So, this is (hopefully) going to be one of my next "big" stories. One I actually hope to complete. Since, you know, I sorta suck at that. I hope you all like it!

This is spiritual successor number one. I have no idea which story will actually be turned into a fuller story, so you're feedback will be what I go off of.

…

"Good, you're here." Jason gazed around the room warily. Being the boss's son, he shouldn't have had to worry about such things. But he did. He was the boss's teenage son. Ripe for the picking. And, he found out, intimidating. "I have a favor to ask of you," his father continued.

"Yes father?" Jason asked. He knew his father didn't ask for favors lightly. None of his colleagues did. His father dipped his head, noting the curt tone.

"The rival is in town," he said simply. Jason recoiled. He knew young members partook in the activities, but he had no interest. "Relax boy," he said, waving aside the reaction. "I just need you to show his son a good time. We're looking to join with them." Jason cocked his head to the side. Since when?

"Yes father," he replied instead, casting aside his doubts. "The boy's name?" He liked to do some light digging before heading off with virtual strangers. Zeus waved a hand. Names were unimportant, so far as he was concerned. Jason gave his father an annoyed look. "The boy's age then," he tried.

"Fifteen," his father replied, and he felt another surge of annoyance. So his father expected him to babysit then? So be it. But one thing gnawed at him.

"Why can't Thalia keep the boy company?" he questioned. "She's better with people." Oddly enough, he thought to himself. He was the one with the approachable demeanor. But his sister was the one who possessed the necessary people skills. It was almost ironic, really.

"Because the boy requested you, I guess," Zeus said, waving a hand again. "The matter is unimportant. Don't fail me boy." Jason winced and excused himself. No, he wouldn't fail his father. But how did he expect Jason to babysit some brat? The blonde was almost nineteen himself. The rival's son seemed like a baby in comparison.

"What did father want?" Jason looked up sharply at his sister. She was standing across the hall from the meeting room with another brat, although this one wasn't so bad. Piper gazed up at him with curious eyes. Eyes that could get you to do just about anything. Piper was ten, the daughter of one of their father's colleagues. She was over often enough.

"Oh, he expects me to babysit," Jason said, waving a hand. "He won't tell me the brat's name, just his age. He snorted. "Father knows I don't play well with others." He gave Piper a shark-style grin, which she just giggled at. "He's fifteen though," he added, looking at Thalia. She looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully.

"That sounds like Poseidon's brat," she said. "What was his name again? Perseus. Perseus Jackson." Now Jason had a name to the age. Very good. He could do his research. He excused himself to do so. He went down to his room, situated near the back. It was a small space, but it was his. And he was grateful for any shred of personalization he could get. He picked at his white shirt. His father insisted on the best dressed kids, so he and Thalia were always seen in suits and dresses. Right now, however, Jason had removed his jacket and was walking around the home in his dress shirt, vest, and tie.

"Alright Perseus," he said, cracking his fingers. He sat down at his desk, where his laptop was. "Let's see what we can find out about you." He opened his secret files, mostly about the brats of his father's rivals. He scrolled through until he found the correct one. A black and white image of a smiling kid greeted him. "Hmm, interesting," Jason said.

Perseus L Jackson, like's being called Percy. Height, five feet and ten inches. Sophomore at New Haven High School. Shadows? Jason paused at that. Shadows? He scrolled through a few more pictures. One was in color, a newspaper clipping. It showed Percy crossing the finish line at a track race, grinning. Two men stood on the sidelines, arms crossed. Jason frowned. Who were those men? They obviously knew the boy. Jason picked up his phone and cradled it against his ear.

"Hello darling sister," he said. On the other end, Thalia snorted. "Do you know anything about young Perseus Jackson? There are some…unsettling men with him." The blonde looked at another photo, a school one. Percy had unusually green eyes. Sea green.

"I believe the brat has bodyguards?" Thalia replied, though she managed to make it sound more like a question. Jason sighed. He wanted absolute facts. Not wild speculation. But no matter what he pulled up, there were no mentions of the two men with him. "I don't know dear brother," she said at last. "I assume you've done your homework well. You should have enough to go off of." Jason closed the laptop.

