PJatO || Jercico || PJatO || Jercico || The Legacy of the Big Three || Jercico || PJatO || Jercico || PJatO
Title: The Legacy of the Big Three – Heroes of the Next Generation
Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. Aside from the Gods, they belong to the old Greeks. This fanfiction and its OCs on the other hand are entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.
Tags: polyamory (m/m/m), superpowers/superheroes, hurt/comfort, fluff, mutual pining, explicit intercourse, anal, oral, double penetration, m/m, f/f, m/f
Main Pairing: Nico/Jason/Percy
Side Pairings: Reyna/Annabeth, Piper/Hazel, Frank/Leo, Octavian/Luke, Ethan/Alabaster, Jake/Will, Charles/Silena, Chris/Clarisse, Malcolm/Katie, Grover/Juniper, Bryce/Drew, Paul/Sally | Poseidon/Amphitrite, Hades/Maria | Hades/Persephone, Tristan/Beryl, Zeus/Hera, Howard/Hecate
Percy Jackson Characters: Perseus Jackson, Nico di Angelo, Jason Grace, Thalia Grace, Bianca di Angelo, Hazel Levesque, Piper McLean, Leo Valdez, Grover Underwood, Annabeth Chase, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Frank Zhang, Luke Castellan, Ethan Nakamura, Alabaster C. Torrington, Lou Ellen Blackstone, Cecil Markowitz, Will Solace, Charles Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, Clarisse la Rue, Chris Rodriguez,Travis Stoll, Connor Stoll, Jake Mason, Malcolm Pace, Katie Gardner, Miranda Gardner, Nyssa Barrera, Kayla Knowles, Zoe Nightshade, Octavian, Drew Tanaka, Bryce Lawrence, Mike Kahale, Lacy, Mitchell, Juniper, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Ella, Tyson, Sally Jackson, Paul Blofis, Maria di Angelo, Tristan McLean, Beryl Grace, Esperanza Valdez, Howard Claymore, Small Bob, Mrs. O'Leary, Argentum, Aurum, Festus, Arion, Blackjack, Tempest
Gods: Zerberus, Hades, Persephone, Triton, Poseidon, Amphitrite, Zeus, Hera, Hecate, Chiron
Summary: Twenty-five years ago, the Olympians, led by the so-called Big Three, were the greatest group of superheroes in the world. One by one, they retired. There were still heroes, but there had not been a huge threat in many years. Now, the sons of the Big Three train at a school for heroes to be. Jason grew up under the pressure of being the son of Zeus, both from the public and from his father. Nico grew up knowing who his father was, but no one outside their family knows he is the son of Hades. And Percy? He has no idea he's the son of Poseidon.
The Legacy of the Big Three
Heroes of the Next Generation
Chapter 8: Magic and the Elements
Reyna had known it would be hard to enter this school all on her own. But her older sister Hylla had joined the army and Reyna was... alone now. She couldn't stay home. Boarding school was the perfect solution. And she wanted to do good with her powers. The military just wasn't for her. Not that she certainly knew that being a superhero would be for her yet either, but at least she was going to learn control, she would get to finish high school and she'd get to do so away from home.
Still, she was alone. And being alone kind of scared her. All her life, she at least had Hylla at her side. Now, she was all alone with her new start. At least her roommate was nice; Hazel. Reyna turned to look at her roommate, who was scribbling away in her notebook. They had already had English literature and math with each other. And afterward, Reyna's last class before lunch break, she had attended Physical 101. Among everyone, rather outstanding, was Frank Zhang who did not just have the pure physical strength, like Reyna, he could also shapeshift into animals. Two powers for one was a good deal. They had talked some and Reyna had learned that Frank was actually Nico di Angelo's best friend, he fawned a lot about the guy. Reyna had gone to the animal daycare to check in on her dogs. They weren't allowed in the dorms, but the school had an entire facility for the animal partners of the students. After the break, Reyna had spent all of biology thinking about Hazel's brother and his proposal. The di Angelos sure were absolute power-houses, that much had become apparent when they all had to perform in front of their peers.
