Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Percy was confused. Don’t get it twisted, this was not a new feeling for him. Far from it, actually. But the situation at hand was something new, unrelated to gods or monsters or any of the various mythological events he got dragged into regularly.

Now, onto the thing he was actually confused about. Strangers at his apartment door because, apparently, they thought he was a mutant. Fair assumption, not many people can drag their bully into a water fountain without touching them, or get grabbed into the water after jumping off the St. Louis Arch (he thought the water was closer, okay? He wasn’t trying to cause a scene!), or any of the various power-related shenanigans of his that have happened in public over the years. But he assumed the Mist would take care of that. Unfortunately, with mutants becoming more and more common around the world, there was less of a need for the Mist to really cover his powers. There was a scientific explanation for it that was unrelated to him being a demigod, one mortals could comprehend.

He’s honestly more surprised it took this long for someone to come find him under the assumption that he had the X-Gene.

He was just mildly annoyed that he didn’t really have a way out of this. During the school year, too! He was meant to be focusing on catching up after a year of memory loss, not evading mutants trying to recruit him into their child soldier armies (he was already in one of those, thank you very much!).

Standing in front of him were two adults, maybe mid to late 20’s. They didn’t seem like monsters masquerading as mortals, so at least he had that going for him. The taller of the two was a man with light brown hair. He was relatively well built, and he dressed kinda like a suburban dad. The most noticeable feature of his, though, were the red glasses on his face. They could’ve just been an odd fashion choice, but Percy was sure it had something to do with his mutation. He knew they could be weird, or destructive. The glasses were probably some kind of safety precaution. Next to him was a woman with ginger hair. Her eyes were a striking green, having almost the same effect on him as Annabeth’s grey eyes did when they first met. He felt like she could see straight through him to his soul if she wanted to. Other than that, she had no distinct features that gave away what her mutation could be. They both looked vaguely familiar, like he’d seen them on TV somewhere.

“Sorry, but I think you’ve got the wrong apartment. No Percy Jackson here.” He shrugged, his face apologetic. When in doubt, lie. He didn’t want to deal with this, and he didn’t want to waste their time. He knew it probably wasn’t going to be this easy, but a guy could hope. He wished his mom was here to talk to them instead. Or hell, even Paul. But they were both at work. And Percy was home alone. Awesome.

The woman raised an eyebrow, like she was saying ‘really?’ without saying a word. The man’s eyebrows furrowed in what Percy could only assume was confusion. Lotta eyebrow movement here, folks.

“Now, Percy, lying to a telepath isn’t the smartest thing to do.” Oh great. Her cadence was slightly amused, like he should’ve known that. And, okay, maybe he should’ve. Maybe it was common knowledge. He knew there were some famous mutant heroes, but it's not like he had access to technology to keep up with that stuff! (He also knew there were some ‘villains,’ but Percy has only really heard them referred to as terrorists if he’s being honest).

“...My bad?” Such a sophisticated reply, Percy. Just so eloquently worded. He continued. “Okay, fine, you caught me. But I'm not a mutant, alright? This is all some big misunderstanding.”

Her face softened, like she understood what he was going through. Like she understood why he was denying the truth. But he wasn’t.

The man spoke up this time, looking almost equally understanding. “Look, Percy, I understand wanting to deny your mutation. Nobody wants to be a mutant. It’s a difficult thing to come to terms with, but you can’t stay hidden forever. I mean, there’s already videos that have been recorded of you, or at least who people believe to be you, using your powers. You can control water, right? That can be a powerful mutation. You’re lucky it was us that found you first instead of one of the more unsavory individuals who want people like us dead.”

Percy felt bad. He was giving the wrong person this talk. He felt like an imposter, even though he wasn’t even pretending to be something he’s not. And he still hasn’t figured out a way to escape this situation.

He wanted to sink into the floor. He wanted to scream. Why couldn’t he get cool shadow travel teleportation powers like Nico, except water related? That would be so convenient right now.

…

Wait. His two brain cells had finally rubbed together enough to formulate a half-baked plan. He wasn’t the greatest actor, but he could put up a mediocre facade for five seconds.

“I- I know, alright? I know I can't hide. I can’t pretend that I'm normal. I won’t be able to escape the people that want me dead forever. But, can I just call my mom real quick? I feel like she should, y'know, be here for this.” He charged his words with the long pent up feelings he’d had about being a demigod. And it seemed to work.

“Absolutely, sweetheart.” The woman nodded. They both looked so empathetic and understanding that Percy felt kinda bad about tricking them. He was just about to make his grand escape before remembering that they would still be there.

“Uh… Are you guys alright just waiting outside for a bit? No offense, but I don’t think my mom would be okay with me letting strangers inside…” Once given the figurative thumbs up, he gently closed the door and locked it as quietly as possible. He darted back to his room, trying to make as little noise as he could. He sent a quick text to his mom using the monster-proof phone Leo built for him, his hands shaking with adrenaline. Gods and monsters were one thing, but adults were a whole different type of terrifying.

