Ignore the laws of physics and time paradoxes, and wormholes linear and whatever else has to do with time travel in this one. Please and thank you, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson.

Zero to Hero

Percy kicked a rock further down the sidewalk. His steps brought him to it so he kicked it further. He could imagine Nancy Bobofit's face on it. Nancy's very small face on it; but any version of it was fun to kick. Or punch. So maybe he did have some anger management…

He couldn't help it. She was such a pain in the butt; she deserved to be kicked in the face. Or punched. Even if Mrs. Dodds would kill him for it, those fifteen seconds of glory would be epic and make him legend back at Yancy instead of the nobody ADHD kid who can't sit down or be good for a day.

Suddenly there was a flash of light and this guy came out of nowhere and ran straight into Percy. Percy fell on the pavement.

"Whoa- watch it, buddy!" He said, as the other dude got up. He didn't pay attention to Percy.

"Styx, Styx- Curse you Kronos! Son of a gorgon…"

"What the heck?" Percy asked. The guy turned to face Percy and Percy nearly had a heart attack. This guy had green eyes and black hair, he was tall and athletic looking like a football player, except he was holding a sword. The guy's eyes sprawled like Percy's probably did when he saw that add some muscle and a sword and a couple of years; the dude on the sidewalk was him.

"You look just like me." Percy told the kid.

"I…" The guy looked at Percy's jacket as he got back up. "Is that a coffee stain from when you got pushed into a teacher's desk?"

"How do you know?" Percy asked. "Okay; that's just a bit creepy. Does your brother or something go to Yancy or…?"

"Oh, this is not good." The guy said shaking his head.

"Tell me about it; I have a personal stalker." Percy said.

"I'm not a stalker, okay? You're not stalked yet."

"Yet? Well that's reassuring."

"No- I mean…"

"Whatever you mean- you owe me an explanation." Percy said. "Who are you, how do you know me, and I haven't mentioned this yet; but what's up with the sword?"

The guy looked down at his sword.

"Oh yeah. Umm… What day is it?"

"What do you mean what day is it?"

"If I were to look on a calendar, what square would-"

"I know what it means, I mean how do you not know what day it is?" Percy asked. The guy raised an eyebrow and waited for an answer.

"I have a sword." He said.

"Good point. No pun intended. It's December 24th. Christmas Eve."

"And you are in what grade?" The guy said.

"Dude- you just said I wasn't stalked and now I beg completely to differ." Percy said.

"I'm not a stalker I… I know you. Knew you. Whatever. What grade are you in?"

"Sixth grade," Percy said. "But I still don't get how that matters."

"Mom's still in the candy shop!" The guy blurted.

"Mom!" Percy said. "What the heck do you mean Mom? She's my mom!"

"Yeah- I know- but, umm… Oh man… This is hard to explain. Follow me."

"Follow the stalker, sure." Percy shrugged. But he followed the guy anyways.

His brain was working overtime.

So this guy called Percy's Mom his Mom, and they looked freakishly alike. He came to the obvious conclusion that they might be brothers. But why wouldn't his Mom have told him? Or kept him and given this guy to adoption or the black market or something? Besides, it didn't fit with Mom's life story. She'd met Dad one summer, and that was the summer before he [Percy, not the stalker] was born. Before that she'd been nursing a dying uncle or going to High School. She'd have been in High school when this guy was born since he was like, four years older than Percy!

But still, some shy part of him thought. It would be cool to have a brother. Especially some kickass big brother with a sword.

They sat at a coffee shop around the Empire State building and the guy ordered two blueberry muffins and hot chocolate- not even checking with Percy, but somehow nailing his favourite coffee shop merchandise anyways. That was weird.

"So…" Percy said. "Thanks for the muffin, but who the flip are you?" The guy looked around before meeting Percy's eyes.

"My name's Percy Jackson." He said. Percy nearly spat out his hot chocolate.

"You're who now?"

"Perseus Jackson," he said. "But most people just call me Percy."

"That's my name. Are you, like, an identity fraud?"

"No I'm not, I'm… I'm you."

"Okay, hun?" Percy said. "I'm confused. You can't be here because I am here and scrawny and twelve. You are –what- sixteen and buff with a sword. Where did that go anyways?"

"It's in my pocket. It turns into a pen when I cap it."

"I see now. Do you have a phone? I have a call to make to the whack house." Percy said. The mentally ill didn't scare Percy, but he wasn't sure about this creep.