"Your brother asked me to join his team", stated Reyna thoughtfully. "What do you think? You know him well. Would you recommend me to do it? It's just... You're his sister, but you aren't joining his team. So, what's wrong with the guy that you aren't?"
"Nothing's wrong with Nico, aside from being a giant nerd", laughed Hazel as she looked up from her notebook. "The reason I don't want to team up with him is that he's... he is incredibly powerful. Being his sister, I'll be compared to him anyway, but if I were on his team, I'd always be in his shadow. So I decided that I'll start fresh here, find my own team, not team up with my brother or his friends – which, they're my friends too, but they were his first. I want... my own thing here."
Reyna hummed and smiled to herself. That, she could relate to. And, admittedly, he had really impressed her in the display. He was strong, powerful. Hazel would be in direct comparison to him, but Reyna wouldn't. She could benefit from having him on her team. And considering how Frank had spoken of Nico, she guessed they were a package deal. From what few interactions she has had with both of them now, she thought she may get along well with them. They could be a good team.
/break\
"I wanna come with yo—ou", whined Percy frustrated.
"Your powers are elemental, not magical", sighed Annabeth. "You can't just attend Magical Powers 101 for the fun of it. Why don't you use the free time to, I don't know, study?"
"It's the first day of classes, what do you want me to study?", huffed Percy. "C'mo—on."
Annabeth rolled her eyes amused, patting his cheek before parting ways with him. She had her roommate flanking her from the other side, Piper chuckling to herself as she watched Percy pout.
"He's adorable. You two seem really close. Is he like your boyfriend?", asked Piper.
"What? No. I'm a lesbian", grunted Annabeth and made a face. "He's like an annoying little brother, which... I have two of those so I know what I'm talking about."
Piper hummed and grinned to herself. It may only have been day three of living together, but Annabeth could already tell that she'd be able to be good friends with Piper. She also assumed that what they shared was the responsibility to babysit a very powerful elemental user. Even if Jason Grace didn't want to become a big hero, unlike Percy.
"A pretty large number of students are magical in nature this year", noted Annabeth as they entered the classroom together. "Wanna sit together? Pretty sure we'll be required to pair up or something."
"Sure", shrugged Piper, eyes finding someone. "Wanna sit close to the di Angelos? They interest me. I wanna see what they're capable of here, beyond their elemental powers."
"Good thinking", hummed Annabeth with a pleased grin.
She too was very curious about the di Angelos, especially the one who kept flirting with Percy. There was a vetting process – Percy was sweet and had too big a heart, he needed someone to watch out for him so he wouldn't end up with the wrong person. Annabeth smiled in greeting as she and Piper sat down next to Nico and Hazel. While Nico greeted them both, Hazel just kind of... stared blankly at Piper. Nico was tapping his fingers against the table.
"Nervous?", whispered Piper in a nearly teasing voice.
Nico narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm not nervous. I'm... eager? I sure hope we're doing more here than we did in Elemental 101... That sure was... stale."
Nico's eyes wandered through the classroom. It was weird having neither Percy nor Jason in this class. He supposed that he had a bit of an edge on them, by having both elemental and magical powers. Piper McLean had charmspeak powers; she had made Chiron dance in a circle. It'd be interesting to know just how powerful her charmspeak was. Annabeth Chase could turn invisible, the question was if she could only turn herself invisible or if she could also turn other people or objects invisible. Then there was Lou Ellen Blackstone, who had an actual variety of what was the most obvious kind of magical powers, she interested him a lot.
"Haze, who has your attention?", whispered Nico, frowning as he saw his sister just staring right through him – right through Annabeth, eyes on the girl on Annabeth's other side. "Hazel? Hello?"
His frown deepened when she startled out of whatever trance she was in. What, did Piper have some mind-control powers even without using her speak? Because Hazel sure looked hypnotized.
"W... What did you ask? I was just... uh... in... thoughts."
"Who among our class has piqued your interest so far?", repeated Nico patiently.
Her eyes widened and she looked flushed as she peeked a glance at Piper once more before quickly looking away again. "I... uh... I think the witch is interesting, she seemed very powerful. And the sooth-seer, the redhead? I'm interested in her. For... For my team, I mean."
