Chapter II
Percy was starting to get bored again already. After he ripped the chains out of the wall of his cell, which the heroes still hadn't gotten over, they ushered him to the medics immediately for them to examine him.
He already knew that he was only malnourished since all of his scars were from his life before. He still wasn't sure exactly how his emergence in this new world translated nor did he fret over it like the medics were fretting over him now.
It was just as he was about to head down the ADHD rabbit hole of his thoughts torn between if he was on another planet entirely with conveniently the same name in a new galaxy or the same Earth but in a separate dimension, and what he wanted to eat and how much when two people approached him.
Of course he subconsciously noticed their approach from his senses. After everything he had gone through, they never turned off but rather got pushed to the back of his mind. Someone cleared their throat and he looked up.
"Hello my name is Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa. I'm sorry that we couldn't get to you sooner," a rather plain (at least in the world of quirks) looking man with a tan trench coat and fedora hat spoke softly to Percy. He had dark hair and dark eyes, but his face showed a kind professionalism that Percy could respect.
Percy shrugged lightly with the blanket around his shoulders. The blanket was unnecessary, but he'd rather not fight the medics about it. He just wanted food.
"I'm just glad you came at all," Percy replied lightly. The detective was just another one of the adults that interacted with the kid and was surprised by his nonchalant demeanor over being held captive for nearly two years.
"So are we. I would like to ask you some questions if that's alright with you," Tsukauchi spoke once more but in a slightly firmer tone that Percy recognized as a branded problem child. That tone meant he didn't have a choice. Percy gave him a nod.
"Your name is Perseus Jackson?" Tsukauchi started off easily and Percy nodded.
"Please call me 'Percy'. Perseus is too formal," he replied easily.
"Why were you captured by Kage?" Tsukauchi followed up.
"Mom's gone. Never knew my old man. I was an orphan on the streets when he got me. He wanted to train me to join him in his work," Percy told him, but already knew the hobo-man - 'Aizawa,' Percy reminded himself - was nearby listening in.
As the detective continued to scribble down his notes, Percy interrupted his rhythm with a question. The question was voiced in an innocent manner, but the subject matter did not match in the slightest to those that heard it.
"Speaking of which, where's my kodachi?"
Clearly the detective wasn't expecting it as his pen scratched off to the side of his notes in surprise. The man also blinked in minor shock and disbelief.
"Your kodachi?" Tsukauchi echoed the question seemingly to ensure he heard right.
"Yeah my kodachi. My blade. The moron gave it to me so you better believe I'm keeping it. Swords are expensive and I don't exactly have any money," Percy told him easily and cemented the detective's support of Eraserhead's claims of the kid being a problem child.
"Ahem," Tsukauchi coughed to recollect his thoughts before speaking again. "It is serving as evidence right now. I'm not sure that you'll get it back though."
After he heard that, Percy leveled the man with an emotionless deadpan stare that admittedly scared the detective. It was nearly lifeless and felt as though all of his secrets were being laid bare.
"It's not going to go to use once it's processed. I will be getting it back," Percy spoke in a tone that left no room for argument.
"I'll handle it, Naomasa," Aizawa spoke up behind the detective in an effort to push the questions forward, but Percy was done. His hunger had won out.
"Look, I would love to keep this going, but I've been in a cell for almost two years with three meals a week to live off of, on top of harsh training. I would be more than happy to finish this tomorrow, but for now I would like food and a bed to sleep in at whatever orphanage you have picked out for me," he said in exasperation.
Not all of that was truthful. The training wasn't so much harsh as it was tedious. At least in the beginning it was, especially adjusting from Anaklusmos to a kodachi. Once he learned how to hide his presence, move without making any sound, and adapted to the new blade, he could've danced circles around Kage.
Tsukauchi looked back at Aizawa and the latter nodded then stepped forward.
"Fair enough. I'll take you back to my place tonight for food and sleep, that way I can take you to the station tomorrow to finish this," Aizawa said and Percy nodded at him and rose from the ambulance's bumper.
Conveniently, they passed by the evidence on their way out and Percy snagged his sword back, a smirk on his face, without anyone noticing.
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Aizawa was exhausted and not just from his usual lack of sleep. The raid itself wasn't the most taxing thing he had done in his hero career and likely wouldn't be, but the questions about the kid that just kept popping up certainly were.
'It's going to be an even longer night, err day,' he thought sardonically as he got behind the driver's seat of the car they allotted for him to get home.
Of course he was brought back to reality by the slightly childish voice next to him.
"Oh baby. I could never leave you behind."
Aizawa snapped his gaze to his new charge only to see a sheathed kodachi blade hugged to the kid's chest.
'How in the hell?!'
