can’t he hire some people to help Alfie, huh? He isn’t getting any damned younger.” 

 

He let out a small chuckle. His boy hadn’t changed, after all. He was just the same as he left, but at the same time Percy was a completely different person. Alfred did not miss the haunted look in his gaze, nor the scars on the skin that was left visible. 

 

There was also that white streak in his hair, so similar to Master Jason’s, and yet he chose to ignore it for the moment. The family will be thrilled to have him back. Interrogations could wait until later.

 

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

After helping Alfred put his groceries in the car, he is promptly told to get in.

 

“Ah, I really shouldn’t. See, my car is over there,” replied Percy while pointing over at a dark blue Audi RS7, “And I also have some things I need to put away as soon as possible. But you could come over! I’m staying in Crest Hill, not too far from the manor if you’re worried about a commute.”

 

Alfred, stared at him for a moment, lips pursed, before he agrees to follow Percy home. Not before he makes Percy provide him with his phone number, and only after making sure it works does he let Percy get into his car. No way was he going to let him give him a false means of contact.

 

—---------------------------------

 

It seems as though Percy has done quite well for himself, Alfred thought while being led into the penthouse of a luxury building in the wealthier parts of the city. 

 

He is directed to a couch in the living room. It was surprising how such an apartment could have such a comforting vibe, he wondered if Percy had designed it or if he had hired someone to do it.

 

Percy begins putting away all of his own groceries, refusing help from Alfred, stating: 

 

“You’re the guest Alfie. I didn’t invite you over for something as silly as putting away groceries. Besides, I’ve got a system.”

 

With that, Alfred takes a few minutes to look around his grandson’s home. It had certain touches as embellishments that marked it as purely Percy . The walls were painted a sea green, lamps that emitted a warm glow. Fishnets in one corner of the room, draped over a dark wooded piece of furniture. The couch he was sitting on was an ocean blue, with sea foam throw pillows sitting at its corners. There were a few matching armchairs to go with it.

 

By the time Percy comes back, it’s with a tray that holds a tea pot, a sugar bowl and two teacups.

 

“I brewed up some special blend I was given. It might not be to everyone’s taste, so let me know if you would like me to get you something else to drink.” said Percy while pouring each of them their own cup.

 

Alfred tried to hold back his smile, “I’m sure it will taste just perfect, Master Percy.” and with that, they sat in silence for a few minutes.

 

Eventually, Alfred asks, “How have you been, Master Perseus?” And Percy does his best not to flinch at the sound of his full name. 

 

Setting his cup down on the table a bit too hard, he replies with an:

“I’ve been….alright, I guess.” While making hesitant eye contact with Alfred, who raises an eyebrow and asks:

 

“Just ‘alright’, Percy?”  Of course he noticed his flinch, his eyes never leaving Percy’s.

 

“Yeah, well life hasn’t exactly been easy, but for now, I’m alright.” He says with a small quirk of his lips.

 

 “What about you Alfie? How have you and the others been? Don’t think I don’t keep up with the news these days. It seems Bruce’s flock of birds has significantly increased in number.”

 

Alfred takes a moment to sip at his tea before replying, “They have missed you dearly, my boy. So have I.” 

 

And Percy does his best to hide his wince, and replies with a slight shake of his head, “Yeah well, I’ve missed you all too. It’s kind of the reason I came back. Gods know I couldn’t have been kept away any longer.” 

With that, it seems as though Alfred’s eyes had gained a slight twinkle to them. “Well then, why don’t you come to the manor Sunday evening? The others will not be home until then, I’m sure they will be thrilled at your return.”

That causes Percy to grin, because no matter how long he had been gone, things were still the same.  “I’ll be sure to bring some cookies.”

 

Alfred also had a slightly mischievous smile on his face, “I will look forward to it.” And once their tea had gone cold, they both stood and once Percy had walked him to his car, they bid one another farewell for now. 