"A sooth-seer?", asked Nico surprised, eyes wandering to find Rachel Dare.
"Mh. I'm the power. I'd like another elemental on the team for the fighting-power, preferably one of the plant-controllers – there are quite some in our year. And having a... voice in the ear, someone to have your back? I think a sooth-seer is quite the good pick for that", shrugged Hazel.
Nico raised his eyebrows very impressed at that. In his mind, she would always be his cute, little sister, but that she had grown up? Sometimes, he forgot. She actually put a lot of thought into this, into what kind of team she wanted, not just not wanting to be on a team with him.
"I'm Professor Kate Claymore, but you may know me better as Hecate. I will be your main teacher for this class and I will coordinate with a variety of guest-teachers who specialize in powers that differ strongly from my specialty, to allow you all the most well-rounded education possible."
The entrance was sure extraordinaire; she appeared in a puff of purple smoke. Hecate herself! She had been one of the first heroes, even predating the Olympians by a few years. A lone-wolf though. Nico's inner nerd got even more excited, not like being in this class didn't already do that. That simply, Nico's entire attention was grabbed and he didn't quite notice his sister or the way she kept sneaking glances past him, because – this was Hecate.
/break\
Nico was startled when the door to their room was practically ripped open and his little sister came stomping in, looking clearly agitated. She assessed the room critically, looking mildly annoyed that Nico's bed was occupied with both him and Will. It was obvious because frustrated Hazel had a tendency to run into his or Bianca's bedrooms and throw herself heavily onto their beds. Frank's bed was occupied by both Frank and Cecil, looking up startled as they watched her. Nico scooted over enough to allow her to throw herself onto her bed, though with less dramatics than usual.
"Well, good. Will is here too", grunted Hazel as she looked over at the blonde. "Your input will be valuable too. And Frank's. Cecil is gonna be useless though."
"Think I take offense to that", hummed Cecil amused. "What's going on, princess?"
"I think I might now be a lesbian!", exclaimed Hazel frustrated, throwing her hands up in the air.
"...Come again?", requested Frank stunned. "What?"
"There was... There was this girl in power class", started Hazel, arms outstretched and spread like she wanted to illustrate something. "And she was just everything. Like, she made me forget how words work. And I don't just mean that I forgot how to talk to her, I couldn't even think proper words! My brain was stuck on 'pretty'. I've never felt this... dumb before, even when I thought a guy was cute, I could still articulate myself! Am I a lesbian now?"
The four boys exchanged looks at that, Nico trying to process what Hazel had just said. Wait, so was that why she had spent Magical 101 staring at... at Piper McLean? But before he could find anything to say to that, Will beat him to it, with a huff and an amused twinkle in his eyes.
"Simple question: If Tom Holland came through this door right now, told you he loved you and wanted to run away with you and marry you, how'd you feel about it?", inquired Will.
Hazel blinked dazed, staring up at the ceiling. "...Mh, okay, not a lesbian."
"You know, there's bisexuals too", suggested Cecil, motioning over toward Frank.
"Congratulations to joining the club", offered Frank amused.
"Bisexual, huh?", grunted Hazel thoughtfully. "I just... I don't know. I always thought that's something that'd happen... like... parallel? But I've always only liked boys! Never girls!"
"Circling back to Tom Holland; girlfriend, this isn't sudden. You've joined our Marvel movie nights often enough before and your crush on Zendaya is at least as big as your crush on Tom Holland", said Will in an understanding and gentle voice.
"Ah, yes. Bi culture is having a crush on both, Tom and Zendaya", sighed Frank softly.
Nico rolled his eyes fondly before he took over. "It's easier to dismiss when you're attracted to celebrities. 'He's so handsome, I probably think this because I want to grow up to be this handsome', dismissing it as just... admiration. Celebrity worship. It's what happens when you're being raised in a heteronormative society. I thought, for the longest time, I just wanted to be like Poseidon, until I realized I actually had a very huge, very gay crush on him. Sometimes, it only becomes... real and graspable when you develop a crush on an actual person from your life."
