Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1: Percy

Percy was sitting in his cabin, staring out the window before looking down at the blank worksheet on the laptop in front of him, then going back to staring out the window.

He was supposed to be working on an essay for his criminal forensics science class about the secret contributions of demigods to forensic science, but Percy's mind was elsewhere.

The last three years of peace had really helped Percy understand a lot of stuff in his life.

For one thing, studying marine biology at New Rome University wasn't for him. He took one class and quickly realized he'd learn more about the sea talking to fish than reading boring textbooks.

People like to think that after studying the ocean for so long they knew everything there was about it. Well, as a son of Poseidon Percy can safely say all those fancy ass scientists knew jack shit about the sea. And demigods and legacies not related to sea gods weren't exceptions.

So, Percy had no regrets about dropping the course and shifted to a new one. Of course, Annabeth did convince him to find a new course to transfer to first though.

It was by chance, and completely by accident that Percy walked into that lecture on criminal investigation methods and how godly magic could be used to solve crimes more accurately.

He had been looking for Annabeth's class and got completely lost. But he stayed anyway for the full two hour lecture. The professor had been a daughter of Justitia and the way she talked about criminology and crime investigation made Percy think of his own experiences with cops and federal agents. From that time the F.B.I lead a nation wide man-hunt for him when he was twelve, to that one night when he was ten years old and Smelly Gabe had one of his worst drunk rages, that their neighbors down the hall at the time had to call the cops and the drunk asshole spent several days in jail before coming back.

By the time the lecture was over Percy made up his mind.

Now three years later and Percy was about to go into his final year at New Rome University and he was feeling scared.

A lot had changed in three years.

That was the second thing that had been on Percy's mind lately. It was the downside of living day to day without much plan for the future.

'You survive long enough to have a future that you don't know what to do with it when you get it, I guess.' Percy thought as he stared out the window.

He had done what few Greek demigods have. Live long enough to have a future.

Unfortunately, Percy had no clue about what to do when he does graduate from college.

The only things he knew for sure was that he wanted to help people. Specifically his people, the demigods. He wanted to protect them from whatever danger came.

Even if that danger came from the mortal world.

Over the years Percy had been slowly pulling away from the mortal world.

Percy had realized that a normal life in the mortal world wasn't for him. It wasn't because he didn't want to. No, it was more like Percy finally had to accept that the he didn't fit into the neat clear-cut mold mortal society wanted him to fit into.

And he didn't really want to fit into any mold either.

Percy had fought too hard for too long to claim his own identity. If Zeus couldn't make him yield, neither would mortal society's expectations and perceptions would.

That resulted in him slowly pulling away from the mortal world. In fact the only reason he ever goes into the mortal world was to visit his mom, Paul, and his sister Estelle. They were the only connections he had left to that world.

Though, that might have been a natural course since he was going to a college for demigods and legacies.

But either way, it was what it was. And Percy was fine by that. In the godly world he could be fully himself, he didn't have to hide or restrain who he was and be something he wasn't, and no one was going to hurt for being himself.

Unlike in most places in the mortal world.

There was a reason why some demigods were year-round campers at Camp half-blood after all.

'the sea doesn't like being restrained'

Percy remembered his father's most common saying.

But Percy had no idea how he was going to be able to do that.

Becoming an F.B.I agent was not in the cards, he was still pissed off at them for all the bullshit they put him through. Becoming a cop in New York was going to be next to impossible with his school records (even with The Mist covering things up), so that was more of a pipedream to.

But it was the third problem that was causing the biggest distraction for Percy at the moment.

It had been a week since classes had started again after the solstice holidays when Mercury had suddenly appeared in the middle of the Senate and announced that classes need to be cancelled, all demigods and legacies must return to their respective camps, and that ALL the gods were being called in for a full meeting.

It was the last one that had all of Percy's alarm bells ringing.

Percy and Annabeth returned to Camp half-blood via the sailboat his dad gifted him for his eighteenth birthday, but shortly before they left New Rome, Percy had talked to Frank and asked about Hazel since he hadn't seen her since the announcement.

