Chapter Text
Chapter 1 Damian
Damian had heard about Perseus Jackson. Though Perseus’s mother was born a Wayne, she kept her adopted last name, Jackson. Perseus had done the same, refusing the Wayne name when he came to live with Father. Notoriously saying, ‘I’m Sally Jackson’s son.’ Not four years after her death, Perseus had died in that fiery blast in Gotham’s harbor.
Perseus had been twelve.
Damian was twelve now. Damian had initially written Perseus off as weak. Yet with everything that had happened, there were moments that he had wondered if he would outlive his cousin.
Ever since, he tried not to think about him or the door to an empty room, which was practically sealed shut except for Alfred’s cleanliness.
The door was open now.
Damian was still reeling.
Those brilliant green-blue eyes, the sheer self-assurance of their brief encounter. Damian had never been so easily disarmed in his life before.
His sword in the grasp of another before he could so much as blink.
If it had been even two years ago, Damian would have taken it as a challenge, an expert adversary who held a place by Father’s side. But now, after all that Richard had taught him, Damian couldn’t help but look forward to the idea. Finally, someone who could properly spar with him, who was interested in what Damian was interested in.
Damian didn’t even care that the other was half Atlantis. Perseus had used no signs of power when he disarmed Damian; that was skill.
His first order of business was to ensure that his cousin did not leave. No wonder the others never found him, if he had been in the oceans the entire time. Damian refused to let this lost blood relative leave him, not when he had questions.
That eagerness and the sheer presence of Perseus had blinded him to his cousin's condition.
It wasn’t until he and Cassandra came back that first night to see Jason and Perseus sound asleep in Jason’s room that he really looked at his cousin. He was pale and thin, looking half-starved, and his breathing was slightly uneven. He wasn’t sure if the others caught on to it, but from the glance he shared with Cassandra as she silently placed the duffel bag by the door, she definitely had.
So Damian had watched the other that morning. Somehow, Perseus looked worse.
From his research, he knew Perseus had no pre-existing conditions besides ADHD and dyslexia. But that was 4 years ago. Damian was even aware of the search programs the others had set up.
Then he spoke about Lazarus Pit and Jason and wanting to go to school.
Damian promptly went back to reeling.
He did not understand this cousin of his, but something about him reminded him of the supers. Was this an Atlantean thing or something uniquely Perseus? What strengths did he have? And why would someone who must be strong not wish to fight?
What had his cousin gone through?
Why was he in such bad shape?
Damian thought.
And thought.
Then he decided to wait and help his cousin recover. Damian had aided in the recovery of various animals and provided first aid to various victims, but this was the first time he felt invested.
He spent lunch holed up in the library with various medical books.
”Ready for that spar?”
Damian blinked and slowly turned.
His cousin stood behind him, still wearing Richard’s oversized Nightwing hoodie and jeans and twirling a wooden xiphos.
“I do not spar with opponents who are not fully recovered.” Damian shook his head. While Perseus perhaps had a little more color in his cheeks, he still looked like a stiff breeze could push him over.
”It’ll be fine.”
“Look at that,” Jason cooed, likely having followed Perseus. “He called you worthy. And you should take it easy, Perce. You were barely aware during lunch.”
”I’m fine.”
“Mmh hmm.” Jason hummed in agreement before ruffling Perseus’s hair.
“I could still spar.”
”The brat might surprise you.” Which was one of the nicer things Jason had said about Damian.
”Rest for today; I have heard that Gordon will be in attendance during dinner. You will need strength for her integration."
”Babs?” Jason asked.
”Oh.” Perseus blinked. “I…”
”She searched for you too. We all did.”
“Additionally, there are a few minor things that need to be done before enrollment. I myself had to go through these seemingly unnecessary steps, but when exposed to the masses, it would be most beneficial for you.” Damian needed to come up with a plan for Perseus's recovery.
”You lost me.” Perseus stopped twirling his wooden sword.
”We must arrange a meeting with Doctor Thompkins. The school requires an absurd number of health checks, as well as up-to-date vaccines. Including those peculiar strains that are often unique to Gotham.”
”What?”
”I too had to suffer through this procedure. I am willing to act as both companion and guide in this regard.”
”What? You want him to go today?” Jason scoffed.