"Did you just lift evidence from a crime scene?" he asked, wholly unamused.
Percy just rolled his eyes at him. "It's mine anyways. They're not going to get anything from it."
"You do realize that's a crime, right?"
"You do realize that I don't care, right?" Percy fired back and Aizawa wanted to slam his forehead on the steering wheel. There were too many questions about the enigma that was the kid, so he started with the biggest one.
"You said your quirk was 'Prophetic Dreams'. How did you rip your chains out of the wall?"
Aizawa only knew of people with some form of strength enhancement quirks and maybe a durability quirk that could pull off such a feat. Grown men and women. Certainly not children. Malnourished children.
"I said that was an aspect of my quirk, but who knows? Maybe I'm just that strong," Percy replied easily, further irking Aizawa.
The kid irked him so much that he activated his quirk and gave him his famous glare, at least from what he's heard of the rumors from his students and colleagues is to be believed.
The kid didn't even bat an eye.
"That adorable little pout might work on the two-bit thugs you fight in back alleys and the children to deal with, but you're a far cry from the scariest thing I've seen, Hobo-man."
And didn't that just open another can of worms. Just what the hell had the kid seen? But what really caught him off guard was the last comment about children.
"How do you know I work with children?"
The kid gave him what he would call "a patented problem child grin". It was a lopsided half smile, half smirk that highlighted his pearly white canines.
"Your overall 'done with life demeanor', the fact you seem to be specifically done with me when we've been in contact with one another for a couple hours at most, and the eyebags indicate a lack of sleep. Since the limited information I know about you is that you're an underground hero, I know you operate at night, therefore you have a day job. I'd guess you're a teacher, but since you're a hero, probably a hero teacher," Percy said and Aizawa just stared at him.
'How in the hell did he just profile me so quickly?'
"I have ADHD. While it's particularly annoying in school and such, it's invaluable in observing and analyzing my surroundings and reading people," he answered the unasked question.
Aizawa just turned his eyes back to the road and the rest of the drive was made in silence. Aizawa was gathering his thoughts and Percy was happily munching on more burgers than Aizawa had ever seen anyone eat in a single sitting.
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Percy stepped out of the shower feeling like a new man. He hardly got to bathe while he was in captivity and when he did, he never got to enjoy it. Sitting under the warm water from the showerhead and letting the tension soothe from his whole body was otherworldly.
He figured the dozen burgers probably helped too.
As he came back out to the living room, he was slightly surprised to see Aizawa not already in his sleeping bag and asleep. Well, the fact that he was awake wasn't a surprise, neither was the cup of coffee, but the lack of sleeping bag was.
"So a teacher at U.A. I was right," Percy said as he made eye contact with his new host.
Aizawa, in response, activated his quirk seemingly having forgotten that it was useless. Percy rolled his eyes and sat on the ground in front of him so they could talk. Percy had put his faith in the Fates one last time through this man and admittedly was glad he did.
From the demigod dreams he had and their interaction tonight, he knew Aizawa was good. He was a good hero and a good man. Practical, and someone he quickly found he could trust.
What he couldn't trust however, was the man's boss. In his imprisonment, he got Kage to tell him about heroes of all types, especially the smart ones. Kage thought it was in an effort to outwit them when Percy eventually started working with the man.
What Percy was really looking for, were the ones that were smart enough to realize that he was not quite what he seemed. That was how he heard about Nezu, the rodent principal of U.A. And if Percy was going to trust Aizawa who worked for the creature, he had two options. Severely downplay his abilities and be even more careful than he was in Tartarus.
Or bring him into the fold.
It was an admittedly quick decision since he didn't want to exhaust himself by trying to be overly careful, and he figured that, if his origins were discovered, it would be beneficial to have the smartest being in Japan (possibly the planet) on his side should the government try to come for him.
The other deciding factor was what Percy wanted to do with his life in this world. This was his chance at a completely normal and mundane life. The life he had always wanted, but never had the opportunity to live.
And as much as it called out to him, he just couldn't do it. After fighting for eight years, he didn't know anything else. He had long since accepted the fact that he wasn't normal; he couldn't be normal. So if he was to be stuck in a world where "normal" was his life on easy mode, he might as well fall back into what he knows.
Plus the fact that he's a recently freed captive of a known villain and assassin, he doubted they would truly let him be.
"I saw some of your paperwork. You work for Rat Satan then?" Percy said and actually got Aizawa to snort. That accomplishment alone made Percy smile in return.
"I do. What makes you ask?"
Percy sighed heavily. Even if he had reached his decision, it didn't necessarily make it any easier. He would have to recount enough detail to the two of them of his old life and get them to believe him.