All Frank told him was that she and the other children of Trivia were meeting at the Temple of Trivia for some unknown reason.

That had raised several red flags in addition to still ringing alarm bells in Percy's head.

But still, Percy more than knew just what Hazel was capable of and decided to trust one of his youngest cousins.

He just wished he could have at least said goodbye to her.

When they got to Camp half-blood not long after, what with Percy at the wheel of a boat, they found out that the same thing was happening like at Camp Jupiter.

Percy had hoped that it was just the Romans having some kind of crisis. But when he and Annabeth arrived on the docks at camp he saw that his boat wasn't the only one moored there. And just like at Camp Jupiter both Terminus and Mr. D were nowhere.

That had been three weeks ago.

Sure everything looked calm and peaceful, despite the underlying tension because no one knew what was going on, sure with the sudden influx of demigods, both really young kids and the very few demigods that had managed to survive not just into adulthood but also start families of their own, they had to expand the borders to accommodate everyone. But they were managing just fine.

Everything was just fine...

Everyone was keeping busy, especially Annabeth who decided now was a good time to start her plans to build a town or something like that for the Greek demigods.

Meanwhile, Percy was helping where he could. Especially in regards to keeping everyone calm.

Just like how Percy had found and come to accept that he liked helping people, and protecting them, over the past few years he'd also come to accept that he liked being a leader and that he really did have some skills with leadership.

And with Jason busy helping Annabeth, Chiron stretched thin more than ever, and Nico concerningly nowhere to be found, the job of keeping some three hundred more or less demigods from going stir-crazy fell to him.

Not that he minded much. In fact, managing camp at present was probably the only thing keeping HIM from going stir-crazy as well. That and the course work that he actually liked doing anyway.

Percy was suddenly pulled from his thoughts by the sudden smell of sea salt, fresh fish and the sound of crashing waves and screeching seagulls, followed by the large calloused hand on his shoulder.

Looking up Percy found his dad smiling down at him, his smile full of shark like teeth, his glowing sea green eyes reminiscent of an anglerfish's lure despite looking unsettling were kind as always and so very grounding.

"Hey Dad." Percy said smiling as he stood up to greet his father.

As casual as Percy was with a lot of the gods, Poseidon was still his Dad and a god, and after how much his father had always defended him every time he did something completely insane and almost got smited by Zeus...showing his father respect and manners was the least he could do.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you Dad... it's your cabin after all. Aren't you supposed to be in a council meeting still?" Percy asked nervously.

The last thing everyone needed right now was for Zeus to show up at camp having a hissy fit about his dad skipping out.

His father in response simply shrugged unbothered and smiled looking amused.

"My brother called for a momentary recess...things had gotten heated for a moment during our discussions." His Dad said like that wasn't concerning information.

It was only then that Percy really took in his father's appearance.

His dad wasn't in his usual 'newly retired rich guy who took up fishing as a hobby' look. Instead, his Dad looked like an old school fisherman. White wool turtleneck sweater, cargo pants, with his Trident strapped to his back, the only strange thing to Percy at least we're the Greek style sandals his dad was wearing.

That had the alarm bells in Percy's head turning straight up into siren warnings, complete with the red danger lights.

It was something he noticed over the years. How his dad only ever really changed his appearance when something was deeply wrong.

"Okay...so I take it that this isn't a social call?" Percy asked politely.

Percy didn't need to understand rocket science to know why his dad suddenly popped in out of nowhere first chance he got.

Poseidon shook his head and his smile became much more tired and sad.

"No...I don't have much time. I only came to tell you that something is happening...The Mist is weakening and on the verge of collapse. Has been for some time now."

And just like that the other shoe dropped and it fell right smack on Percy's face. Hard.

Ignoring all the sirens screaming in his head Percy forced himself to pay attention to what his father was saying. After nearly a month of no answers he finally had them and he could give everyone at camp information they needed, desperately.

"Okay...how? And is that what the gods have been talking about?" Percy asked.

"You guys have been discussing what to do and how to solve it?"