Damian ignored him and continued speaking to his cousin. ”Given your weary state, we can have Dr. Thompkins come here for her examination.”
”Pipsqueak is saying he thinks you look ill.” Jason unnecessarily clarified. “And, Perce…you do-“
”Ah.” His cousin flushed a bit, then messed with the back of his hair. “If it’s for school, I think I have medical records. And I have been a bit tired lately, but I’ve already seen…um…our healer about it, and he gave me-” Then Perseus searched his pockets.
“Um, let me check my bag.” With that, Perseus was out of the room.
”Don’t pressure him to do stuff.” Jason immediately scolded.
”Are you not concerned for his health?” Damian raised an eyebrow.
”Of course I am! But he’s only just returned.”
“All the more reason to have him checked as soon as possible.”
”If you push too hard-“
”He’s not going to leave, least of all if it's you asking.”
”How do you know that?” Jason asked.
”Cassandra.”
Jason gaped at him.
No one won arguments against Cassandra.
“You noticed his breathing, right?” Damian continued.
”What are you talking about?”
“Ask him to see Thompkins.”
”Damian, what do you mean about his breathing?”
”Last night when we stopped by, it seemed like he was breathing a little too rapidly. And Cassandra also thought it was off.” Damian hopped down from the chair, leaving his books. “Now, I will assist Perseus in getting his papers in order.”
A hand grabbed his shoulder.
”What is your angle, brat? Why do you care all of a sudden?”
”Is it so wrong to see to the health of family?”
“You’ve repeatedly stabbed us in the past.”
”As you pointed out, he is my blood relative.”
”You’ve stabbed Bruce too.”
”That was one time.” Damian huffed. “And I wish to spar against him. Father said to wait till he was well.”
”If you want a sword fight, I’ll spar with you. Leave Percy alone.”
“It’s not the same.”
“What, I’m not good enough for you? I’ve been trained by the League too.”
“You are being insufferable.” Damian wrinkled his brow. “I am going.” Damian continued out of the library, heading towards Perseus’s room.
“Thanks, Neeks. Remember outside by the pond.” Perseus was speaking to someone, but he didn’t think that Perseus had a phone. His father had briefed him about the monsters and technology issue.
”Perseus?” Damian knocked at the door.
”Damian!” Perseus swung the door open. “Perfect. Do you want to meet my dog?”
”You have a dog?” Damian blinked. How would that even work underwater?
”Yes, Mrs. O’Leary. She’s huge. You’ll love her.”
“I would like that.”
”Perfect. Her and Neeks are meeting us by that pond.” Perseus pointed through the window. “Hmm…it would be faster if we just jumped down.”
Within moments, Perseus opened the window and leaped onto an older pine tree before climbing down. “I took this route all the time when I went out and helped Tim with his photography project.”
Damian jumped down after him, making his way slowly down the tree to give Perseus a chance to take a break.
“Timothy likes photography?” It was only recently that Damian even started referring to everyone by their first names. He still spent the least time with Timothy compared to everyone else. They did not spar. Damian did not blame Timothy for it. Damian could acknowledge that a great portion of their poor relationship was his fault.
He was glad he was meeting Perseus now and not two years ago.
“Yeah. You should ask him about it sometime. He has some of the best shots I’ve ever seen.” Perseus snickered as they started to walk towards the pond. “There are a few that I think you’ll love. It’s an art style.”
”I did not know. I draw.”
”Nice. Besides sword fighting and talking to fish, I don’t really have any other talents.”
”Your hydrokinesis- you made a bird from water that looked extremely realistic.”
”Huh. I hadn’t considered that.” Perseus hummed. “If I tried to freeze it, would it count as ice sculpting?”
”You can do that?” Could other Atlanteans do that?
”I can certainly try. It’s all just water, isn’t it?” Perseus grinned at him, then stopped just beneath a tree with a large shadow next to the pond. “Thanks for asking about my health. I forgot my medicine when I left camp.”
“Like an idiot!” A bronze canteen nearly collided with Perseus' head, but he snatched it out of midair at the last minute.
A large mastiff seemingly materialized from the shadow before them, bigger than even Goliath, Damian’s bat-dragon. On top of the truck-sized dog sat two teenage boys, a dark-haired one dressed in all black with an aviator's jacket, the other blonde in an orange T-shirt and blue jeans.