"I always do my homework well," Jason responded. "But I wish to not be caught off guard. If they are bodyguards, then nothing to worry about. If they aren't…well, I'm not risking my own life to make some kid happy for a day."

"Father would disapprove," Thalia said, and Jason nearly fell out of his chair. Curse his father. Why couldn't he be one of the lesser known member's son? They got to do all of the fun things. While Jason and Thalia were usually left to watch over newcomers or babysit pesky brats so their father could successfully socialize. "You can't let him down Jason. Just suck it up and show him around the town. It'll be over with before you know it."

"I suppose so," the blonde replied, rising. His father hadn't exactly said that the tour would be today, but it was highly unlikely it wasn't. So Jason found his jacket and put it back on. He also found his pocket knife, which he stuck in the specially crafted inside pocket. Rule of thumb; never leave home without a weapon. He went down to the sitting room, sitting in a high backed chair. He waited for probably only five minutes before the doorbell chimed. He decided he would let someone else get it. Harry, one of the newer members, came from down the hall. He went to the door. Jason watched the proceedings with interest.

"You are not Zeus," was the first thing he could hear. Then; "Where is my son's escort? I will not have him travel without him."

"Father," Percy complained, his cheeks flaring red. He wasn't a helpless infant. Besides, he had Frank and Nico, who sure did a good job of keeping him safe. Or they'd done so thus far. Jason rose from his place, capturing everyone's attention.

"I believe I am your son's entertainment for the evening," Jason said. "Jason Grace. Pleasure." Poseidon hummed gratefully. He always felt better if Percy's well-being was put first and foremost. Seeing the youth in front of him was far more than capable of handling himself put him at ease. "Hello Perseus," he greeted the boy. Percy frowned.

"Percy," he corrected. One of the men, who'd been unnoticed until just then, gave a rumble of a laugh. Jason glanced at the giant. He was a big man, easily close to seven feet. And very thickly built. Jason had seen smaller basketballs. The other man, who'd so far remained silent, was a bit of a mystery. Jason was slightly taller than him, and Percy was fast approaching them both. "Apparently Frank finds something funny," he said with a shrug. The shorter of the two smiled. "So does Nico," Percy said.

Frank and Nico, Jason thought to himself. Mystery men have names. He gazed at the trio. No doubt about it now. Those two were Percy's bodyguards. Though the smaller of the two still confused Jason. He wasn't very massively built. In fact, he was sort of lanky. He was of average height, and average looks. Sort of. His eyes were dark, but they appeared to have little flecks of gold in them.

"Shall we be going?" Jason blinked. He expected the bigger of the two bodyguards, Frank, to do the talking. He believed everyone was, because even Percy and Frank looked at Nico in surprise. But Percy's look was quickly replaced. Jason studied him. That was a good sign. Boss's kids couldn't show much emotion outside of contempt and happiness. Maybe this brat knew what he was doing after all.

"Yes, let's," Percy agreed, giving Nico a look. I'll deal with you later. "Jason, lead the way please." The blonde rolled his eyes, but nonetheless led them out of the building. Nico and Frank followed behind the two boys, watching silently. Nico wasn't sure about Frank, but he didn't trust this Jason guy. Not right now anyway. They didn't know anything about him. They were walking into his blindly. And that always made Nico uneasy. His job was to always keep Percy safe.

Nico's story with Poseidon's clan was interesting, to say the least. His father had been a member, way back in the day. He'd since moved on to other things. But Nico, since he'd known only Poseidon's clan in his twenty-two years of existence, decided to stick around. Frank had Nico beat at twenty-four, but Nico had known Percy for literally his entire life. Percy trusted Nico to keep him safe and out of harm's way, so that's what Nico did his best to do. It included, sometimes, not trusting his so-called companions, especially if they were the rival.

"Nico," Percy said, and Nico was instantly alert. The teen was looking back at him curiously. Nico normally walked side by side with Percy, despite the fact it wasn't normal protocol. Nothing about this arrangement, however, was normal. Nico shouldn't have been a bodyguard. He wasn't any way qualified for the job, despite having known Percy for a long time. "Aren't you coming up?" Percy asked.

