Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

JASON'S POV

It had been seven years since Percy died, and the memory of that night still haunted my nightmares. If I hadn’t been out patrolling with Bruce, if I’d just stayed home with my little brother, maybe Percy would still be alive.

I could still see it. Coming back, sneaking upstairs from the Cave to check on him, only to find his window shattered. Running straight to Alfred’s room, shaking him awake, and asking where Percy was. The confused look on his face.

I ran back to Percy’s room, praying I’d imagined it. But then I saw Dick and Bruce standing there, staring at the broken glass in shock.

We were all exhausted, but none of that mattered. We suited back up and tore into the night, searching every street, every shadow. Days blurred together. School didn’t matter. Bruce skipped Wayne stuff. Two weeks later, we finally caught a trail, and part of me wishes we hadn’t. Because as long as we hadn’t found anything, I could still pretend Percy was alive somewhere.

The trail ended in blood. Splattered in an alley, smeared along the pavement, dripping toward Gotham Harbor. It stopped at the edge of the docks. I remember screaming until my throat gave out, raging at a world that would take a kid like him. Percy was ten. Ten. He had nothing to do with our work, and Bruce had kept him out of the spotlight. No reason anyone should’ve wanted him dead.

I shoved the thought away as a fist came swinging for my jaw. I ducked, cursing.

“Dude, what the fuck! You almost took my beautiful head clean off my shoulders!” I laughed, throwing a jab back at Dick.

“Pay attention, little brother,” he shot back, grinning as he swung again.

“Sorry. I was… thinking of him,” I muttered.

That killed the mood instantly. Dick went quiet. Today was Percy’s birthday.

“Let’s call it for tonight,” Dick said softly.

“Yeah. You’re right. We should probably check on Bruce too,” I answered as we headed upstairs from the Cave.

“It’s just… I fucking hate it. He would’ve been seventeen today, Dicky.”

“I know, Jase. I know. It sucks. But Percy wouldn’t want us stuck in this shit. You know damn well he’d smack us upside the head if he caught us moping.”

I let out a shaky breath. He was right. Percy would’ve hated seeing us like this.

“C’mon. Let’s see what the rest of the losers are doing,” I said, forcing a grin as we ditched the costumes for street clothes.

PERCY’S POV

It was early—too early for me to normally be awake—but Bianca and I were already out on the beach at Camp Half-Blood. We’d gone for a swim, and now she was sitting between my legs, leaning back against my chest.

I know what you’re thinking: a daughter of Hades, hanging out in Poseidon’s domain without crumbling to dust. The answer’s simple—my dad loves her. And honestly, I do too.

It had been two weeks since the war with Gaea. Two weeks since my escape from Tartarus. Some days, it still didn’t feel real. As the waves rolled in, my chest tightened. My breath hitched. The sound of the ocean dulled until it was just a roar in my ears. My vision blurred. Another flashback was dragging me under.

Then—soft lips pressed against mine. Bianca. Snapping me back.

“Thanks, B,” I whispered, still trembling. “I can’t stop thinking about that place. It just… pops into my head. I’d love to erase it, but I don’t trust any of the gods not to wipe out everything else too.”

“I know, Percy. I wish I could’ve been there to take on some of it with you,” she said quietly.

“No.” My voice came out sharper than I meant. I met her eyes, panic twisting in my gut. “Don’t say that. If something happened to you down there… gods, I would’ve lost my mind.”

She gave me a look, half sad, half exasperated, before suddenly laughing. “What are we even doing? It’s your birthday, and we’re just sitting here being depressing. Come on—let’s go tell Chiron we’re heading into the mortal world. A real date.”

She stood, brushing sand off her shorts, then helped me up. I looped my arm through hers, and together we walked to the Big House. Chiron didn’t even argue, just gave us that knowing look. After that, we headed back to my cabin to get ready.

While Bianca showered, I sat on the edge of my bed and picked up a photo. My throat closed. It was me, Jase, Dicky, Bruce, and Alfie, standing in front of the manor just days before the Incident. Alfred had his arm around my shoulders, Bruce had his around Jason, and Dick was squeezed in between them. A perfect moment.