"Okay", whispered Hazel, taking a deep breath and nodding to herself. "I... am... bisexual? Okay."
"Good on you", chuckled Will fondly, patting her arm. "Now, what do you wanna do?"
"...Rewatch the Spider-Man movies?", suggested Hazel after a moment.
"Oh, I am in. Can we also put The Greatest Showman on there?", asked Frank hopeful.
"Zac Efron and Hugh Jackman? I'm too gay not to", grunted Nico pointedly and got up. "Come."
They headed to the common room, grateful Frank and Nico's roommates weren't there so they could actually end this very exhausting first day of classes on a nice movie marathon with each other.
/break\
Jason was out of breath, hands on his knees, clawing into his jeans. This had been more brutal than his dad's lessons, yet also less stressful because there wasn't his father's intense gaze on him, heavy with expectations and potential disappointment. Chiron Brunner simply stood there, taking notes.
It was the third day of classes and today, Jason had his own power-evaluation. Thankfully, that was a one-on-one thing, so there was no peer-pressure at least. Anticipation built up in all of Jason's body as he tensed and stared at Chiron, waiting for his evaluation.
"You're incredibly powerful, Jason", started Chiron kindly. "But you already know that. You've been told that since you first wielded lighting. Would you like to know how you did compared to your sister Thalia when I evaluated her two years ago?"
"...No", whispered Jason, shaking his head. "We've been pitched against each other enough."
The smile on Chiron's lips seemed nearly pleased as he motioned for Jason to sit down. "You have the raw power, but you do not have the control yet. That includes you being unable to access your full power – there is a lot of untapped potential in you. I'm assuming it's due to your father's teaching? I remember Zeus, he was always over-eager. Wanted everything and right away, no patience. No sense for technique, just... following his guts. It made him an overwhelming fighter, but I suspect it does not make him a very qualified teacher."
"...Yeah", whispered Jason, ruffling his hair a little.
"I can teach you how to access your full potential, how to channel it safely and directly. The question is... do you even want that?", asked Chiron, his eyebrows raised. "You seem incredibly... uncomfortable. I've watched you, in the past few days. Tell me if I'm out of line. But... do know that you can also tell me if I'm right; I promise nothing you say will get back to your parents."
Jason hesitated, opening his mouth a few times, before he sighed. "I... I do want to learn how to control my powers. I don't want to be a danger to others, because I know my powers can react to my emotions. If I get angry, really angry, I can make lightning strike. I don't want that. I may not... I may not want to be some... big name hero, that does make me uncomfortable, but... I do want to learn how to control my own powers, how to control myself."
That made Chiron smile and nod. The man reached out to rest a heavy hand on Jason's shoulder.
"You're a good kid, Jason. This school raises heroes, sidekicks and... civilians who simply desire to control their powers. It's all about you, not your father", stated Chiron earnestly. "If you feel cornered or something makes you uncomfortable, feel free to come and see me, okay, my boy?"
A sense of relief filled Jason at that and he offered a nearly shy smile as he nodded. There was so much sincerity in Chiron's voice, his eyes were so warm and reassuring, it made Jason trust the man so easily and believe his promises. How strange and silly was that...?
/break\
"Hello there. Are you just browsing or do you actually have a pet?"
Percy offered a friendly smile as he caught up with Jason. The blonde seemed distracted as he headed toward the actual stables-part of the pet day-care. The horses drew Percy in; when he had been here yesterday during his lunch-break, he had gotten so very distracted by the magic puppies. And, honestly, who wouldn't. They were puppies, but with magic. Especially Nico's was incredibly impressive. She was so huge, there was so much to cuddle. Alas, even yesterday he had come here because he had heard of the actual stables. Stables. With horses.
"I... uh... I do have one", offered Jason after a moment. "A pet, I mean."
"O—Oh. Show me. I met Nico's already. Let's see if yours is as impressive."
"Not... Not everything is a rivalry, Percy", noted Jason with a frown. "And I do think that it is very unfair to pit any animal against a gigantic, cuddly puppy-dog."