-

‘theres people at our door that think I'm a mutant not a demigod’
‘because of my powers i think’
‘escaping out window rn’
‘sorry mom’

-

That works, right? He pried open his window as far as it would go, climbing out onto the fire escape.

---

Okay, there were probably better options than crawling out the window. But he really didn’t want to deal with this, and he was notorious for being a problem child (the list of schools he’s been kicked out of is absurdly long, but it wasn’t his fault!). This behavior wasn't out of character to people who didn’t know him personally.

He spammed Annabeth as he moved in the direction of her school, going at a pace that could not be considered walking. He hopes he’s not interrupting her in the middle of class, but he didn’t really have time to worry about that.

-

‘annie’
‘annie’
‘anni’
‘ANNIE’
‘hhelp’
‘thers people that think im a mutant’
we gotta go’

Wise Girl <3: ‘Give me five minutes.’

-

Gods, he loves his girlfriend.

---

By the time he makes it to the front of her school, Annabeth had managed to escape early on his behalf and was already waiting outside. Her golden curls were lit up by the sun, tied back into a high ponytail as usual. The light catches her eyes as they land on him, making her irises practically glow. She looks concerned, rightfully so.

“Thank the gods, you’re alright… Your messages sounded urgent, I thought you were being hunted or something. Well, as urgent as you can sound over text. But, care to explain what's going on?” Se questioned.

“Okay, yeah, fair, I didn’t mean to freak you out or anything. But, these people showed up at my door and they were all like, ‘we know you’re a mutant, don't try to lie to a telepath!!’ or whatever. I mean, now that I’m thinking about it they weren’t really a threat, but still. If people have seen my powers, and they think I’m a mutant...” He trailed off, pausing to take a breath.

“They also mentioned something about videos of me using my powers? Don’t know how those got out, another problem for later, but yeah.” He stopped. Okay, maybe he overreacted earlier. Maybe he shouldn’t have left, at least not so abruptly. But those thoughts were quickly forgotten by the growing anxiety on her face.

“Wait, Percy… If they’re able to find you, that could end up being a problem for demigods as a whole. I mean, who knows how many kids that don’t know the truth are gonna be wrongly identified as a mutant? Using their powers, not having proper protection from monsters… There are so many ways that could go horribly wrong.” She said, eyebrows pinched in anxious thought. He wasn’t thinking about the safety concerns before, but now that she’s brought it up, it’s all he could think about.

“...Wait, you said one was a telepath? Now I'm glad you got out of there. What if they found out you were a demigod? What if they found out about camp? What if-” She took a deep breath, composing herself. She had enough experience in people’s minds to know that having a telepath against you, especially a powerful one, was extremely dangerous. “Y’know what, I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Percy looked around nervously. No sign of the duo that showed up on his doorstep. “We have a bigger problem on our hands than I thought, huh?”

Chapter Text

We need to get back to camp.” Annabeth started with a determined look on her face. She had already pulled her school bag off of her shoulder and in front of her, searching through one of the front pockets. 

“How are we gonna- oh… Them? Really?” He asks, a pained expression contorting his face as his question is answered when Annabeth pulls out a single golden Drachma. 

“Yes, them. I know, I know, they’re terrible, but we need to get out of here fast, and what other choice do we have? We can’t risk being seen by whichever mutants showed up on your door, and I don’t think Nico would appreciate being bothered. Stêthi, Ô hárma diabolês!” 

 She tossed the coin into the street. It sank into the asphalt, disappearing below the surface. The pavement darkened, melting into a parking space sized pool. It was bubbling with a red liquid that had always looked suspiciously like blood to Percy. Just a moment later, a familiar taxi materialized from the ground, looking like it had been crafted out of smoke. The passenger seat window rolled down, revealing one of the three sisters whose name he couldn’t recall.

“Passage? Passage?” The old woman mumbled.

“Two to Camp Half-Blood.” Annabeth answered, opening the back door of the cab. She climbed in, searching for more Drachmas in her bag to pay. Percy reluctantly climbed in after. 

“Ach! You two! I recognize you!” One of the old women (whichever one currently had the eye. Tempest, maybe?) screeched.

Percy sighed deeply, preparing for the oncoming torture of riding with the Gray Sisters.

---

Throughout their unnaturally fast trip, several curbs were hit, and an uncounted number of red lights were run. Not a single road law was followed. The sister that was driving, he believed it was Wasp but he wasn’t exactly paying attention, didn’t have their shared eye for the entire duration of the drive. Percy’s just shocked he didn’t get whiplash. His hair was now windblown and knotted to the Underworld and back as he stepped out of the car because, for some godsforsaken reason, they kept their windows open. Annabeth wasn’t in much better shape, and tossed them another Drachma to finish the payment.