Chapter 6: Surprise, Surprise

Notes:

Character Ages:
Percy – 22

Bruce – 42

Alfred – 68

Dick – 30

Jason – 25

Cass – 25

Tim – 19

Steph – 20

Duke – 18

Damian – 13

Barbara - 31

 

Percy was very grateful he had the foresight to purchase the ingredients needed to bake cookies on his last grocery run. In the day and a half since he had invited Alfred over, he had been so anxiety-ridden that he had made one-too-many batches of his mother’s signature blue cookies. It was already half past five by the time he had finally taken the last batch out of the oven, less than an hour before he had to head out and Percy had yet to even get dressed.

Thankfully, his step family and the Aphrodite Cabin had thoroughly improved his wardrobe. He had dozens of outfits which were appropriate for a multitude of different events that he could mix and match between. In his anxiety, he had already planned and set out his outfit.

He wore a white button up shirt under a navy cardigan which was left unbuttoned, matching dress pants and some slightly worn out chucks.

 

 His outfit screamed cool casual, yet it was still Percy . It put the different elements of his life together perfectly. On one hand, he was a simple man who didn’t feel the need to buy a new pair of shoes every time his own got scuffed. On the other hand, he was the second prince of Atlantis, son of Poseidon, Hero of Olympus.

 

During his time with his undersea family after the war with Gaea, Percy had learned many things. Not being limited to proper etiquette, politics and such. 

 

He was encouraged to form relations with court members and their children, and when he says children, he is using it as a loose term. More specifically, their children that were at an appropriate age to wed. In recent days, it had felt as though his father was trying to set him up with one of them. 

 

He was not dumb. Percy knew his father was trying to make him immortal, especially after he refused it twice. The more time he spent with him, the more desperate Poseidon got. It didn’t help that he had also employed Percy’s godly siblings and extended family on the matter. It seemed whichever god he encountered, nine out of ten times, they had brought up godhood. 

 

Actually, one of the few gods who didn’t pester Percy on this matter was Apollo. It seemed the sun god was only after good company, especially after his short stint as a mortal. The one that had resulted in his friend, Jason Grace’s death. It was really ironic that he had lost two Jasons in this lifetime. The god avoided Percy like the plague for a while after that, which was ironic seeing as Apollo was the god of plagues. 

They eventually made up. He may not have been in the greatest headspace after the son of Jupiter’s death, but that does not mean he ever blamed the sun god for it. If anything, he felt rather bad about it.

Anyway, by the time he had finished getting dressed and properly plating the cookies, it was already six twenty five. With a curse, Percy grabbed his phone and keys, making sure not to leave the cookies behind, he turned the apartment lights off before locking the door and making his way down to his car.

It’s only dinner Percy thought to himself, no reason to panic, they’re your family. He ignored the faint whispers in the back of his mind that said They hate you. You left them like you have left so many others. 

 

No. He blocked those thoughts out of his mind before they could even fully form. He had come to terms with things long ago and now was not the time to unbury such thoughts.

After making sure the cookies weren’t going to fall out, he pulled out of the parking lot and started to make his way to Wayne Manor.

 

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

By the time Percy’s car was parked in the driveway, he had managed to ease his nerves. It wasn’t too long of a drive so that sort of caused him to compartmentalize. Whether or not he would require an outlet for his settled nerves remains to be seen.

Taking a deep breath in, Percy grabs the plate of cookies and steps out of his car.

 

 As soon as he walks up to the door, without even getting the chance to knock, it opens to reveal a smiling Alfred.

 

“Right on time. Welcome home, Master Percy.”

 

 And Percy lets out a deep sigh, as though suddenly feeling less burdened. If he thought he had calmed himself in the car, he was wrong because clearly Alfred was better at the soothing thing.

 

With a small smile, Percy replies “Glad to be back Alfie.”

 

Alfred ushers him inside before closing the door behind him. He takes a look at the plate of cookies Percy offers, and after a moment of perusal, nods while taking the plate from the younger man’s hand.