”Missed you too, Neeks!” Perseus shouted as the dog gave his whole body a single lick.
”It’s only been three days. Who would miss you?” The dark-haired boy huffed and slid down. The other boy shortly followed.
“Is she magic?” Damian could barely tear his eyes away from the large animal, only noting Perseus’s acquaintances in the back of his mind.
“This is Mrs. O’Leary. She can shadow travel.” Percy scratched behind the dog’s massive ear. “Who’s a good girl?”
The dog’s tail swung so fast that a light breeze pushed back their hair.
“She’s beautiful.” Damian approached and let the dog sniff his hand. She licked his entire arm before giving his face the same treatment. Damian was coated in dog slobber, but he had never been more delighted.
“Introduce the dog, but not your cousin; I see how it is.”
“This,” Perseus ruffled Damian’s hair before Damian could push the offending hand away, “is Damian, my cousin on my mother’s side.”
“And this,” Perseus swung an arm around the dark-haired boy, “my cousin on my father's side, Nico, and his-“
”Significant annoyance.” Nico mumbled, crossing his arms.
”I’m Will.” The blonde greeted, holding a hand out. Damian stared at the hand, glanced at Perseus. He nodded.
Damian shook Will’s hand as the massive dog turned once, then twice before lying down beside them.
“Will’s dad is our head healer,” Perseus added.
Will’s face wrinkled at that. “That’s-“
"Am I wrong?”
"Well, no.” Will sighed before reaching into his bag for two other items. “You forgot this.”
One looked like an inhaler, but its canister was bronze instead of steel; the other was a neatly labeled glass container with golden gummies inside. Both had neat medical labeling, but it was handwritten instead of typed. It also was all in what appeared to be Ancient Greek.
Or was it Atlantean?
Damian knew which languages he would study next.
“In your case, Dad is even directly involved in your health. The labeling is his work. I was told to remind you to take the gummies twice a day, and a capful of,” he gestured to the bronze canteen, “the medicine once."
”I will remind him.” Damian nodded.
”Oh?” Will grinned.
“I am assisting Perseus in seeing to his medical needs so that he may further his education.”
“Good luck.” Nico shook off Perseus’s arm.
“Like you are any better.” Will huffed.
“And the inhaler?” Damian glanced at the object as it was handed to Perseus.
”Once in the morning, and then as needed. And given that this is Gotham-“ Will started.
”You think the pollution bothers me? I’ve been fine so far.”
Damian made a small tsk at that. His cousin had fallen asleep twice due to exhaustion and was noticeably wheezing in his sleep.
“Just like you haven’t been pushing yourself. I can read the exhaustion all over you.” Will huffed. “If you don’t get the rest you need, I will find out.”
”And drag me back to camp? Like I would get any more rest there.”
”I would stop anyone from bothering you.”
Nico muttered something*. It sounded like Greek, but not. Something in the cadence was different. The most Damian caught was something that sounded like father.
“You wouldn’t.” Perseus stared between the two.
“If you give me enough reason to.” Will nodded.
”Ugh. Fine.” Perseus pocketed the inhaler. “Just so I don’t have to deal with another of Mat.tim’s lectures on Atlantean politics.”
Damian picked up their conversation. Will would inform Perseus’s father. The Atlantean. The one who saved Perseus from the remains of an explosion. The one who had Perseus since. The one who may have prevented Perseus from returning earlier.
What would stop him from going back to his father?
”Should you not use it now?” Damian glanced at Perseus, still remembering the slight wheeze in his breath while he slept. “Since you haven’t today?”
Will laughed.
”Are there any side effects?” Damian asked.
”No. Not for medicine from my father.” Will grinned, then turned to Perseus. “Do you remember how to use it?”
”Yeah.” Perseus pressed the button at the top and breathed in the inhaler. Damian watched as Perseus’s shoulders relaxed and steadied. “I bet Annabeth remembered hers. Are you stuck doing this too, Neeks?”
”I’m in the clear in that regard. Shorter exposure, little damage to my lungs.”
”What happened?” Damian couldn’t help the question.
The three shared a glance, then Perseus shook his head. “Had to go through a harsh environment, little food, and lots of acidic air.”
Deserts were known for harsh environments with little food, but acidic air? Damian tried to run through regions that could match, but came up blank. Something bad enough to cause lung damage would have made the news somewhere.