Laughing, Percy wrapped an arm around Jason's shoulders. "You. I like you. A man of taste."
He noticed the faintest little blush on Jason's cheeks. It was so cute how unused Jason was to these kind of interactions – everything flustered him so easily. Percy kept grinning as he was being led toward the stables. Wait. So Jason actually had a real horse?
"Percy. Meet Tempest", announced Jason with a nearly proud note to his voice.
He opened the door for Percy and for a second, Percy actually forgot how to breath, because oh wow he had never seen anything like this! He just stood frozen to the spot, staring at the beautiful, mystical horse that seemed to dissolve into thick, dark clouds. It looked as though lightning was lighting up its very eyes. Majestic and terrifying at the same time.
"You're gorgeous. Can I... Can I touch you?", whispered Percy with unsure words.
"Honestly, I don't know", sighed Jason frustrated. "He's really... stubborn."
"You may. You smell... interesting", replied Tempest as he stepped up.
"Thank you. You smell interesting too. Like rain", chuckled Percy.
"Why do I feel like I'm missing something?", asked Jason rather confused.
"Oh. Right. I can talk to animals, but like only... some animals? Horses. Fishes too."
He ran his fingers through Tempest's mane and simply stood amazed. That was what clouds felt like? Wow. He grinned broadly to himself as he caressed the beautiful storm-spirit.
"My... father created him. I am technically capable of that too, of creating storm-spirits, but I can't yet", offered Jason after a moment. "He made Tempest to be my companion."
"So—o much envy", sighed Percy with a pout. "I mean, I know, I know, it must be hard being the son of Zeus and all. But holy shit. Your dad made you a storm-cloud horse."
A few times, Jason blinked, before he attempted a small smile. That was true. Sometimes, with all the expectations that he felt like he failed, he forgot about the good. His dad wasn't a bad man – not just because he was a hero. Jason knew, deep down, that Zeus loved him, even if the man struggled with expressing it. And something like Tempest surely was... one of those attempts.
"What about your parents?", asked Jason curiously. "I mean. You are incredibly powerful. And I'm not saying that to flatter you; I've been up close to power all my life. What you did on the display, I don't think anyone else in the room aside from me and Chiron – and maybe Nico, because the guy seems to know a lot – actually know just how impressive what you did was. The level of detail you put into the armor you summoned, just how precise your concentration is. That's... You have a huge amount of raw power and you know how to use it in very precise ways."
"I... guess so", Percy shrugged with his head tilted. "Honestly, I don't know. Maybe my parents are powerful? I've never really seen them use their powers much, beyond for household chores."
"I think you should look into your family-tree", offered Jason. "I mean, of course it's not just something that is passed down. Just because your parents are powerful doesn't mean you have to be powerful, and vice versa. Maybe it's all you. You are incredibly dedicated, after all, so perhaps you are just... so incredibly powerful because you put in the work. So, yes, forget what I said."
He felt himself blushing in embarrassment at the rambling, but the grin on Percy's lips made it worth it. It seemed as though Percy liked hearing that Jason acknowledged Percy was the driving force, that Percy made himself powerful. Why did such a grin from Percy make Jason's heart flutter so much? Neighing interrupted the moment. Though not Tempest. Some horse sounded incredibly angry and – dangerous. The kind of sounds that kept a rational person far, far away from its source. Naturally, Percy immediately turned and started walking toward it.
"Wait, Percy, where are you going-?", asked Jason, already knowing the answer.
"He's in distress", grunted Percy with a frown. "I gotta see..."
What they found were three caretakers trying to wrangle an actual pegasus. And what a mighty one. Pitch-black, muscular, tall, with a wide wing-span. It was beautiful, and clearly wild.
"Ah, children. Please stay away", advised Chiron as he stepped out of the box, blocking the entrance. "This one was freed from captivity nearby. Until someone qualified can take care of him, we're going to house him since we have the room, but he is... dangerous."
Percy wanted to protest, but Jason pulled him away. Best not to argue with the principal on day two.
Author's note: Blackjack enters the game! Next chapter, lotta Little Big Three bonding ;D