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Percy sighed and Aizawa noticed it for the first time. Aizawa saw how utterly exhausted the kid was, not with the night or even his imprisonment, but with life itself.
Aizawa truly looked at the kid and his eyes and saw someone far older and more burdened than most pros.
"Because you want answers and if I'm going to be stuck with you, which I imagine I will be, he's your boss. We'll all be interacting with one another too much for the two of us to try and lie to the smartest known creature," Percy told him as he established eye contact again.
Aizawa considered his words again before he slowly nodded. Percy saw this and nodded firmly.
"The three of us and if you really want to be thorough, bring someone whose quirk can tell if I'm lying or not, but that's it. No one else. The less people that know the truth, the better it will be for everyone," Percy told him.
Aizawa picked up on the seriousness of his voice and nodded firmly in reply. The two went to sleep shortly after that.
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Nezu had always been a curious creature, even before he developed a quirk. If anything, the development of his High Specs quirk only increased that curiosity exponentially.
That was why when Aizawa had called an air-tight meeting with him and Detective Tsukauchi, his interest peaked. Of course, he knew all about Aizawa's cases on both Kage and a missing orphan, Perseus Jackson, but he was far too busy as the Principal of U.A. to look into them himself.
Those were his thoughts before there was a knock on his door. He called for them to enter and the two men and the young charge came in and sat down on the sofas.
His instincts told him he wouldn't regret this in the slightest.
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"Good afternoon, Shota-kun, Detective. And you must be our missing child, Perseus Jackson," the rodent said to Percy after they all sat down.
"Tea?" Nezu asked and Tsukauchi and Percy accepted.
"Please call me 'Percy'."
Percy took a gulp, not bothered by the temperature in the slightest, which Nezu noticed, and exhaled. There was a moment of silence before Percy spoke for the first time.
"So you're Rat Satan."
Nezu chuckled delightedly while the detective choked on his tea and Aizawa sighed.
"Indeed I am. I'm curious as to why Aizawa called for this meeting, but I'm already thrilled with the direction it's going in," the rodent said and Percy smirked a little.
"Well, he wanted answers, the good detective is here to verify I'm telling the truth, and you're here because I would rather not exhaust myself by trying lie to you," Percy told him honestly and Nezu gained a glint in his eyes.
"Intriguing. Much like the report of the raid last early this morning I read before you all got here and I find myself wanting answers like Aizawa," Nezu said and signaled to Tsukauchi to activate his quirk.
Taking that as his cue, Percy took a deep breath and looked at all three of them. "I am quirkless."
Before Aizawa could protest, Tsukauchi spoke up, "Truth."
There was a moment of silence.
"How in the hell?" Aizawa muttered and Nezu's interest grew further, making Percy turn to him.
"What do you know of Multiverse Theory?"
Nezu stared at him for a moment before he started to giggle. The giggling turned into chuckling, and the chuckling escalated into maniacal laughter and tea spilling everywhere.
Aizawa and Tsukauchi were uncomfortable.
"Wha-," Aizawa started to say, but Nezu held up a paw.
"What Percy-kun is saying is that he's not from this world, but rather a different Earth entirely," the rodent clarified and Percy nodded.
"Correct. I am from a different Earth and also when I left my Earth it was the year 2014," Percy added on while using his abilities to clean up the spilt tea and ignoring the gobsmacked expressions of the other two men.
"Truth."
There's another pregnant silence as everyone collected their thoughts before Aizawa groaned and muttered something that sounded like "problem child" and "paid enough" under his breath.
"Then please Percy-kun. Tell us your story," Nezu prompted and so he did.
He told them of his demigod heritage, how the gods came to be and moved around the world with history. He told them of his journeys and quests. He spoke about the wars and the roles he played in both, what he had to do, his gifts, and even Tartarus.
He didn't go into explicit detail about them and he didn't plan to, but they got the idea.
"And then the Fates sent me here and told me that I would meet Aizawa, though they conveniently left out the part where I would encounter Kage for nearly two years," Percy finished and took another sip of tea.
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What. The. Fuck.
That was the only thought Aizawa had as he listened to Percy's story. If Tsukauchi hadn't been there to verify that he was telling the truth, Aizawa would've had the kid shipped off to the nearest mental facility as fast as possible.
After the initial shock of the story itself, he realized how much the interaction with Percy in the cell made sense.
Of course the kid wasn't concerned at being held captive by someone like Kage. He had been in wars. Wars. Lead them as a teenager and had to cut down just about everything in the Greco-Roman Pantheon to save his goddamn planet. He had to watch helplessly as friends died before his eyes and then keep moving because if he hadn't, more people would've died. It was war.
He had been through literal Hell. It was a miracle that he was as sane as he was and Aizawa felt pity for the first time in a very long time.