"I'm staying back here," Nico replied softly. Percy looked slightly crushed, but Nico held firm. He wouldn't let himself be sucked in. They had to look professional, or at least slightly professional, in front of the rival's son, who'd watched the proceeds with interest. So Percy knew the shorter of the two well.

"Say Perseus," he said, and the brunette turned to give him an annoyed look. "How do you know the shorter of your two bodyguards?" Percy glanced over his shoulder. Nico and Frank were watching them silently. Surely Jason knowing how he and Nico met wouldn't be giving away too much. It wasn't like he was spilling family secrets. He wasn't a dumb kid, even though people tended to treat him as such. As soon as you hit eighteen, that's when people began treating you like you had a brain.

"First off, stop calling me Perseus," he replied, and the blonde raised an eyebrow. It was as close to surprised as he could get. "My name's Percy. Everyone calls me that. Second off, Nico's known me my whole life. His father was a member, and now he is." Nico, upon hearing his name, dipped his head in agreement. He was something. Perhaps not a member, but something.

"Is that why he's your bodyguard?" Jason pressed. Nico gave him a pained look. There was no need to point out the fact he wasn't qualified for the job. "Because he's kind of…" Jason stopped. For the first time that he could remember, he didn't want to insult someone. Normally, his insults were lightning fast. It came with living the life he was forced to live.

"We all know," Percy huffed. He hated it when people pointed out Nico's shortcomings (no pun intended). Nico made an excellent bodyguard, despite not looking the part. Frank was the muscle, sure, but his brain wasn't always where it should've been. Nico balanced them out with his lighting fast intelligence. Besides, there was no way Percy would go anywhere without Nico present, bodyguard or no. "But he is more than capable of taking care of me. Something you're supposed to be doing, by the way." Jason bit back a retort. Make the kid happy for one day, he reminded himself. Then you never have to do it again.

"Yes, yes, I suppose," he gritted out. "I never actually mentioned where we're going either. We're off to the theatre. Father got us tickets to the show so we may be…suitably entertained." Because I'm not capable of entertaining him myself, Jason mused silently. "He did not mention the bodyguards, however, so we only have two tickets. Either they will need to pay for tickets themselves, or they will wait outside. That is, if they trust me enough to let something so precious out of their sights." Nico balled his hands at his sides. Beside him, Frank made a low grumbling noise. This prat was worse than the last kid they encountered, who proceeded to lead Percy straight into a trap.

"I'll pay," Percy said quickly, hoping to avoid any real confrontation. They perhaps didn't look like much, but both men were armed. Concealed on Frank was a pistol in a holster and a knife strapped to his bicep. Nico also had a long knife concealed at his waist (it was almost a short sword) and a smaller knife tied to his ankle. Their rule was never to leave anywhere unarmed, unless they were inside the home. But even then, weapons had to be close at hand. "Here Nico," he said, handing the bodyguard his wallet. "Just…pay for you guys to get in, okay?"

"Alright," Nico agreed, putting the wallet in his pocket. Percy usually trusted him with his money, simply because Nico wouldn't go off and spend his money.

"What are we going to do until that time? We still have an hour." Jason pursed his lips. He really didn't want to spend much time with this brat. "You have to take care of me. You wouldn't want me to tell me father, would you?" Jason turned away, resisting the urge to strangle the brat. Nico placed a hand on the brunette's shoulder. No one was allowed to do that. Except Nico.

"Hey, take it easy," he whispered, breaking protocol for this. "Don't frazzle him. You know what happened the last time your escort got annoyed with you." Percy rubbed his side where Clarisse la Rue stabbed him. That had taken awhile to heal. Then again, he should've known to tone it down when she pulled the knife in the first place. "Just take it easy, okay? I don't fully trust Jason yet." Percy bit his lip. He trusted Nico's instincts.

"I'll be good," he promised. "Hey, uh, Jason, sorry for being…difficult. Why don't you take me wherever you were going to take me?" Jason arched an eyebrow. Maybe he should thank the lanky bodyguard for whatever he said to him.