"Yes my son. I don't know all the intricate details, but from what your cousin Nico has told us all the near apocalyptic events that had happened over the years as well as our world leaking heavily into the mortal world has forced The Mist to spread itself too thin. I can't get into this more I don't have time...what you do need to know Percy is that you need to be prepared. I fear the world as you know is about to change." Poseidon said in the most casually ominous way possible.

"Also be prepared. Expect a summons to Olympus at any time."

And with that final warning Percy's Dad vanished in a spray of seafoam, fog, and vapor leaving the lingering scent of the sea inside the cabin.

Percy stood by his desk for a full minute taking in everything his Dad told him, then he put his face in his hands and groaned.

'it just had to be something like this' Percy thought, cursing his demigod luck.

After a moment of bemoaning and cursing the greater universe at large Percy cracked his back and squared his shoulders.

Whatever it was that's happening exactly, it didn't matter, all that mattered was that he had a home and family to protect, and by the gods above and below and in the sea he was going to protect his loved ones.

Anyone or anything that threatened his family would be seeing the bottom of the Mariana trench.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2; Percy

Percy got to work immediately. And by that, he meant he was going to ask for help to come up with a plan to break the news to everyone.

Percy wasn't an academic by any means. But he wasn't a complete idiot, he knew that if he just called a councilor's meeting and blurted out "The Mist was falling" it would give everyone a collective heart attack.

'could demigods get heart attacks?' Percy thought as he made his way to the second smartest person he next to Annabeth.

Jason Grace.

As much as Percy hated the quests, and the multiple near death experiences that came with being a demigod, there was one thing that demigod life gave him, that he would never trade for anything.

His loved ones. The people who meant the world to him.

It was because he was a demigod and didn't need to hide anymore that his mom didn't need to stay with Smelly Gabe any longer, being a demigod was why Percy had his best friend Grover in the first place, being a demigod was how he had his little brother Tyson, being a demigod was why he had four awesome and badass but annoyingly crazy cousins. But most of all, demigod life was how he met the love of his life, his lighthouse who stopped him crashing into the rocks when everything got dark, his anchor who made sure he didn't drift out to sea and lose himself when it was so easy to be a monster, the girl who saw the real him, the fish loving dork who just wanted to do the right thing and take care of his family, his now fiancee Annabeth.

So, three years ago when Caligula almost killed Jason Percy was understandably pissed.

Percy was still haunted by that day, even now, and remembered it quite clearly.

'Percy had been busy doing homework for his make-up classes to graduate, when the first Iris Message he got when communications came back was a frantic Nico having a breakdown.

The normal pen that Percy had been using snapped in half when the first words that came out of Nico's mouth were "Jason's dying!"

Percy felt his world narrow at those words, Jason, his friend, his cousin who he'd just gotten to know was dying. Suddenly, memories of Bianca flashed through Percy's head, the family he didn't know he had until it was too late, followed by a flashback to his first shroud burning ceremony after the battle of The Labyrinth, Percy remembered how broken Pollux was at Castor's death, how he saw purple torch light burning from windows of the big house for days, Percy thought of Thalia who had just gotten her brother back after their mother left him to the the wolves and monsters when he was only two years old, who in the god's name was going to tell her Jason was gone? How the hell was HE supposed to?

And all because an egomaniac wanted to show how he was better than everyone else by becoming a god.

Percy felt the sea inside his soul raging and churn into a maelstrom at the thought. A person, not a god or a monster, just a mortal who found a way to live so long wanted to trade away his humanity just because he felt entitled and better than everyone else, hurt his family.

Percy wanted to tear Caligula apart for that, Percy wanted bring down the entire ocean on his head. Caligula was famous for his war against the sea, Percy wanted to see how long an asshole like him would last if the sea fought back.

Percy was pulled back to his senses at the feeling someone was shaking him. It wasn't until he heard Annabeth's voice calling his name that his vision stopped blurring and he found her right in front of him, shaking him by the shoulders and yelling his name.

When Percy came back to his senses he saw that Annabeth was soaking wet and looking around he found his room trashed and near flooded.

"What in Hades happened seaweed brain?" Annabeth asked panicked.

"You started a category five hurricane out of nowhere are you alright?!"

In response Percy said the only words that came to mind.