Where?
”Will can explain the health stuff better.”
”Generalized increase in pulmonary inflammation. Due to the specific acid, the bronchial damage is harder and slower to treat. If he remembers to take his medicine, to eat in increasing small portions, and to take it easy,” Will leveled a look at Perseus, “he should be fine.”
Damian had read a little about asthma in the library earlier.
“Are you training to become a doctor?”
”I am.” Will smiled, clearly pleased.
“Here I thought the two of you would be sparring.” Jason walked up, one of Damian’s wooden practice swords held in his hands. They were gifts from Father; the league did not believe in practice weapons, always live steel.
“And that’s one hell of a dog.” Jason nodded at Mrs. O’Leary as Perseus snorted.
“Who are the newcomers?” Jason handed the practice sword to Damian.
The two introduced themselves. Jason’s face made an odd turn when Nico said he was Perseus’s cousin.
”I think I can guess your dad.” Jason grinned.
”That’s stereotyping.” Perseus huffed. Clearly, he'd shared more with Jason than with everyone else.
”In this case, you would be right.” Nico twirled the bone ring around his finger. “And I assume you are Percy’s Jason.” Then Nico spoke in that odd-sounding Greek**.
Jason blinked. Then opened his mouth-
”Another time. Just call him Jay, so it doesn’t get confusing.” Perseus sighed. “We have another mutual cousin named Jason. And there’s no need to socialize. They were just dropping off my medicine."
Damian leveled a look at Jason that clearly expressed the sentiment of ‘see I was right’.
”Mrs.O’Leary needs time to recover. And I want to see this spar.” Nico interrupted, gesturing to the now slumbering dog.
”Is he well enough to spar?” Damian turned to Will, who seemed the more sensible of the two.
Will nodded. “Thirty minutes of light exercise a day should be fine.”
Damian ordinarily would not consider a spar to be light exercise, but then remembered the ease that Perseus held when he disarmed him.
“If you are concerned, Nico and I can stick around and watch. Make sure he doesn’t push himself too hard?” Will had started to grin as well.
Damian nodded, then turned to Perseus. “Will you show me that disarming trick first?”
“Sure! Nico let me borrow you for a sec.”
”I’m supposed to be taking it easy too, doctor’s orders.” Nico promptly sat down, leaning against the slumbering giant dog for a backrest.
”I just need you to hold a sword up.” Percy ran a hand through his hair, making it even more untamed.
”Will can do that.” Nico offered.
”Great. Love being volun-told.” Will huffed. “Not like I even have a sword on me.” He gestured to Nico. Damian almost went to say something, but noticed the blade at Nico’s side. How had he missed it before?
”Here, just hold Pityosxiphos for me.” Perseus handed the wooden xiphos to Will.
”This is new.” Will gave the wooden blade a test swing.
”That’s live wood.” Nico added.
”One of Juniper’s friends made it for me. They overheard Grover and me talking last year. It’s been sitting beneath my bed for months now. I hadn’t had a reason to use it before.”
“You don’t use practice blades?” Damian rotated his own wooden katana, getting a feel for it.
”Generally, no.”
“I never used them in training either.” Damian nodded.
”It’ll be a fun exercise for both of us then.” Perseus grinned. “We can always swap to metal-“
”Light exercise." Will reminded them.
Perseus sighed. "When I’m feeling better.”
Jason laughed.
“Now, let’s get started. Will.” Perseus gestured.
Will held up the blade. Perseus demonstrated the disarmament technique he used on Damian yesterday. Damian knew that hitting a hand at that location would cause someone to loosen their grip, but generally people felt it. Damian had blinked yesterday, and his blade was gone. There was no lingering pain in his hand.
Was it the speed that Perseus had used yesterday? Or the surprise of it?
”I understand.” Damian nodded. He would not be so easily disarmed a second time.
”Great.” Perseus picked up the wooden xiphos from where it had fallen. “Ready to spar then?”
“Take it easy,” Jason called out, leaning against one of the trees overlooking the pond.
Damian launched forward with a testing strike.
Perseus didn’t even side step. He merely shifted his weight and lifted the wooden sword at just the right moment, rerouting the strike to the side. Picking up speed, Damian spun to strike again, only for Perseus to have glided his own sword beneath Damian's guard.