I didn’t notice I was crying until drops hit the photo. I wiped them away quickly and used my powers to dry the paper before it warped. Then I felt Bianca’s arms wrap around me from behind. I turned into her and broke, sobbing into her shoulder for the life I’d been forced to leave behind.

“Percy,” she murmured, “I think you should go see your family. They think you’re dead, but imagine how happy they’d be to find out you’re still alive.”

Her words tore me open. I wanted to go home—gods, I did. But what if they didn’t want me back? What if they hated me for letting them think I was gone for seven years? Would Bruce’s new kids even accept me?

I’d kept tabs on them through the news. At first, I’d been furious when Bruce adopted Stephanie only a year after my death. It felt like I’d been replaced. But over time, I realized… that wasn’t it. They weren’t filling a hole. They were just trying to heal.

And Bianca was right. It was time.

So I packed my things and asked Bianca to come with me. She agreed without hesitation. We left Camp, climbed onto my ocean-blue Kawasaki H2 SX SE, and rode straight for Gotham. Thirty minutes later, the city skyline rose ahead of us.

At first, I thought about going straight home. But nerves got the better of me—I wasn’t ready to just walk through that door after seven years. So I rented a cheap motel room for the week.

Bianca wasn’t having it. After some very creative blackmail—she swore she wouldn’t kiss me or even hold my hand for a whole week—I finally caved. I got back on the bike with her and headed for the manor.

The closer we got, the tighter my chest felt. The house loomed in the distance, the same as I remembered. I parked the bike, walked up the steps, and knocked on the door.

And, like always, it was Alfred who answered.

Chapter Text

PERCY'S POV

“Hey, Alfie,” I said quietly, a small smile tugging at my lips.

Alfred froze. For what felt like forever, he just stared at me, his face pale with shock. Then, suddenly, he pulled me into a tight hug, stronger than I remembered.

“Master Percy,” his voice shook, full of both disbelief and relief, “where have you been this whole time?”

“I’ll explain later, I promise,” I said, hugging him back. “Is… are Dad and the others home?”

Alfred studied me for a long moment before giving a small, trembling smile. “Yes, Master Percy. Master Bruce, Master Dick, and Master Jason are here. There are also some new members of the family, whom I believe you would get along with very well.”

I nodded, then realized I was forgetting something important. Pulling Bianca gently forward, I said, “Oh, um, Alfie… this is my girlfriend, Bianca di Angelo.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Miss di Angelo. Will you be joining us for lunch today?” Alfred asked warmly.

“Um, yes. If… if that’s okay,” Bianca said shyly.

“Of course,” Alfred replied with a kind smile. “Any friend of Master Percy is welcome here.”

He led us inside and asked us to wait while he gathered everyone. Ten minutes later, he returned and guided us to the kitchen.

The second we walked in, the room went silent. Every sound cut off. Then Jason and Dick crashed into me, nearly knocking me over as they pulled me into a crushing hug. The moment they let go, Bruce wrapped his arms around me too, silent but shaking with emotion.

When he finally released me, the questions began flying from every direction. How was I alive? Where had I been? Who was Bianca? Why hadn’t I come home sooner?

It was too much. “Enough!” I said loudly but calmly, raising my hands. “I’ll explain. But one thing at a time.”

After introductions, I began. “When I disappeared, I learned the truth about my father.” I hesitated, then added, “I’m a demigod. My real dad is Poseidon.”

The room went still again, eyes widening, but I pressed on. I told them about Camp Half-Blood, the hidden place where demigods lived and trained. I explained that demigods gave off a scent monsters could track, and mine was stronger than most because of who my father was. That was why I couldn’t come back. Staying here would have put them all in danger.

I told them about my first quest, when I was twelve. About Annabeth, daughter of Athena, and Grover, my satyr friend. How we had crossed the country looking for Zeus’s stolen Master Bolt. How in Las Vegas we stumbled into the Lotus Casino and found Bianca and her little brother Nico, frozen there since World War II.

That made everyone stare at Bianca in shock. Tim, who I didn’t recognize, spoke up, eyes wide as he pieced it together. “The Lotus-Eaters. The casino stops time.”

Bianca gave him a small nod.