 

“Now, I have not informed the family of your arrival. Thought it would be best kept as a surprise.” says Alfred with a small mischievous grin, and before Percy gets the chance to express his shock, Alfred is already moving again.

 

“Come along then, the family is already seated at the dining table.”

 

And so Percy follows him. Honestly, he was practically raised by this man for a time. It is not a surprise he was as much of a prankster as the other. Camp had truly suffered with each passing year that he attended.

 

A loud commotion could already be heard, the doors to the dining room having not been opened yet.

 

 Once Percy and Alfred had reached the closed door, the elder man looks back at him, his eyes asking Are you ready?   And while mentally prepping himself, Percy looks back, as if to say As I’ll ever be . 

 

As soon as he got his confirmation, the family butler nodded to himself before knocking on the dining room’s door, as if to announce his presence.

 

The moment the knock is heard, all the noise coming from inside the room lowers to a whisper, only then does he open the door.

 

“Children, please welcome our guest. Your brother, Percy Jackson.”

With his dramatic introduction, Percy steps out from behind Alfred and greets the people sitting at the dining table with a “Hey guys, long time no see.” A wide grin settled on his face.

 

~~~~

 

Now, Percy would like to say that he had acted perfectly calm, and it was true. That could not be said, however,  about the rest of the room’s occupants.

 

Nearly thirty seconds had passed in shocked silence before the shouting started. 

 

Steph and Damian were half stood from their seats, the former, for some reason giving out disbelieving laughter and the latter shouting obscenities.

 

 Duke, Tim and Cass sat gaping in silence, clearly not completely processing what had just occurred.

 

 Babs appeared to be crying from where she was sitting. Bruce, Dick and Jason were the only ones fully standing. They too, looked utterly dumbfounded and seeing as the last four people mentioned were the only ones he has known during his time at the manor, it was to be expected.

 

What Percy had not expected was the tears flowing freely on Jason and Bruce’s faces. Apparently, that had seemingly stupefied those causing the ruckus for a brief moment before Damian got even louder in his shouting. 

 

Dick let out a sob before he threw himself at Percy’s direction. Not stopping for a moment until he had his younger brother, who had gone missing ten years prior, tightly gripped in his arms.

 

It didn’t take more than a second for Percy to reciprocate his big brother’s embrace. Oh how he had longed for Richard Grayson’s arms to warp around him when the world was too big.  

 

Percy found himself sniffling by the time he was let out of Dick’s arms, only to find himself dragged into another hug. This time, by Jason, who was now taller than him, which was great for him because they were both pretty small as kids.

 

Jason was mumbling something repeatedly; the fact that his face was smushed in Percy’s shoulder made it a bit difficult to make out.

 

“What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck. ” His voice came out a bit cracked the last time he said it, which only made Percy grip him tighter.

 

“Hey Jayjay, I missed you.” His own voice was soft, as though he feared that if he was too loud, the moment would end.

 

To which Jason replied with another “ What the fuck.” with a small sob tearing its way out of his throat.

 

After what both felt like forever and not long enough, Jason stepped back from him, wiping his face from tears in a way that was not indiscrete at all.

 

Percy’s eyes found themselves settling on someone who had made his way behind Jason. Bruce. Who was looking at Percy as though he were an apparition, set to disappear at any moment.

 

Bruce, who shuffled forward a bit, as if unsure what to do with the son he hadn’t seen in so long who was now standing in front of him.

 

Percy let out a light scoff before widening his arms a bit, showing the other man that his embrace was well welcomed. “Come on papa, don’t keep me waiting.”

 

Only then, with the reveal of the nickname he had been given by his adopted son years and years ago, did Bruce finally step up to Percy. To grip him in a crushing embrace, to smother his forehead and temples in light kisses with all the love only a father could give, to whisper, I’m sorries , over and over again. 

 

Only then did Bruce Wayne accept the fact that his son was finally home.

 

Notes:

happy reading:)

Chapter 7: The Sound of Silence