"I don't use phones, and I'm not insane. I'm born on August 18th. My mom married some slob called Gabe Ugliano who manages the Electronics Mega Mart. Her name's Sally Jackson and she's about the best person on the face of the earth."

Percy blinked a few times. That was his life in a nutshell told to him by a total stranger that looked like him, liked the same food as him, and had his name…

"Okay, you know what, that's insane. You can't be me. But… Just by curiosity… Where the Mega Mart Gabe works at?"

"Queens, and he doesn't really work. He plays poker and collects pay checks." The guy said with a crinkled nose, like he could smell Gabe from here.

"What do I –well, we I guess- nickname Gabe?"

"Smelly Gabe." Percy said.

"Who's I-your-our best friend," Percy asked. Holly Mother- Grover would freak out when he found out about this!

"Grover Underwood."

"What's his favourite food?" Percy asked, just to check.

"Enchiladas- cheese. They say he has a knee disorder, but he runs when it's time for them."

"Class b with an itch?"

"Nancy Bobofit."

"Also known privately as?"

"The Oompa Loompa Queen." Percy said.

"Favourite colour?" Percy was snapping questions fast, hoping to knock this guy out of the lie.

"Blue."

"The cabin's at?"

"Montauk."

"Math average this year?"

"Bad."

"English?"

"Same." He'd been told he was smarter than looked; so maybe that was just it. But still… Just to make sure that this wasn't late…

"Favourite class?"

"Latin with Chi-Brunner."

"Ha! Missed one!" Percy said in victory.

"His first name is Chiron." He said.

"Chiron Brunner?"

"Believe it if you will," the guy shrugged.

"Okay, fine. Top question; three things Mom says about Dad? Our real dad; not Gabe."

"He was rich and important. Their relationship was a secret because his family wouldn't like it. He's lost at sea, but she never said dead. She said I-you- we look a lot like him."

"What's his name?" Percy asked, popping up a trick question his teachers would be proud of. Stalker's eyes changed a bit- something like hesitation to tell him the truth.

"She never said." He told Percy. "And you never pushed her."

So he did know the truth, but there was something he wasn't telling him.

"Okay. I guess… I guess you are me in the future." Percy said. The words felt like strangers. That was just too beyond weird…

"Thank you," he said.

"But to avoid confusion I'm going to call you Max." Percy decided.

"Max? Why can't I be Percy?" He asked.

"Because you just butted into this time period –which is mine- so it's unfair for you to steal my name while you're at it." Percy said. "Hence, you are Max."

"Okay, fine." Max said.

"So; two important questions. Actually three. Where did you get that sword, do you know more about my-your- it's the same thing but whatever, the dad than you're telling me, and how the heck are you here?"

Percy leaned back and thought about it.

"I wish this were multiple question." He said. He laughed nervously. "Okay, so... The sword. The sword is from Dad."

"So you have met him!" Percy said in triumph. "He's going to come back for Mom and me- you- whatever- the kid and shoot Gabe!"

"No," Max said. "It's more complicated than that. And I have met him, and it's complicated."

"What's his name? Does he really look like you? Me?" Percy said, drowning Max in questions.

"Yes he does. And I can't tell you."

"You can't tell me." Percy repeated. That sounded way too adult for a guy that was him.

"No. Look, I'm sorry, and I know you really want to know. I mean it; I've been there. But it'd be dangerous for you. The same kind of dangerous as to why I own a sword."

"When do I get a sword?" Percy asked. Max scratched his head.

"What day did you say it was?"

"December 24th."

"Oh- Merry Christmas, mini me." Max said. "Soon."

"Okay. That's not helpful at all. But what about question three? Why are you here?" Percy asked.

Max sighed.

"It's complicated. I was sort of fighting the Lord of Time and… Well, there's something called 'time portal laser beams' that I just found out about."

"Holly… That's intense. How are you going to get back?" Percy asked. Max shrugged.

"I'll figure it out. Maybe I'll find some of my… Err… My side's allies..." He said.

"Until then, stick with me." Percy said. "I know New York of this year."

"So do I, I've lived in it."

"Yeah, but you could be going around and blurting out about random stuff that doesn't exist yet."

"Like the iPad."

"Exactly like the iPad." Percy said confused. "Plus I want to know about how the heck you got muscles and junk. When do I get that? Now? That would be helpful."

