Work Text:
Percy Jackson, Son of Neptune
Characters: Percy Jackson, Sally Jackson, Poseidon, Annabeth, Zeus
Ships: Percabeth
Description:
Roman! Percy with a twist. Percy Jackson, Son of the Sea. He came to Camp Half-Blood, and things seemed off. Latin was more natural, then there was the annoying habit of calling The Olympians by their Roman names, and of course the whole not hating Annabeth and the other Athena kids as much as they seemed to hate him. So when his Mom tells him who his father really is things get crazier, and make more sense. Part of my Percy Jackson AU Shorts, and Percy Jackson and his Confusing Parentage
Disclaimer:
I do not own Percy Jackson & The Olympians, or Heroes of Olympus, I’ve ignored Trials of Apollo as I haven’t read them yet. Please don’t sue me!
Throne Room, Olympus [Summer Solstice 2006]
The black haired young man with sea green eyes stared up at Nep-Poseidon. His father’s words hurt, but Percy fought back the rejection, and he left. The walk was short, the entire time the thoughts in his head warring. He knew Nept-Poseidon had more important matters, and the rejection had hurt less than the other Half-Bloods had suggested it would, so why was that. The voices in his head kept at it even as he walked into his Mom’s and Gabe’s Apartment.
Gabe threatened to call the cops, and his Mom dragged him into his completely Gabe-ified room. A single thought rose unbidden in his head, his smell could cover up a dozen Demigods . He looked lornfully at the door as a pop echoed in the room and a cardboard box dropped onto his bed. The part of him that always suggested things that ended up with him in trouble spoke, taking the box and turning Gabe and his buddies to stone, leaving them as statues in the middle of this apartment. He fought it down, but voiced the idea to his mother. A sad smile worked its way over Sally’s face.
“Percy, my sweet Percy. You sound just like your father, thinking he could solve my problems with a wave of his hand. Percy, I have to live my life, otherwise it isn’t mine now is it? Yes you could save the both of us from Gabe, you stopped a war, you can and will do so much more Percy, I know it. I need to do this and I think you know that the same way you know that Poseidon isn’t really your father.” Percy’s eyes snapped up to Sally, wide as dinner plates. “It wasn’t Poseidon who took me out that night, he probably doesn’t remember he said he always got a bit fuzzy switching between personalities like that, it was Neptune. Percy you aren’t a Greek Demigod, you’re Roman one.”
“Roman…” Things clicked in Percy’s head. The Latin classes Annabeth kept giving him B’s in. The calling The Gods and Goddesses by their Roman names. The getting along better with Athena Cabin. His disagreements with Ares Cabin. Oh Gods , Percy looked at his mother, a part of him hoped it was a joke, but her expression was serious, as serious as how slightly off Riptide felt in his hands. “I’m a Roman in a Greek camp?”
“There’s a Roman camp Percy, Neptune spoke of it the one time he came to see me while I was pregnant with you. He didn’t think you were his, and the Roman personalities are less known for interference. I saw the hints though, I noticed the difference in you between Neptune and Poseidon. You’re rebellious as the waves, but you have enough control to better hold yourself back when you’re motivated. Percy, you can’t go to the Roman Camp, you can’t. The Greeks no about you now, and if you disappear they’ll search for you. Once they think of you as one of their own Greeks will protect you. Plus they’ll probably take it better when it comes out.”
“When? I’ll just keep it a secret, not tell another soul.” Percy sounded so sure, his face hard as stone. Sally chuckled and pulled him close with one arm.
“Percy, I love you, but they’ll figure it out. Especially with time. So don’t try to tell people, but don’t think you can hide it forever.”
Percy left his mother in her own hands, capable hands that had managed a relationship with two personalities of a chaotic god, hands that raised him, yes he had failed to save her but letting her save herself was the right thing to do.
His summer at Camp Half-Blood was hard, but he grew closer to Annabeth, they were best friends easily by the end. He kept the flag out of the Ares Cabin’s hands. Made a consistent, if mind boggling to everyone else, alliance with Athena Cabin. He always won the Canoe races. He got better at the Lava Rock wall. He said goodbye to Grover, the Satyr with his brand new Searcher’s License. Then Luke betrayed him.
The last line of the Prophecy fulfilled, and the looming threat of Sat-Kronos and Luke coupled with his poisoning and the paperwork to stay at camp year round. He thought back to his mother’s words, about how she had to live her life for yourself. He packed a bag and got a ride from Argus back into the city, he’d be back.