Not a minute after Percy had been let go from Bruce’s tight grip, he found himself being ushered to a seat at the table but not before sidestepping to take Babs into a short, yet loving embrace.

 

Dinner passed in silence. Nobody spoke, and the only noise that could be heard was the scraping of cutlery on dishes.

 

Damian glared at him.

 

Tim kept glancing over in his direction,  a contemplative look on his face.

 

Duke and Steph looked a bit uncomfortable, which Percy understood since this was an awkward situation.

 

Cass and Jason openly stared at him. Cass seemed to be taking note of every action and breath he took, while Jason just stared, a tiny smirk on his scarred face.

 

Dick wasn’t looking at him, which hurt. Then again, he wasn’t looking at anyone, and anyone who knew him well could tell he was overwhelmed. A bit pissed too, if his glaring at the spaghetti on his plate meant anything.

 

Bruce did not copy his eldest son’s actions. If anything, it seemed like he couldn’t look away from him. His eyes darted everywhere, from Percy’s hair to his clothes to his hands. They never lingered too long, only staying at a certain point long enough to make a mental list of anything and everything physically unusual about his son.

 

He also seemed to be observing Percy’s behavior. From the moment they sat down, Bruce seemed to be trying to close himself off emotionally again.

It didn’t really work, since he was sitting in a room of people who had known and loved him for years.

Around halfway into dinner, Percy felt he had had enough of the silence, but before he could even open his mouth, a voice spoke:

“Say, Percy, you’ve been in Gotham for at least a few weeks, so why didn’t you come by earlier?”

 

It was Tim. It seemed he had finally figured out where he recognized Percy from. And what a conversation starter he was?

 

With that, Dick’s head snapped up to stare at him. The overwhelmed look he had adopted just seconds into the dinner was quickly overshadowed by his growing anger, followed by the ever-flowing questions.

 

“ What does Tim mean by that? Do you two know each other? How long have you been in Gotham? Why did you leave in the first place?” With each question, his voice grew more and more incredulous.

 

See, when Dick starts asking questions, sometimes he can’t shut up. Well, until someone interrupts him, that is. Which is what happened when Bruce put his hand up and said:

 

“Slow down, chum, we’ll question your brother about his actions and his whereabouts at a later, more appropriate time.” With that, Dick was about to spout off again when Jason interrupted him.

 

Clearing his throat, he sat up a little and asks, “So Percy, how have you been?”

 

Percy lets out a small sigh of relief, this was not the tensest dinner he has ever attended, no that would be the time he was invited to Olympus to dine with his father and uncles, and seeing as two of the three brothers have made made an attempt to kill him at some point in his life, Percy didn’t really view it as a positive experience.

 

He took a moment to swallow the food he had been chewing before answering, “I’ve been alright, I guess. Good as I can be considering a lot of things.” 

 

His eyes had made their way to Jason before flicking over to Dick’s.

 

“Yeah Dicky, I only got back to Gotham a few weeks ago. Needed time to settle in, you know? Haven’t been back here since the sixth grade.” 

 

He was very clearly ignoring his eldest brother’s last question.

 

Never mind that, he would answer their questions some other time.

 

Dick, seemingly satisfied for the moment, just nods and continues eating his food.

A couple more minutes pass before Steph breaks the silence, “So Percy, how long are you staying in Gotham for? Or are you just visiting?”

 

Now that was something he could answer. He sends her a grateful smile before replying, “Actually, I’m staying in the city for at least a few months. I just got my Masters in Marine Conservation Biology and am working with a few close friends to try to fix Gotham’s water pollution problem.”

 

That last part caused a few raised eyebrows and Percy could also see a faint gleam of pride in his papa’s eyes. 

 

Not a moment passes before Steph replies with an “Oh wow! The first Wayne kid in like, two generations to actually have a college degree. God, Alfred will be thrilled. Good luck trying to be let out of his sight from now on.” Letting out a small laugh with her last sentence.

 