"Jason's dying."

The stricken look Annabeth gave Percy just made everything feel so much more real.

"Okay...that's a reasonable response. Alright then we need to get to camp ASAP." Annabeth said as gently as she could given her own panic.

She took Percy by the hand and gently lead him out the room.

"How bad?" Percy asked his voice tight and his mind still foggy.

But he wanted to know if his storm caused more damage than just his room, but he was afraid because how Annabeth looked.

Annabeth didn't say anything for a moment, a too long moment. Annabeth never hesitated and that was enough confirmation for Percy.

Rushing passed Annabeth he went into the rest of the apartment and found the place looking like a hurricane gone through. The windows were shattered, the living room was flooded with a few inches of water, and the pipes were sticking out of the walls, and water was just everywhere.

Percy felt like the abyss just opened up in his stomach, which got worse when he turned to look into the kitchen and found his mom just as soaking wet as Annabeth.

Percy felt like he'd been punched in the gut by a titan, thankfully it looked like Estelle was relatively dry, but it was the sight of Paul with an ice pack on his face that had Percy wanting to puke.

"What...?"

"It was an accident Percy. Nothing to be worried about." Paul said kindly, trying to make Percy feel better.

Instead, Percy just felt worse as he rushed over and lifted the ice pack from Paul's face before he could argue.

Percy felt a the guilt and shame well up in his gut seeing the bruise on Paul's face. It was a familiar splash patterned bruise that could only come from being hit by tremendous amounts of solid water pressure.

'I did that. That could could have been Annabeth, or mom, gods that could have been Estelle!' Percy's thoughts were about to spiral again when suddenly the smell of sea salt and burning wood filled the room and then that familiar calloused hand landed on his shoulder.

Suddenly, the sea in Percy's soul went still, the waters going calm, like all his power was suddenly quelled.

Looking behind him, Percy saw his dad giving him a sad smile so kind that it made his heart clench.

Poseidon looked to Sally and smiled just as warm.

"Ms. Chase I would advise you to go ahead to Camp half-blood Percy will follow in a moment." He said addressing Annabeth without looking in her direction.

"Tell my nephew that Percy will be a moment."

"I apologize for the sudden appearance Sally...but I think I need to take Percy for some fresh air for a moment." He said warmly not taking his eyes off of her.

"I must say Paul you are remarkably well adjusted to be this calm...I'm actually impressed. Most mortals would be losing their minds in this situation...you always did have an interesting taste in men if I say so myself, don't you Sally."

Percy watched as his senses come and go but he did hear his mom snort in amusement at his father's teasing.

"As delightful as this is brother...I do believe Percy needs help." Another voice said.

That was when Percy realized what the burning wood smell was. It was Lady Hestia, his aunt and the only goddess he had the utmost respect for.

Percy wanted to crawl under a rock and die right then and there. He couldn't believe Hestia was seeing him after he trashed his own home.

But before Percy could spiral again, he felt his dad's hold tighten slightly and then everything was a rush of light and water.

Next thing Percy knew he was in the middle of the ocean, far far away from any form of civilization with just his dad there.

"This should be far enough." Poseidon said as he faced his son.

"Percy...as I've said many times before the sea does not like to be restrained. This is one of those times. Your anger is justified my son however I will not allow you to lose yourself to the storm within you."

Percy was hopelessly confused by that.

"I brought you here to allow you an opportunity to release your anger. Do not be afraid to let you full power go here as we are far from any civilization."

Percy was dumbfounded for just a moment, because at the mention of his anger, he suddenly remembered why everything happened.

Taking his father's advice Percy stopped restraining himself, he poured all of his rage and created a maelstrom and the biggest hurricane he'd ever made.

Percy did that for what felt like hours, and by the end he was exhausted. But for the first time since he heard the news Percy felt his mind clear up, and in that moment several things clicked in his head.

He realized what Athena meant about his fatal flaw all those years ago.

Percy always thought that being loyal wasn't a bad thing. And he still did, but now, seeing the mess he made. Percy realized it was less about being loyal and more about how he got when the people he cared for got hurt.