"Sure; you go look under the tree for that tomorrow." Max snorted. "Nah, they came with… Training…"

"Are you a Jedi?" Percy finally asked.

"I am not a Jedi."

"Too bad. That would have been cool. And it would've explained the whole 'training' thing, and why you refuse to talk about Dad."

"It's for your own good that I can't tell you. It sounds sappy, but one day, you'll thank me for it." Max promised. "And the muscles and abs and whatever… I don't know. I don't even know when I started looking ripped, it just sort-of escalated and I got used to it as it went." He shrugged.

"Okay, well if that changed, what about the rest? Is Gabe going to get kicked out or shot or drowned or something?" Percy asked trying not to sound hopeful. "What about Nancy Bobofit? Will I stay at a school for more than two years? Are they going to invent glasses for the dyslexic?"

"Not until you're past sixteen, at least." Max said. Percy studied him some more. He was strong; he was funny, and he just looked… Better. Like looking at Chuck Norris and then looking at a lawyer or something. The difference was that huge looking from 16 year old Percy to 12 year old Percy. Zero to hero. This guy's life had to go smoothly- look at him! It pushed Percy to ask more questions.

"Is Mom going to write a book? What about me, am I going to make the baseball team? What about Grover- is he ever going to get cured from his knee thing? And Gabe- he really isn't going to get shot or something, right? Please?"

"Percy." Max said. "Chill. Take a deep breath." He did. "Life's hard for you, and it's not going to get easier right away. I'm not even at the smooth part yet. But just trust it, okay? You're going somewhere other than the principal's office; you're going to do things, get answers, be someone. It gets better, just hang in there and don't give up on it. I know it sounds insane and you'll hate it and me for it; but trust life."

Before Max could say anything there was a flash of light and a girl stumbled out into the coffee shop, her blond curls tumbling over her face. She finally got her footing after stumbling a bit and getting a few onomatopoeias from the restaurant's people before she straightened up. Percy's heart dropped. She pushed the curls out of a perfect face with sharp and serious grey eyes that looked like they knew how to gut Percy with a toothpick and a roll of duct tape. She was athletic looking, wearing jeans and an orange t-shirt, a baseball cap stuck in her pocket and a knife in her hand. A vortex that looked like a supernova was right behind her.

"Seaweed brain!" She said when she saw 16-year-old-Percy. She ran over to give him a huge hug, and then she hit him.

"How dare you get yourself transported into another time period? Do you know how hard it was for the Stolls to steel his scythe so we could reopen a portal to come drag your butt out of here? Do you know how hard it is to open a portal in the first place?" She demanded.

"Sorry Annabeth," he muttered, getting up.

Then her eyes landed on Percy.

"Oh my gods! It's you when you were small and scrawny!" Annabeth said.

"I resent that!" Percy protested.

"She likes you eventually." Max promised him. Annabeth smacked him.

"It's an odd relationship." He said.

"How much have you told him? Have you told him anything?" She asked Max.

"Not much." Max said, hands up. "I know the drill about the scent."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and dug a small pouch from her pocket and put it on a table.

"If you ever have any trouble, serious lethal that may or may not my mythological trouble, spray this on you. You'll forget you met Seaweed brain here, and it'll be better." Annabeth promised.

"Sure thing," Percy said. A voice came from the portal.

"GUYS! Get him back in here- we're losing it!" Someone from 4 years later yelled.

"That'd be Beckendorf. He can't hold on forever. Come on!" She said. Max looked back at Percy.

"It gets better." He said again. Percy looked at Annabeth. If that was in his future, as scary as she was; he believed it.

"Okay." Percy nodded. Annabeth seemed to soften up.

"You get your zero to hero makeover," she said. "Although you were never really a zero."

Percy blushed. Sixteen year old girls tended not to talk to him, or even establish eye contact. So hearing her tell him that…

"Later," Max said. "Good luck."

"Bye Percy. Good luck with your time-portal-laser beams."

"You told him about that?" Annabeth protested, as Percy took her hand and they both jumped into the sphere of light. It shrunk in on itself and disappeared.

Walking back to the apartment, leaving a tip for the guy because this was the best coffee shop experience he'd ever had, Percy didn't kick rocks. Not Nancy Bobofit's face rocks, not Smelly Gabe's face rocks, no Mrs Dodds or anything. None of that.

'Cause it was going to get better.