Oh wait, he had not thought about that,shit, he’s doomed. But seriously, out of all these child prodigies, not one of them has a college degree? If you don’t think about it for too long it could be considered a bit strange but Percy knew better, he knew his family had dealt with terrible circumstances that wouldn’t really allow them to have a balanced and normal college life, especially considering their night time activities.

 

Before he gets too deep in his own mind, a voice who he hadn’t heard just yet spoke.

 

“Where in Gotham are you staying then?” It was Duke, and with a look over at him, Percy could tell he was being genuinely curious, if not a bit concerned. He couldn’t blame him, Gotham City is a dangerous place that is significantly worse off in most areas.

 

Percy took a moment to think over what he was about to say, unsure of what their reactions would be like, “Well, my dad hooked me up with an apartment down in Crest Hill. It’s pretty great, thorough security.”

 

It was like all movement had stopped.

 

Bruce, for the first time since sitting down, directed a question to Percy, “ Your what? ” he breathed out.

 

Percy tried to smile, but he bet it looked more like an awkward grimace.

 

“I mean, we met that summer that I ran away but didn’t really have anything to do with each other until I was seventeen. In the beginning I only spent a few odd weekends there since his wife and son really did not like me, but we’ve all warmed up to each other now.”

 

Bruce looked like he wanted to say something but was interrupted by a pained scoff that came from Dick.

 

“What so, you meet your biological father and decide to run away from your family and don’t bother to even contact them to let them know you’re safe?! Then! You decide to come back ten years later and expect us to welcome you back like nothing happened??”

 

He flinched back a little as his elder brother scolded him before narrowing his eyes and saying, “I would suggest you refrain from talking about things you don’t understand. You don’t know the things I’ve been through, I left to protect all of you, to protect myself. I had just lost Jason, you weren’t there and Bruce closed himself off and shipped me off to New York as soon as he could! And if you were even listening to what I said, you would do your best to remember that I hadn’t even interacted with my father until I was seventeen. There are many things none of you understand and I will not be telling you until we have mutual trust for one another.”

 

This time, Damian speaks to Percy with a scathing tone, “Grayson is right to be upset with you Jackson. You are the one who ran away like a coward rather than facing your hardships head on.”

 

Percy’s hand twitches and he doesn’t stop to think before directing his own glare at the youngest child in the room. He only realizes it when the young boy lets out the barest of gasps, which he does his best to cover.

 

His friends had always told him he had a nasty glare, which had especially gotten worse after his time at The Wolf House. He has his father’s temper. He’d felt instant regret for pointing it towards a little kid who seemingly does not have a full grasp on how human emotions work, even worse, Percy was half god and then some, and everyone knows their emotional capability ranges very differently since they were immortal beings who have been around for thousands of years.

Taking in a deep breath before sighing, Percy just says, “I’m sorry for losing my cool, let’s just finish our food. I promise that I will explain what I can once we’re done, everything else comes later.”

 

That seems to push everyone to continue their food. If they were influenced by anything, it would be their incessant need to know everything about everyone.

Percy sent up a small prayer to a certain sun god, asking to have enough strength to continue with this evening, and with prayer, comes a reply. Percy felt as though there’s a bit more warmth to his bones, with that he imperceptibly relaxed into his chair.

 

 There was no way he would have asked his dad or other family members for anything at the moment. Percy feared they may actually appear and try teaching his mortal family a lesson.

 

Try because they knew Percy’s fury could rival their own and that he would never forgive them if they were to do such a thing.

 

He just has to do his best and get through dinner without having a breakdown or just running out of the manor.

 

How hard could it be?

 

Notes:

hey guyss
sorry i havent rlly updated much, school started back up so i've been busy
i will be having a pretty busy year but will do my best to post as regularly as i can
happy reading:)

Chapter 8: Lost Boy

 

After that conversation, dinner had passed uneventfully. 

 

A few of the younger occupants of the manor made small talk with each other, occasionally trying to pull Percy or Dick into conversation with them.

 