I continued. How the five of us reached the Underworld, where Hades revealed Bianca and Nico were his children. Tim looked disgusted and interrupted, “Wait. If she’s Hades’ kid and you’re Poseidon’s, doesn’t that make you cousins? Why are you dating?”

Bianca only laughed softly. “The gods don’t have DNA. The only rule is no siblings. Otherwise no demigods would ever be together.”

Jason and Dick smirked at me while my face burned red, and Bianca giggled.

I pressed on, explaining how we discovered the Master Bolt in the backpack Ares gave me, how he had been manipulated by Kronos, and how I fought him to take back both the Bolt and Hades’ Helm. I told them about returning the items to their owners, about my victory, and about Luke, the son of Hermes who had betrayed us.

I stopped there. “That’s enough for now,” I said firmly. “I’ll tell you more later. But for now, Bianca and I should probably head back to our motel.”

Dick shot to his feet. “Nope. Don’t even think about leaving, baby brother.”

Jason crossed his arms, smirking. “He’s right. And for the record, your room is still exactly how you left it.”

Bruce gave me a small smile. “You belong here, Percy. Always.”

I swallowed hard. “Are you sure? I don’t want to be a burden. I mean, there are already so many of you now.”

Jason snorted. “Dude. It’s a mansion. And you’re family. You’ll never be a burden.”

“Oh. Right.” I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly. “Forgot about that part.”

Then it hit me. “Wait, but I can’t just leave Bianca behind!”

Alfred cleared his throat. “Master Perseus, the manor has more than enough guest rooms. And since you are nearly an adult, I think it would be acceptable for you and Miss di Angelo to share one, provided you both promise to be responsible.” He finished with a rare smirk.

“A-Alfred!” I yelped, shocked, before breaking into laughter.

After lunch, I led Bianca upstairs to my old room. I hesitated before pushing the door open. It was exactly as I remembered, down to the repaired window.

“Hey, B?” I said softly, turning to her with a smile. “Thank you. For convincing me to come home.”

TIME SKIP

It had been a few days since I’d moved into the manor, and I’ll be honest—I’d been avoiding most of the family besides Dad, Dick, Jason, and Alfred. To be fair, they were avoiding me too, but I could tell it was out of kindness, giving me space to settle in. Still, Bianca finally convinced me that if I was ever going to feel like I belonged again, I needed to actually talk to my other siblings.

So the next morning, while Bianca was still asleep, I headed downstairs and found Stephanie and Tim in the kitchen arguing over the last cookie. I reached over both of them and snatched it.

“Thanks, guys. I love chocolate chip,” I said with a smirk.

Their pouts almost made me laugh, so I rolled my eyes, broke the cookie into pieces, and handed each of them a share. “Here. Happy now?”

That won me some grudging smiles, and I leaned against the counter. “So tell me about yourselves. How’d you guys end up in this circus?”

They traded looks but eventually opened up, telling me their stories and how Bruce had adopted them. When I asked about Damian and Cassandra, they explained how Damian was Bruce’s biological son, but I noticed they didn’t call him his real son. That made me smile. Bruce must’ve told them the same thing he once told me: all of us were his real kids.

Before long Cassandra herself drifted into the kitchen and joined the conversation, quiet at first but warming up after a while. By the time we finished talking, I felt… lighter. Like maybe I wasn’t such a stranger here after all.

Later that afternoon, Jason asked me to go grab groceries with him for Alfred. I happily agreed, and we spent a few hours running errands before heading back in time for dinner. It felt almost normal... until Dad’s phone buzzed.

He excused himself immediately, slipping out of the room. A moment later, the rest of the family’s phones buzzed too, and one by one they all followed until only Bianca, Alfred, and I were left at the table.

I forced a chuckle. “So, uh… are they planning some kind of surprise party for me being back? Because if they are, they’re terrible at the whole ‘secret’ part.”

Alfred smiled politely, but my chest was tight. I knew that buzz. Even as a kid, whenever Bruce got that particular alert, he’d vanish into the night with some flimsy excuse. Sometimes Jason or Dick went with him. Sometimes not. But they always came back late, long after I was asleep.