Thalia’s Pine, Camp Half-Blood, Long Island [Summer 2007]
Percy stared at the black haired girl lolled against the tree. The other campers gawked while Annabeth crouched nearby, tears on her face. Percy shook his head and pushed past them all, he ripped off his sweatshirt and wrapped it around girl. He turned and looked at them all.
“Nectar? Ambrosia? Medical help? Are you just going to stand there?” His voice projected like a boom mike with an authority the others hadn’t heard before. They rushed in an instant, a flask appeared near Percy’s hand and he glanced over at Annabeth. He smiled at her and took it and slowly helped the girl drink it. The girl’s eyes fluttered open, so vibrant blue they looked like live lightning crackled in them. It came to him, from a dream he’d had on his first quest. “Thalia, daughter of Jupiter.”
He picked her up as her eyes closed again and took her towards The Big House, ignorant to Annabeth’s wide eyes that followed him, or her dropped jaw.
Percy quickly and effectively got the Apollo, thank Gods it’s the same name, healers in and looking after Thalia. He herded out everyone except Annabeth, Chiron, and the healers, it helped that everyone was so shocked and easy to move. He stepped out and stood guard at the door. Earlier in the summer Percy had gotten to see Greek Demigods in a war scenario, he was equal parts impressed and terrified. Their prowess as individual fighters certainly outstripped his Roman instincts, but as a group they often lacked cohesion outside their cabins. They listened to Cabin 6 give out the strategies, but for the most part stayed firmly planted inside their own Cabin. It could be problematic given that most of the cabins didn’t have a variety of fighting styles, they were specialised. He hoped they wouldn’t have to go to war, but that would mean stopping Luke before he could raise Satur-Kronos.
Gardens of Olympus [Winter Solstice 2007]
Min-Athena approached him slowly. Her expression appeared equal parts intrigued and confused, but her steely grey eyes gave nothing away. He stayed in place, he knew this confrontation was coming, he’d face it head on. She stopped before and raised an eyebrow at him as he bowed to her.
“Lady Athena.” She nodded at him and he rose out of his bow.
“You are interesting Percy Jackson, your Fatal Flaw could mean the destruction of the world. As a mother I am happy my daughter falls in that category, as a Goddess of Strategy and Warfare I am horrified at what you might do. I hope you understand that my decision to vote for your destruction has nothing to do with my dislike for your father, only that it was the logical and wisest course of action. That said, you have earned my respect Percy Jackson, few Demigods can say that, even fewer of them are Spawn of the Sea God.”
“I understand Lady Athena, thank you for your honesty.” Percy caught sight of Annabeth standing not too far away, her eyes locked with his and a small shy smile slid across her face. He bowed again to her. “If you’ll excuse me Lady Athena, I believe there’s a discussion I owe your daughter.”
Percy escaped from Miner-Athena as fast as he could. He sidestepped a conversation with Apollo and Merc-Hermes. He ducked away from his father uncles who were in another argument, and collided with Thalia.
“What? Got two left feet Kelp for brains?” His eyes narrowed at her.
“Maybe I do, what are you going to do about it, Pinecone Face?” The smirk on his face grew as lightning crackled over Thalia’s skin. There was a sudden quiet around the two before Thalia pulled him into a hug.
“You Godsdamned idiot Shark Bait. Bearing the weight of the sky was a dumb move.” He laughed and hugged the Lieutenant of Artemis close.
“Glad I’m still alive too Lightning Breath. Now if you don’t mind distracting our family I have to have a talk with Annabeth, one I’ve put off for a little too long.” It was Thalia’s turn to smirk and raise an eyebrow, but she drew the attention back to herself and he slipped away.
Percy finally reached Annabeth’s little secluded spot on the opposite side of the Gardens from everyone else. He gave her his lopsided grin and she smiled back. She took a seat on the bench and patted the spot next to her. He took the spot, a fair bit of distance between them. Annabeth raised an eyebrow at him, how he shifted left and right under her gaze.
“You’re Roman.” She stated it, not a hint of doubt. He looked away. “That’s why you struggle more with Ancient Greek than any other Demigod or Demigoddess I’ve met. It’s why Latin is so much more natural. It explains your more stabby tendencies, and the knowledge of battlefield strategy more common to Ares and Athena children. It explains your halting-ness when naming The Gods and Goddesses. It also explains your early rise and authoritative personna. You have to be a Son of Neptune, not Poseidon.”