Perseus lifted and twisted, and Damian’s wooden sword flew out of his grip.
The movement was slow enough for Damian to grasp the technique. And realize Perseus had done it on purpose.
”Did you get that?” Perseus grinned, twirling his practice blade.
Damian slowly nodded, staring at his cousin.
“Great.” Perseus straightened his stance. “Let’s keep going till you pull it off.”
After the first few strikes and parries, Damian gave up on trying to go easier on his opponent. He trusted that either Jason or the medically inclined friend would stop them if Perseus seemed too ill.
A failed strike from Damian, a seamless dodge from Perseus.
Damian was well aware of his skill level. He had bested his previous instructors in the League. From the sheer ease with which Perseus deflected his strikes and how unconcerned Perseus was, Damian knew that Perseus’s skill was greater. Damian wanted to know how much.
He increased his speed.
Perseus did not telegraph his moves. No indication of where he would strike. Instead of the counterstrike that Damian would expect, Perseus would shift, and the wooden blade came from a totally different direction.
Damian had never fought someone so unpredictable. Damian would go for an opening, and just as quickly it would be turned against him. Perseus did not act like someone struggling to breathe or putting in great effort into the spar. He moved with a fluid grace that Damian had never encountered before. Another flurry of strikes on his part that Perseus neatly countered. Damian attempted the technique twice, going for a lower guard.
Nothing.
Perseus moved too quickly the first time, and the second time Damian had missed his window. Damian picked up speed once again.
Finally, he saw another opening and attempted the disarming technique.
He went low on the guard and then twisted his blade.
Perseus’s wooden sword went flying from his hand.
”Excellent.” Perseus grinned wide back at him, having simply sidestepped Damian’s follow-through.
Damian stared at him, and then at the practice xiphos on the ground.
“You gave that to me.” Damian panted.
”No.” Perseus picked up the xiphos. “I provided the opportunity."
“Why?”
”You wanted to learn it, didn’t you?”
”Yes.” He admitted easily. He had been taught to fight since birth, had numerous instructors, but not a single one of them moved as Perseus did.
“And the instructor comes out.” Nico groaned, stood up, and stretched.
“Sounds like you missed me.”
”My father provided other instructors while you were gone.”
”I bet they were really lively.” Perseus grinned.
Nico huffed.
”Here.” Will had picked up the bronze canteen and passed it to Perseus. “Drink. Just a sip.”
”I feel fine.” Perseus protested, but took the canteen.
Damian immediately turned to study Perseus. The other was flushed and breathing quicker than before. But between the two of them, Damian had expended far more energy.
“Damn.” Jason stepped closer to Damian and handed him a bottle of water, both watching as Will started a lecture on when to say 'you were fine'. “I thought he might be good from yesterday, but-“
”I can acknowledge when someone has superior skills.” Damian opened the bottle and took a long sip.
”You know that was a teaching spar, right?”
”Do not belittle me, Jason.” Damian wondered what it would have been like if it hadn’t been. He wanted to blame some of his showing on the bokken, but holding a different weight in his hand was not reason enough. Perseus had faced a similar discomfort, too. Even from the start, Perseus had said they would continue until Damian achieved the technique.
”And that he’s ill.” Jason added with a grin.
“Don’t feel bad,” Nico said as he approached. “He’s as unpredictable as a storm when it comes to fighting. A real pain to spar with.”
”I heard that.” Perseus called out.
“He can’t teach half of the shit he pulls; he says it was too ‘in the moment.’”
”Rude.”
”You defeated a monster with freeze-dried ice cream once.” Nico deadpan.
“It was killed by an arrow.” Perseus was staring oddly at Nico. The look carried weight. “I only distracted it.”
“That’s not how Thalia tells it.”
Damian made a mental note of the name and remembered what Father had said last night about Greco-Roman mythological monsters. But hearing stories about it now felt odd.
He hadn’t even known Perseus before yesterday. So why did he feel unsettled?
“Oh?” Jason slung an arm around Percy’s shoulders.
”It’s not that big of a deal.” Perseus protested, but did not shrug Jason’s arm off.
Nico snorted.
“Look, sword-fighting is a hobby. I’m just a normal teenager now. I’m going to school. No more monster-fighting…Oh.” Perseus grabbed at the amulet that Richard gave him this morning. Then he lifted it and spoke in that odd-sounding Greek again***.