The former humored them and tried to be a more active participant in their conversations, but his thoughts were always drawn back to his elder brother. 

 

Eventually, they stopped trying.

 

The latter had somehow gone more quiet than he had been before. 

 

Soon enough, they had all ended up in the parlour where Alfred had already set up the fireplace and mentioned something about cleaning up and preparing tea.

 

The room itself was quite dark—not just in its decoration, but the curtains were drawn. Though a warm comforting glow was emitted from the fireplace. 

 

For a second, Percy could have sworn he had seen a flicker of his Aunt Hestia, Greek Goddess of the hearth. It wouldn’t have been too surprising, seeing as he was back home for the first time in years, surrounded by family, new and old.

 

His aunt probably sensed his inner turmoil all the way from Olympus and decided to pop in to show him support.

 

A few minutes had passed before someone finally broke the silence. It was Dick, his voice tight and low, but just loud enough to break through the crackling of the flames.

 

“So... where have you been all these years?”

 

Percy took a moment to shift on the armchair he was sitting on, trying to get comfortable. It probably wouldn’t work considering the situation.

 

He opened his mouth to reply, closed it, took a moment to think about what he would say next before finally opening his mouth once again.

 

“New York.”

 

The effect those words had could’ve been compared to fireworks. What, with how almost every head shot towards him, he could practically hear their necks crack.

 

Tim’s mouth was open in disbelief. 

 

Jason’s brows raised practically up to his hairline.

 

Dick just looked like he regretted even opening his mouth.

It was Babs who spoke next.

 

“What do you mean you were in New York? As in you’ve been there these past ten years? As in I couldn’t find you?”  

 

Her voice broke with those last two words, it caused him to grimace before speaking again.

 

“Well, yes? I mean it was my first home when mom was still alive. It made sense for me to be there but that’s besides the point. You couldn’t find me because I couldn’t be found, Babs. Never doubt your capabilities.”

 

Bruce had since let out a small breath, in shock perhaps. The so-called World’s Greatest Detective despite the fact he was basically right where he’d left him.

 

 Percy hesitantly spoke, “I… I’m not sure where to start, so I think I’ll start from the beginning if that’s alright with you guys?”

 

He looked around to see small nods from everyone. Alfred had re-entered the room at some point and was pouring cups of tea and coffee, the latter for the majority of the household, the former for himself, Jason, Damian, and Percy.

 

Percy waited until he was done passing everyone their warm drinks and had finally sat down before finally beginning with his tale.

“The year Jason died, Bruce sent me to a boarding school in New York. I’d been displaying concerning behavior at Gotham Prep and they had finally decided that they wouldn’t be taking me back the coming year. The final straw was when I’d gotten into a fist-fight with some asshole kid who was badmouthing Jason. I won, of course but when we finally got home nobody yelled, we didn’t really speak much after that. Eventually I found out Bruce wanted to send me to New York, we fought and that was that. I was in some ratty dorm room with a couple of other boys by the end of the summer.”

Percy took a moment to sip at his tea before continuing.

 

“ I didn’t really have any friends at Yancy, the academy Bruce sent me to. It wasn’t until I’d met one of my best friends, Grover, that I’d started to enjoy myself, albeit not much seeing as I was away from home, one of my brothers was dead and another hadn’t visited for months before that. Soon enough our class went on a field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where some stuff happened. I pushed a classmate into the water fountain since she had been bothering Grover all day, throwing peanut butter and ketchup sandwich bits at him on the bus and making fun of him. Grover is disabled, he’s got a problem with his legs that can make it difficult for him to walk so he had crutches with him all the time. From there everything went downhill. My grades began dropping and did not stop. The school informed me that I would not be welcomed back the coming year and from there I spiralled.”

 

He took a deep breath and continued with the extremely redacted life story.

 