Percy came to the realization that his power made him a tsunami with legs and that when he raged everyone and everything in his path became collateral damage.

And he hated himself for it.

His mother wasn't just some random person to swept away by the tide, his friends at camp weren't insignificant specks that could be washed away. They were people. His people. And he was treating them like nothing every time he lost his temper. His fatal flaw made him act like a wild monster destroying everything and needed to be put down when his loved ones were hurt.

Percy didn't like being like that, he wasn't a natural disaster he was a person.

He thought back to the promises he made to himself after the battle of The Labyrinth. How he felt so ashamed that with all the campers looking to him for leadership he couldn't have been bothered to remember most of their names. Campers he spent years seeing every summer.

Looking out at the see floor he turned into a small trench Percy pulled himself together and decided he needed make changes.'

Pulling himself out of his memories, Percy walked up the path to the remodeled Zeus Cabin and knocked loudly on the polished bronze doors.

"Hey Jason! It's me!" Percy said in the most obnoxiously cheerful way possible just to annoy his cousin.

It wasn't long before Percy heard the sound of rushing wind behind the door, followed by the squeaking sneakers and the tapping of a cane, then the cabin doors opened and to no one's surprise and mildly tired looking Jason Grace appeared.

'at least the eye bags aren't as bad as last week's.' Percy thought as he smiled and brought the basket he had with him.

"I brought snacks and soup." Percy said waving said basket in Jason's face.

"And before you tell me your busy I know you weren't at lunch earlier and Katie told me she saw you and Annabeth at the construction sites. So your eating."

Jason simply smiled and huffed before shaking his head, but stepped aside to let Percy in anyway giving his permission.

"Fine...I'm kind of hungry anyway. Your welcome inside Zeus Cabin."

With slightly smug and mischievous look Percy patted Jason on the shoulder as he strolled on into the Zeus Cabin like he owned the place if only just to annoy a his least favorite uncle.

Remodeling and renovations was actually the first thing Jason had done after he had fully recovered from his near death experience at the hands of Caligula and his lackeys (mostly at Nico and Percy's instance) Jason first remade his father's cabin.

Jason deserved a real home after not having one for so long, and after a lot of pestering and convincing from both Percy and Nico about how a military barracks wasn't much of a home Jason caved and did it (much to Percy's satisfaction) and while the new cabin was still over the top fancy, it at least felt like a proper home now from what Percy could tell.

The new Zeus Cabin was this three story circular Greco-Roman style tower made of while marble, and inlaid with gold, and everything had depictions of clouds and lightning and the sky, the windows were made of stained glass depicting all of Zeus's greatest triumphs and victories, and eagle statues were everywhere on the roof like gargoyles.

Inside though, it was a bit more welcoming. the bunk beds covered in eagle motifs were placed around the first floor of the space, which looked like a wide open chamber with a high ceiling, depicting the clear and open sky, at the center was a small circular table next to a spiralling staircase leading to the second floor which was a smaller room that Jason used as an office of sorts, and on the third floor was the open air terrace and where Jason moved the giant scowling statue of his father and set it up with a proper altar (that had been Nico's suggestion on how to move the damn thing to secretly fuck with their uncle while stroking his ego at the same time).

Percy set the basket on the table by the staircase and took out the large blue crab shaped pot that began crawling around the table.

The pot was a gift from Lady Hestia when Percy turned eighteen and had taken up cooking and baking as a hobby as it did wonders for his stress. The crab was enchanted to be sort of alive, indestructible and could turn into a soup pot or cookie jar, while keeping any food warm.

Percy named it Glacier. Because the top shell reminded Percy of an ice glacier.

"I made the Di Angelo family minestrone." Percy said as I poured out a bowl for Jason and himself (the recipe had been Nico's birthday gift to him for his birthday that year) and then lit the table lamp as he and Jason burned a handful of cookies as an offering.

The two ate in comfortable silence for a bit. The only sounds were Jason's slightly poor table manners and proof he hadn't eaten all day, and Percy's attempts to not laugh and tease Jason as he watched the later practically inhale his soup.

After Jason cleaned his second bowl of minestrone, and accepted the offered blue chocolate chip cookies, Jason finally set his bowl down and gave Percy an expectant look.