Nico and Will both replied. Will said something that sounded like a question. Perseus nodded, took off the protection amulet, and handed it to Will.
”I’ll bring it back after Lou has had a look.” Will tucked the amulet into his pocket. From the movement alone, Damian knew Perseus wasn’t the only one who had been cursed. “But-“
”Really, we should demand it as a condition from them.” Perseus added.
”Only you are gusty enough to do that.” Nico sighed.
“And I will,” Perseus agreed. “They can do better.”
”You know how they’ll solve this problem. Rachel will get involved.”
Perseus’s face became pinched.
“We can handle it.” Will hummed. “Just not right away. We all need rest. Including you.”
”You don’t have to keep solving everyone’s problems.” Nico added.
”I do not-“
”The spat between Clarisse and the Stolls? Pollux refusing to leave his cabin?” Will ticked events off his fingers.
“When our cousins keep asking you to get their misplaced items,” Nico added.
“Look, I came here to get away from all of that. I’m fine.” Perseus sighed.
”Well, sorry if you disappear in the middle of the night and everyone gets concerned.” Nico crossed his arms. This cousin of Perseus acted like he didn’t care, but his words and the fact that he was here betrayed him.
”I did not disappear in the middle of the night. I left in the morning.”
”Didn’t even say goodbye.” Nico huffed.
”You were asleep! You didn’t wake when I knocked.”
”The one person who knew where you went shortly disappeared too.” The corners of Nico’s lips twitched. He was clearly teasing.
”She went home to her father.”
“Yes, but she remembered her medicine, and she even made an appointment with…” Will answered before he glanced at the two others. “You should give her a call.”
“I’m giving her space.” Percy protested. “It’s only been three days.”
“I’ve started talking to Mr.D.” Nico suddenly spoke.
“Casually?”
”You know what he holds…expertise in.”
”Is this an intervention?” Perseus’s eyes danced, almost glowing more green than blue.
”There’s something else.” Nico glanced at Damian and Jason. Then said something in Ancient Greek.
This time Damian knew they were intentionally excluding them.
”No.” Perseus stepped closer to Jason and Damian. Away from this other cousin of his. “You can speak plainly now in front of them, or save it.”
“Fine.” Nico sighed. “But only because I think it’s important. I met her too.”
”Annabeth talked about it? About what I did?” Perseus asked. And just past him, the water in the pond rippled like a strong breeze was blowing it. Only there was no wind. Then Perseus spoke, each word clear though Damian did not know the meaning, “Εἷς τῶν χειρίστων τεράτων ἃ ἀντεμετώπισα ἐκεῖ κάτω ἦν ἐμαυτόν.***”
”Percy.”
“No one would think that.” Will assured, stepped forward.
”Won’t they?” Perseus stepped away from them this time. To the side, by himself, to stand alone.
Then Nico half-mumbled something in that same Greek.
”That’s not the same.”
”Isn’t it?” Nico sighed, ”At least try talking to Mr.D-“
“That’s the last person I want to talk to. It’s fine. I am fine. I’m going to school. I am going to be just a normal teenager.” Perseus’s voice grew tense. The water grew choppy; small waves began to crest in water that never knew waves before.
Nico and Will shared a glance.
Damian didn’t understand.
He could pick up on what they were saying, pick up that they wanted Perseus to talk to someone. Remembered overhearing Clark discuss therapy with Father at first and how Father later started to cajole Damian to talk to Dinah as well. Mostly he just talked to her about how he disliked school. She made him admit that a few of his classmates were tolerable, but the vast majority were idiotic pebelians.
He couldn’t understand why Perseus wanted to fit in with them.
“Why do you want that?” Damian interrupted. “You are an excellent swordsman. You could be more.”
Damian immediately regretted saying it. He said he wouldn’t push, but- Perseus was good. Good at sword fighting, and just from the spar, he knew Perseus was kind. And looking at Perseus, Damian couldn’t help but think that he fit in with them. Going out at night, helping others. So why wouldn’t he-
Perseus stared at Damian for a long moment. Then he seemed to deflate, the heaviness in the air dissipating.
”I am tired of being more. I just want to be me. Just Percy. Nothing more.”