“ Eventually, it was the last day of school, I was getting ready to come back here actually, as much as I didn’t want to, when something happened. I ended up going with Grover to this camp he lived at over the summer and I’ve been there ever since. I mean, yeah I’ve taken a couple of field trips over the country but most of my time was spent at camp. It was a safe place run for kids with ADHD and dyslexia and such. Most of the campers were only summer campers, they had good or decent homes to return to during the year, a few others including myself stayed year round where we continued our education, fought, and played. Then when I was sixteen, I was kidnapped to the West Coast by a family member. I’d hit my head pretty hard and was struggling with amnesia when I stumbled upon someone who helped me get to another camp in San Francisco, had a stuffed panda get murdered by some blond psycho, made some friends, went to Alaska, and got my memory back. In that order though the last two happened at basically the same time. I reunited with some friends who had come looking for me, then we all went on an impromptu, and most likely very illegal,  boat trip to Europe. Visited places like Rome and Greece, did some business for our parents there and in the end our ride was gone but my uncle arranged a trip back for us. Some more weird shit happened when we got back to Long Island but eventually everything settled down by my birthday, which was when my father had finally decided to invite me to his home. Up until that point I think we had only ever interacted less than five times.”

Oh look, Alfred brought the cookies back out. Percy gets up and grabs a few before settling back into the armchair. He stuffs a cookie in his mouth and after washing it down with tea, he had gotten to the final part of the story.

 

“It was awkward at first, I was juggling all the school work I had missed and was trying to graduate, but was expected to join my father, his wife, and son, the latter two very obviously hating my guts, for biweekly dinners. In the end it all worked out, I went to college and got my Masters in Marine Biology, like I’d mentioned earlier, and have thankfully had a calm few years. I came back to Gotham because I could finally say that there was nothing waiting for me to take care of in New York, and the fact that I probably will not be able to say the same in the coming years, but I’m back now and I would like to apologize to my first real family after my mother.”

 

“ I’m sorry. I’m sorry I left and I’m sorry I never contacted you. I’m sorry I abandoned you.”

 

Nobody spoke. It looked like they were all processing what he had said which was fine by him. Let them process it, he hadn’t even told them everything, this was very much a long-story-short type of situation. Percy could not imagine the day he told them about demigods. 

 

Percy looked up when he heard the clearing of someone’s throat, Alfred.

 

“Well I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we accept your apology, Master Percy. The only thing that I would like, personally, is a copy of your degree. The first Wayne in two generations to graduate from university, and with a respectable degree at that.”

 

Before he could realize it, he chuffed out a small laugh. The man never changed.

“Percy…I-I’m sorry. I hadn’t realized I was hurting you so much. I was so caught up in my grief that I couldn’t see what was in front of my face. I’m sorry, my boy.”

 

It was Bruce, his voice was a bit choked and he looked as though he was seconds away from crying.

 

“It’s alright papa, you weren’t ignoring it, you just didn’t know how to process it”

 

“No. Percy, no. Don’t do that. He was a grown man who should have known better, done better. You were a twelve-year old boy who had virtually lost everyone in his life and was grieving. None of this should have happened.” Dick cried out.

 

Percy shook his head, “It’s alright Dicky, something like that would have happened eventually with my luck.” A sardonic smile adorned his face.

 

“One way or another, I would have ended up at that camp, with those people. It was Fate. I was just unlucky it happened the way it did.”

 

With that, the room went quiet again. 

 

Soon enough Steph went up to the table holding the cookies and tried one. Her reaction was immediate.

 

Eyes practically rolled to the back of her head she squealed “Oh my GOD! These cookies are divine!! Where have they been all my life?”

 

The cookies in question were the ones Percy had made, “Well I’m glad you liked them. The recipe was my mom’s”

 

Tim and Duke had made their way to the table and each grabbed one. Not even seconds after biting into them, they stuffed the whole thing into their mouths while their heads flew to Percy’s direction.