There really needs to be better magical transportation. 

The duo slowly made their way up Half-Blood Hill, their heart rates slowly coming down after that adrenaline filled ride. They’re quickly greeted by the sight of Thalia’s tree up ahead, the golden fleece waving softly in the cool autumn breeze. The trees surrounding camp were slowly changing colors as October steadily approached, the leaves now reds, oranges, and yellows he rarely saw much of in the city. He usually wasn’t at camp this time of year, most demigods weren’t. Most were back at school. He knows that Annabeth used to be one of the few who stayed here all year before she reconciled with her father, and later moved to New York to be closer to Percy. When they finally reached the top of the hill, they only saw a few campers roaming around, just small figures in the distance. It was a relatively long walk, so it took a while before the two were within sight of them.

A small number of them noticed him and Annabeth approaching, but didn’t say anything. A few waved, but most of them had jobs or chores to do, and the two didn’t look like they were in trouble. There was no immediate threat, so there was no reason for them to freak out about their presence.

They crossed the open field, making their way up to The Big House. They climbed the stairs of the sky-blue building. Chiron wasn’t waiting on the wraparound porch, so they could only assume he was inside. Percy pushed open the door, Annabeth following quickly behind him. They passed through the rec room, making a beeline for the centaur’s office.

Percy gave a few frantic knocks on the door, not waiting for approval to enter before opening the door. Annabeth spoke up first before Chiron could get a single word out.

“So, we might have a new problem. And it might be mutant-related.” 

“…Mutant?”

It was always something with those two, wasn’t it?

---

The boy just… disappeared. Jean couldn’t sense his mind, so either he was too far away, or he had a way of blocking her out (something she seriously doubted). They waited outside for a while wondering where he went until the kid’s mother showed up. She was rightfully panicked, and very confused. And while Jean wasn’t trying to read her mind, it was hard to ignore the woman’s whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. She was practically radiating stress.

And trying to explain that her son was a mutant proved to be difficult.

“No, no- Percy is not a mutant. He’s not. You have the wrong kid. Please, just…” She sighed, brushing a lock of brunette hair out of her face. Her expression was warped by anxiety, her eyebrows furrowed and her lips pulled into a frown. Jean knew her denial didn’t come from a place of hate or confusion. The woman knew, or at least believed, that there was no chance her son could be a mutant. Scott took over for her, gently trying to convince the distressed mother.

“We know how you feel, Mrs. Jackson, but you have to understand that your son, he- he can do things a normal kid can’t. I’m sure you’ve noticed at some point that Percy isn’t, well… normal.” He said, empathizing with the woman in front of him.

“I know, alright, I know that, but please- fuck- could you just come back later? I need to find my son, and he obviously has no interest in talking to you right now, I- I can talk to him about this soon, alright?” She stressed, only agreeing with them to get them to leave. And she had a point about finding him. The teen had long since made his grand escape, and it was probably worrying her to hell and back. 

Jean looked at Scott nervously. This really wasn’t going as planned, but when did it ever?

-

‘theres people at our door that think I'm a mutant not a demigod’
‘because of my powers i think’
‘escaping out window rn’
‘sorry mom’

Read 1:17 P.M.

Mom: ‘Perseus Jackson. Explain yourself.’

-

Chiron had the same look of anxiety on his face as Annabeth, which was both a relief and a stressor. It was a relief because, yay, they weren’t overreacting and this was an actual problem! It was a stressor because, oh no, they weren’t overreacting and this was an actual fucking problem.

“...We must hold a meeting. I’ll need to contact several head counselors because of this, most are home at this time of year, though I'm sure you already know that… Perhaps I should inform Camp Jupiter of this as well. They should also be aware.” Chiron sighed deeply, looking deeply tired and completely resigned to his fate. “I should’ve known things would never be easy. When one problem is solved, one prophecy is complemented, dozens more always take its place. I’m truly sorry that you two have to go through this, especially now.”

“I mean, it sucks but it’s alright. I’m pretty used to it by now.” Percy shrugged, and it was true. This stuff always happened to him.

“Even still, I truly don’t want to burden you with this-” Chiron started, but he was quickly cut off by Percy.

“No. Look, it might be inconvenient or annoying, but if… if it means that I can help in any way to protect more demigods, I'm going to try.” His resolve was steady. He wasn’t backing down from this.

Annabeth nodded in agreement. “Half-blood’s go through enough. We don’t need to be dragged into mutant issues, and we don’t need to risk our existence being exposed.” 

“Alright,” The centaur relented. “Fine. But if you find you must step away from this responsibility at any time… I won’t fault you for your decision. Now, you two should go. I’ll hold the meeting tomorrow, hopefully, if I can gather everyone in time...”