“Yes, my mother confirmed that for me after our first quest… she suggested that’d someone would figure it out, I think the more I talked about you the more she guessed it would be you. She said Poseidon probably doesn’t realise, he was having a relationship with her as both personalities so he just assumed I was his kid, not his alter-ego’s.” He couldn’t meet her eyes, and then her hand fell over his. His lips parted and he looked over at her as she moved closer.
“You did a good job of hiding it, the giveaway was when Thalia appeared and you named her as Zeus’ alter-ego instead. No offense, but I’ve never met a Roman Demigod before, and I have a feeling you're doubly not supposed to exist anymore.” As serious as she sounded at the beginning, Percy noted the teasing tone that filtered in at the end. He laughed. His biggest secret, his thoughts reminded him of Ven-Aphrodite. His second biggest secret revealed and she was using it as ammunition for teasing. That seemed like a very Annabeth thing to do. He didn’t realise that her own melodious laughter had joined his, until after his thoughts ended.
He noted Athena’s disapproving look throughout the rest of the party, which only grew after he and Annabeth shared the dance he owed her. He saw his father smile. Thalia took a photo and had a devious smirk on her face. He ignored it all, he may be a Roman among Greeks, but he was accepted.
Half-Blood Hill, Camp Half-Blood, Long Island [Summer 2008]
The Battle and quest into the Labyrinth had cost them a lot. Campers, his friends, were dead. Annabeth seemed angry with him and he didn’t entirely understand why. Grover had a great many new responsibilities now that he was Lord of the Wild. Thalia had sent him a postcard, she and The Hunters would come when he needed them, boy or no boy. He’d had a small smile at that. Distance hadn’t strained his relationship with his cousin, in fact it had brought them closer. Rachel was a mystery, and part of him wanted to figure out, must have been the Roman part. He glanced over at Annabeth’s stormy eyes.
He hoped that leaving on a bad note didn’t ruin something for them, he wanted his friend back, even if he couldn’t be with her. They’d stood on this hill together many times, and this time felt different, like it could be the last.
“You’re really going home? Now?” Annabeth’s tone was as sharp as her knife. Percy settled his gaze on the horizon.
“I have to. I’ll always be available for missions, you and Beckendorf know how to get into contact with me, but this might be the end of my life Annabeth, I can’t spend it just fighting a war. I may want to, the Roman in me is begging me too, but I know I won’t be able to make whatever decision I’ll have to make if I don’t remember why I’m fighting, what I’m fighting for.” He turned back to look at her, and somehow she seemed more hurt than she had at the idea of him leaving. Percy just barely caught the hints of water at the corners of her eyes as she turned and went back down the hill into camp. Something twisted in his chest, but he pushed it aside, he knew this was the right choice.
Olympus [Summer 2009]
Annabeth stared wide eyed at her best friend. The Gods had offered him immortality, widely considered the best gift for a Demigod, it would mean as much time with his father as he wanted. She wanted to be happy for him, but something dark and dour twisted in her chest. The Son of Neptune met her eyes, and the corner of his lips pulled up.
“I must kindly refuse Lord Zeus, while the offer of Immortality is tempting… there are more important matters, and I believe I still have a few things left to do here. I have led Camp Half-Blood against Kronos, and I would be remiss in my duties to that if I didn’t ask instead for something that could keep this from happening again.” Percy’s head was bowed and he knelt before The Gods, which was more reverence than some of them deserved in Annabeth’s opinion.
“You would refuse immortality boy?” Zeus looked flabbergasted.
“I would ask instead for all Gods of Olympus to instead make an oath, an oath to claim their children by their twelfth birthdays, and I would ask that we could expand the Cabins at Camp Half-Blood to represent more than The Olympians.” Zeus and Hera both looked ready to interject until Athena waved a hand for Percy to continue. “I am not arrogant enough to think I have the right to ask this, but this is why Kronos could build his army, how he could wage his war. The Demigods and Demigoddesses, myself among them, have felt abandoned and forgotten, used. Claiming your children and allowing us to represent the other Gods could reduce that feeling of abandonment, without needing you to interfere in the lives of Mortals as you are not supposed too.”
“Well spoken Son of Poseidon.” Athena turned to her family and raised an eyebrow at her father.
“He speaks the truth Father, we must eliminate the threat Kronos posed by removing his tools. He used our children, and our lack of involvement in their lives to do it. Perseus presents a good solution that won’t break our rules. I say we take it.”