"Yes, let's go," Jason mumbled, leading the way to the mall he remembered being here. Percy fell in step just behind him, with his bodyguards bringing up the rear. Jason glanced back, making sure Percy was behind him. Percy glanced around at the scenery, pointing occasionally to things, to which his bodyguards would simply smile. With each thing, Percy's smile would stretch a little wider. Jason himself found the antics annoying, but strangely…cute? Why was he thinking that? He shook his head. No, he would not give in. "Here we are," he said, holding the door open for the trio. Percy seemed a little hesitant to enter first, and only when Nico took his elbow did he enter. None of this went unnoticed by Jason. He was just a kid. Why would he be so scared to enter a building?

That was one thing Jason didn't get. Sure, he was the son of the leader of a rival gang, but still, he shouldn't have been that scared. Maybe he should pay a little better attention to how the brat was feeling. With that unsettling thought, Jason entered the building. He glanced around. Percy was pressed against Nico, looking around nervously. Jason cocked his head to the side. Hmm.

"Hey," he said softly. Percy nearly leapt out of his skin. "Easy now, just relax," he whispered. He gently led the brunette away from his bodyguards. "I think we've earned a treat, yeah? I'll, uh, buy you an ice cream."

"Really?" Percy asked, his expression lightening considerably. "Yes please. Can I have whatever I want?" Jason debated telling him no, but one look into his sea green eyes and he couldn't. He simply nodded, because he didn't trust himself to speak in coherent sentences. "Yay," Percy said softly, doing a little dance around Jason like he had to use the bathroom, but Jason knew he was just excited. Which was strange, because he barely knew him at all. "Hey, uh, I need to…you know…" Percy trailed off, looking around. Jason didn't catch on right away. Nico seemed to know what his client needed, however, because he sauntered up and pointed a little sign above a door. Percy grinned, thanked him, and took off. Jason looked questioningly at the lanky bodyguard. He shrugged.

"Potty break," he said, crossing his arms. Frank had wandered over and stood near the door, which Jason finally noticed had a little stick figure male. Of course. Maybe he should've known what the brunette needed. He felt kind of bad. "Oh, don't sulk," Nico said at last. "Percy doesn't always come out and say what he needs. Trust me, when we first started being his bodyguards, we had a hard time understanding all his needs. We had, ah, more than one accident at the start."

"Bet that was interesting," Jason mused. Nico, despite still not trusting the guy, cracked a tiny smile. He could sense the tiny shift in his demeanor.

"It certainly was," he replied. "For the first few weeks, one of us needed to carry a backpack with extra clothes. He was pretty good at big social events, thank god. That would've been hard to explain to his father's colleagues. It probably helped that he knew the houses, so he could find his own way. But in places he wasn't familiar with, well…" He let that thought trail off, especially since Percy was now picking his way over, grinning. "Feel better?" he asked when Percy finally rejoined them, Frank not far behind.

"Uh huh," Percy said, not bothering to mention he almost didn't make it. Nico had this uncanny way of knowing. "It's um, embarrassing, to say the least," he mumbled to the blonde who was studying him curiously. He shifted uncomfortably. "Please don't say anything," he pleaded at last, looking up with traces of tears in eyes. "Let's just go."

"Hey," Jason said, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders. Nico took a step forward, like Jason was going to hurt him. "It's alright. You're still a good kid, okay? It doesn't define you. Besides, I owe you an ice cream. Whatever you want, remember?" Percy sniffed and wipes his eyes, giving him a tiny, watery smile.

"Sundae with sprinkles and nuts?" he asked quietly. Jason gave him a soft smile, removing his hands. Percy frowned slightly. He'd been enjoying that.

"As many sprinkles and nuts as you want," he promised, leading the brunette to the ice cream stand in the middle of the mall. Maybe he was warming to the brunette. Percy wasn't really a bad kid. He was just shy and insecure. Maybe slightly full of himself, but that could very easily be a façade. He let Percy order his sundae. And yes, he did let him get as many sprinkles and nuts as he wanted.

…

So, that was, let's say the prologue, to this story. That ending though. Jason slightly warming to young Percy.