"Not that I'm not grateful for the food. Your soup is awesome Perce...but what's going on?" Jason asked as he drank his glass of water.

"You're poker face is shit and I can tell something's on your mind."

"Hey! I have a solid poker face thank you." Percy said sticking his tongue out at Jason before settling back in his chair and ran his hand through his hair as he sighed.

"Dad popped by the cabin earlier. Said something about The Mist collapsing."

At the sudden news Jason choked on his water prompting Percy to rush over, patting him on the back as Jason coughed.

"What the Hades dude! Don't just blurt out stuff like that!" Jason said shocked.

"I know dude! Why do you think I told you first." Percy said as he started pacing around Zeus Cabin.

"I plan to call a councilor's meeting before dinner. Maybe after, but I don't have a clue how to break news like this, not to mention my dad implied that we may all be called up to Olympus at any time!"

Now that Percy was saying all his thoughts out loud, he was starting to stress out.

The Mist has been around some three or five thousand years and suddenly now it was giving out. Just when he was about to graduate college to.

The timing of it all was going to give him more grey streaks more than holding the sky would from the stress alone.

"You have a point..." Jason said as he started cleaning his glasses.

"Honestly, I don't think there's anyway people won't panic no matter how you tell them."

Percy nodded.

"Yeah I kind of figured. But I want to give some better answers or at the very least an explanation. I want to avoid any possible arguments."

"How though?" Jason asked confused.

"I mean as far as I know something like this has never happened."

"Dad told me Nico was the one who reported it and has been in the meetings with the gods." Percy said incredulously.

"That's where he's been?" Jason said even more shocked.

Percy nodded as he forced himself to calm down before he accidentally made it rain.

"I've been leaving voice messages on his phone but he hasn't answered. I've been holed up in my cabin all afternoon, you heard if he's back?"

Jason nodded as he ran his hand through his hair with a sigh.

"Yeah, Miranda said that one of her siblings on guard duty at the hill saw him pass."

Percy nodded as he began putting the bowls back in the basket.

"Okay we'll ask him for a rundown on everything that's going on then call a meeting after.'

"Sound good to you?"

Jason nodded as he grabbed his cane and got up.

"Yeah. But how are you going to get him to talk? You know how he gets about secrets."

Percy smirk and pulled out a bottle of wine, showing it to Jason.

One of Nico's worst habits was keeping way too many secrets, it got worse with the fact that getting him to open up was like pulling teeth.

Percy thinks it was something left over from growing in the time he did.

Fortunately, Nico had a soft spot for family and got open to being bribed.

And nothing worked better than appealing to his inner Italian grandpa.

Taking a closer look at the bottle Jason let out a low impressed whistle.

"This is expensive. I remember some of the richer senators opening bottles like this at the forum during festivals, and during harvest season in the gardens of Bacchus, and sometimes Reyna would find a way the get her hands on one for her birthday. How'd you get this?"

Percy smiled as he took the bottle back and place it safely in the basket.

After the first war, before he got kidnapped by a certain goddess who he had mixed feelings for now. Percy helped out rebuilding camp and endeavored to get to know all the campers better.

He regretted not having gotten to know how amazing and awesome Pollux was before then (even more so Percy regretted that he never got to know Castor at all), and one of the major perks of that friendship meant he got access to the cabin twelve wine cellar in their basement.

With a mischievous smirk Percy just shrugged.

"The Stolls aren't the only ones who know people."

"Okay. Now we're all set let's go bribe our cousin into exposing himself." Percy said cheerfully.

Jason facepalmed at the phrase because hearing it out loud like that didn't sound right. Like at all.

"Percy. I love you like the older brother I never had. So, I say this out of love... don't ever say that out loud ever again." Jason said as he directed Percy out of his cabin.

Percy blinked for a minute before facepalming himself.

"Okay...in my defense that sounded way better in my head."

"C'mon kelp head, let's go get Annabeth and the other half of your brain before talking to Nico." Jason said as he closed the doors to his cabin and he and Percy went of figure out what new mess they had to deal with this time.