And sure enough, they didn’t come back until after midnight. The same thing happened again and again for nearly a week.

Finally, I decided I had had enough.

I cornered Jason one afternoon. “So, Jase… where do you all go every night?”

He stiffened. “W-What do you mean, Percy? We don’t go anywhere.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Want to try that again?”

“Seriously, Percy, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His voice was steadier this time, but the lie burned worse for it.

“You know what? Fine. Don’t tell me.” My throat felt tight, anger and hurt mixing together. “I thought you, of all people, would tell me the truth.”

“Percy, wait... I…” Jason hesitated, then forced the words out. “Just… be careful out there.”

“Fucking unbelievable,” I muttered and stormed off, shoving my things into a bag.

Bianca didn’t even ask questions when I told her we were leaving; she just packed up too. At the front door, Alfred intercepted us.

“Master Percy, Miss Di Angelo, where are you going?” he asked gently.

“I’m sorry, Alfie,” I said, my voice low. “But I can’t stay in a house full of liars. I thought being back would mean honesty, respect… but clearly, I was wrong.”

I brushed past him, loaded our bags into the bike’s storage, and we left.

We ended up in a cheap apartment in Crime Alley. Honestly, in hindsight, maybe moving into a place fucking called Crime Alley wasn’t the best idea. But at the time? I wasn’t worried. I’d survived Tartarus. I figured I could handle a few mortal criminals.

Chapter Text

Jason’s POV

“Fucking hell. Why the fuck did I not just tell Percy the truth?” I yelled to myself in my room. “I just got my little brother back, and I lost him again because I was too stupid to trust him with the truth.”

A few days passed with no contact from Percy or Bianca. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I decided to use every connection I had—both as Red Hood and as Jason Todd-Wayne—to track him down and apologize.

A couple hours later, I found out where he was staying. Crime Alley. My chest tightened. I quickly hopped on my motorcycle and rode straight to Percy’s new apartment. When I arrived, I froze. What if he didn’t even want to see me? I steeled my nerves and knocked on the door.

Percy’s POV

I was sprawled on the couch with Bianca, still annoyed about Jason’s lies. When I heard a knock on the door, I used my powers to track the blood flow of whoever was outside. Jason.

I almost ignored him. I wanted to stay upset.

“Percy, give him a chance,” Bianca said, grinning. “Maybe he’s here to apologize—or maybe even tell you the truth.”

I pouted. “But Biaaaa, I’m comfy here with you.”

She shoved me to the floor. “Go talk to your brother, Perce.”

Sighing, I walked over and opened the door. “What do you want?” I asked, annoyed. “Here to tell me more lies?”

Jason looked guilty, and I couldn’t help but smirk.

“I’m sorry, little brother,” he said quietly. “I should have told you the truth. I shouldn’t have lied. Can I come inside? I promise I’ll explain everything.”

I hesitated, then sighed. “Ten minutes. That’s all.” I gestured to the couch for Bianca and a chair for Jason.

He dove in immediately, explaining everything: Bruce was Batman, his time as Robin, how he died at the hands of the Joker, and his resurrection via the Lazarus Pit.

Bianca sat up, staring intently. “Huh, so my powers weren’t being weird. You really did come back to life. Who knows about this Lazarus Pit?”

Jason glanced at her. “Me, the family, Ras Al Ghul, Talia Al Ghul—Damian’s mom—and the League of Assassins.”

Bianca blinked. “No mortal should have this. No one should be able to come back to life whenever. Oh, but don’t worry, Jason—you’re fine. You’re Percy’s brother.”

I reached for her hand. “Are you sure you don’t want to leave this to someone else? We’ve done so much.”

“I can’t, Percy,” she said softly. “Not this. It interferes too much with my father’s domain.”

“Then I’m helping you. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I let you do this alone?” I said. “Hey Jase, do you remember where the pit was?”

He slumped. “Nah, Perce. I swear I remembered, but I can’t now.”

Bianca and I exchanged a look. “Probably someone erased your memory,” I said. “That just makes it harder. Go home, Jason. Tell Alfred I’m sorry I left so suddenly. I probably won’t return until Bruce and Dick swallow their pride and apologize for lying to me.”