“What the hell Jackson!? What did you put in these? The food of the Gods??” asked Tim incredulously.

Shit, Percy hoped not. Then again they would have burned up from the inside out by now if he had accidentally put ambrosia in the cookie mixture.

 

With a small smile, all he says is “Trade secret.”

Bruce tries one next, “Oh my, these are actually quite good! Dare I say better than Alfred’s.”

It seems that triggers Jason, Dick, and Alfred themselves to try them.

 

“Holy shit these are good!” from Jason.

 

Then Dick, “Wow I forgot how freaking good these are. Can’t believe I went ten years without them.”

“Your baking skills have greatly increased these past few years. I fear I may have to leave that part to you now.”

 

Babs had already had two cookies while Percy was finishing up his explanation, she remembered very well just how delicious the Jackson family blue cookies were.

 

The only person in the room who hadn’t had one yet was Damian, who seemed positively irked by Bruce’s comment comparing Percy’s and Alfred’s cookies, that’s probably why when he finally speaks, having not opened his mouth since dinner, it’s to deliver a thinly veiled insult at Percy.

 

“I am sure that the street rat’s baking skills are in no way comparable to Alfred’s and it is insulting of any of you to say otherwise.”

That catches Percy’s attention, so he says, “Come on kid, it won’t hurt to try. Besides, I'm not trying to usurp Alfie’s position as master chef of the house.”

 

With a glare, Damian says “Fine. I will only try one as to prove my point.”

 

Jason laughs before saying “Good luck demon brat. I think you’ll be the one who eats most of them in the end.”

 

With a scoff he finally takes a bite of the cookie. His eyes widen almost imperceptibly and a wide grin settles on Percy’s face.

 

Percy 1, Damian  0.

 

The cookies being the ice-breaker, conversation started flowing more easily, and before he knew it, the time was nearing midnight. 

 

With a groan, Percy stands up and stretches a bit before saying, “Well, thanks for having me for dinner but it’s getting pretty late. I’m going to head back home now, yeah?”

 

Right when Percy says that, Bruce, Alfred, and Dick stand up with him too. 

 

“I think not sweetheart, it’s too dark for you to drive home. And we are in Gotham, you could get hurt.” Bruce says.

 

“I’m afraid I will have to agree with your father Master Percy, I already have your room prepared for you.”

Then Dick shook his head, “Yeah buddy, you’re not leaving that easily. I’ll lend you some clothes, you look about my size.”

 

And honestly, he should have expected that. Percy one-hundred percent realized it when they tried to keep him talking anytime he looked like he was about to get up. He thinks they almost jumped on top of him when he got up for the bathroom.

 

With a huff Percy nods, he was too tired to argue. And so Percy was led to his childhood room by Alfred.

 

Its walls were painted blue, with seashells that Bruce and Dick had gotten from their travels. There weren’t any unpolluted beaches near Gotham. His old skateboard was propped up against a wall in the corner of the room, it had this wicked painting of a shark on its underside. It was one of the first things his papa had gotten him. The rest of the room was actually pretty similarly to the Poseidon cabin at Camp Half-Blood. 

 

Honestly, if he had grown up with knowledge of the Greek world, there would have been no question to his heritage. He still wondered how none of the campers had correctly guessed who his father was, with the number of water related incidents he was in. 

 

In the time Percy had gotten reacquainted with his old room, Dick had finally come back with a set of comfy clothes.

 

“You’re a bit taller than me so the clothes might be a bit short on you but otherwise should fit well enough.”

With a small upturn of his lips Percy replies with a “Thanks Dicky, I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

And with that, his elder brother turns and starts to walk back to the door when he suddenly stops and says “Hey Percy?”

“Yeah Dicky?”

 

“I’m glad you’re back. And that you’re okay.” he spoke softly.

 

“Me too Dicky, me too.”

 

When Dick finally steps out of his room, Percy goes to the bathroom and gets changed into the pajamas his brother had handed him. After brushing his teeth and tucking himself into bed he finds himself thinking That went a lot better than I had hoped. And soon enough drifted off into the land of Morpheus.

Notes:

hey guys! how's life going? hope you all enjoy this chapter!

happy reading:)