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.