We snickered at the pun, and Jason left. Bianca and I immediately got to work, researching the Lazarus Pit. Eventually, we narrowed it down to four locations: under the Himalayas, the Sahara Desert, the Swiss Alps, and Benares.

“Well shit, four spots. How do you wanna do this, Bia? And don’t say shadow travel. I do not want you turning into a shadow from overusing your powers.”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine, no shadow travel. Then how?”

I smirked and disappeared, reappearing behind her. “Vapor travel. I use water vapor to teleport. Been working on it for a while.”

Her eye twitched, and she screamed. “YOU IDIOT! That’s basically shadow travel! How do we know you won’t turn into water vapor permanently?”

I stammered. “I… I’ve been using it every day for two months.”

Her face went blank. Then she crashed into my arms, sobbing. “Two months, Perseus Jackson-Wayne? I should wring your neck! Do you know how I’d feel if you died?”

“Shit, Bianca, I’m sorry. I promise I won’t overuse it anymore. But you have to promise me you won’t overuse shadow travel either.”

She smiled and held out her pinky. I hooked mine with hers. “Pinky promise.”

“Me too, Bia.”

Time Skip

A few days later, Bianca and I were walking through Gotham Park when we ran into Stephanie and Cassandra.

“Hey, what’s up?” I said with a grin.

Stephanie gasped. “OH MY GOD! Where have you been?”

I shrugged. “Oh, I got a nice apartment. Pretty cheap. In Crimson Alley… I think. Haven’t seen any crimson though.”

Cassandra’s eyes went wide. “You live in Crime Alley, Percy?!”

Stephanie added, “Do you not realize how many people die there every day?!”

I grinned. “Relax. You were there when I told you I was a demigod. Plus, I wouldn’t be talking about danger, Spoiler and Orphan.”

Their faces went pale, but I raised a hand. “It’s fine. I know you weren’t allowed to tell anyone because of Bruce. Jason filled me in.”

They sighed in relief and apologized. Stephanie’s grin turned mischievous. She begged me to join them shopping to prevent boys from flirting with them. Bianca smirked. “He would love to help his sisters. And he’d love to go shopping with his girlfriend, too. Right, Percy?”

I sighed. “Fine.”

We spent half the day shopping. By the end, I collapsed into the limo waiting outside, grinning. “Alfie, I missed you!”

He smiled. “So did I, Master Percy. Staying the night?”

“I can’t, Alfie. Bianca and I are searching for the Lazarus Pit tonight. My father and Lord Hades are teleporting us around the countries to help.”

He sighed. “At least stay for dinner, Master Percy, Miss di Angelo.”

“Of course.”

Back at the manor, we put the girls’ shopping in their rooms and Bianca’s in mine to grab later. I hung out with Jason, who promised to show me the Batcave when Bruce and Dick weren’t around. I laughed. “I’ll hold you to that.”

At dinner, I noticed Damian was missing. Everyone froze. Phones buzzed. Bruce’s face went pale, horror flickering in his eyes.

“Percy, I… I’m sorry to—”

“I’m not leaving. I already know who you are. Let’s get to the cave. All of you put your costumes on and answer that call.”

Bruce froze, then snapped to action. Everyone pulled on masks, while Bianca and I stepped out of camera view. Bruce answered the call.

A clown appeared on the screen. His presence made everyone tense. He revealed that he’d kidnapped Robin, then laughed, promising to kill the boy if they didn’t arrive in three days.

“Who’s that clown?” I asked, arms crossed.

Jason explained it was the Joker. My blood boiled.

“Why the fuck is he still alive?” I demanded.

“Because killing isn’t the answer to problems,” Bruce said.

My eye twitched. “Not killing him makes you guilty for all the people he’s killed and will kill. I’m joining this mission, and I will kill that clown unless you give me a real reason not to. And don’t give me some bullshit about how killing isn’t the answer. I’m a demigod. For us, killing is the answer ninety-nine point nine nine percent of the time.”

Chapter Text

Just gonna warn yall about the future chapters, it will start getting darker. Also just a warning I recently watched Akame Ga Kill, for those that don't know look it up. So future chapters will slightly reflect that.