"Fascinating. Absolutely magnificent," Nezu cheered and clapped his paws.
"Why didn't you just escape Kage right away?" Aizawa found himself asking without fully realizing. Percy chuckled and scratched the back of his head.
"Honestly? It was better than being homeless and digging through dumpsters. Plus, I had no idea how to even find you and the skills and techniques I learned from him were incredibly useful," Percy replied and Aizawa just groaned in exhaustion again.
"So what now?" Aizawa asked and Nezu hopped on top of his desk and started to pace.
"Well, all I know is fighting really. I accepted the fact that I can't be normal, even by your world's standards, so I'll try my hand at this hero bullshit," Percy said with a shrug.
"Excellent! In the meantime, we will have Shota-kun adopt you and continue your hand to hand combat training. Since you just about graduated high school in your world and core subjects haven't changed all that much, enrolling in a school next week shouldn't be an issue," Nezu said quickly and cheerfully.
"Wait a minute! Don't I get a say in this?" Aizawa asked and Nezu laughed again.
"Please Shota-kun. Percy-kun here will be easier to take care of than a cat and I'll give you a pay raise," the rodent said and Aizawa grumbled, but didn't argue.
"As far as school, throw me in a mediocre public school. I'm not one for special treatment or standing out," Percy said and Nezu nodded, already typing away to enroll him.
"You are welcome at U.A. anytime Percy-kun. I will notify the staff of your presence as Shota-kun's adopted son. So long as you don't interrupt any classes unless told otherwise, use the facilities as you please, just try to limit damage to a minimum," Nezu told Percy and he smirked.
"Just like that?" Aizawa asked in disbelief.
"Of course dear Shota-kun. I can already tell Percy-kun isn't like the humans I despise considering he is only half human. I have to alter my plans for world domination now," Nezu said cheerfully and started laughing maniacally.
"Make me your right hand and let me punish anyone who pollutes the seas and I'm sold," Percy quipped and chuckled along with Nezu.
'Kami please help us all,' Aizawa and Tsukauchi both thought with a sweat drop.
"You stole your blade back didn't you?" Tsukauchi finally asked after everything else seemed to be in order.
"No idea what you're talking about."
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The remainder of the week passed with Nezu funding Percy's wardrobe, school supplies, and any other necessities and indulgences he would want. Thanks to his demigod biology, having a full and nutritious diet let Percy gain back an average physique in just a few days and he started training his body, swordsmanship, stealth, and abilities.
It worked out pretty well for Aizawa as well. Even though he was legally responsible for Percy, it was more like having a roommate than a kid. All things considered, he really should've expected it, but he wasn't complaining.
The pay raise also helped.
But the new week had arrived and Percy was now walking toward Aldera Junior High in his school uniform with, surprisingly, music from his time and his world in his headphones. He wasn't sure how that made sense, but he supposed that this world wasn't all that different after all.
Besides quirks that is, but now it was time for middle school. Again. He was really just hoping for no demon math teachers.
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Midoriya Izuku had not had the best life up to this point. He was a 13-year-old quirkless kid in his second to last year of junior high with lofty dreams to be a hero. A dream that society, his peers, and his "best friend" routinely laughed at him for.
The laughter and mockery hurt more than any explosion powered punch said "best friend" could throw. It was constant, unending, and mental. He could treat the bruises and burns, but it was hard to heal his mind and mentality.
Regardless, he hadn't broken. When his own mother didn't believe in him, he didn't break. He'd bent plenty, but never broken and he refused to break until he made his dreams a reality. He would be a hero. He just needed to hold out until then.
Little did he know the universe just gave him a saving grace.
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Midoriya was scribbling in another one of his Hero Analysis notebooks again. Much like society and his peers ignored his existence, he was ignoring the mocking and pitying looks his classmates gave him.
And he was trying his best to ignore the hate filled glare that one Bakugo Katsuki had fixed on him for what seemed to be like the millionth day in a row.
Bakugo Katsuki or "Kaachan" seemed to hate the idea that he would even try to become a hero without a quirk. As if Midoriya's dream personally insulted him. Midoriya wasn't sure he would ever understand it, but before he got the chance to even try and before Bakugo got the chance to march over to him, the teacher entered.
"Alright class! Settle down!" the teacher yelled over the noise of hyperactive preteens.
"Now, it's still close to the start of the year so it shouldn't be too much trouble, but we have a new student joining us," he said and the class, minus Bakugo and Midoriya began to murmur to one another.
"You may come in now," the teacher spoke up to the door and it opened.
The boy who entered was rather tall for their age, standing at 170 cm, and had deeply tanned skin reminiscent of a fisherman. He clearly wasn't Japanese, but Midoriya couldn't exactly pinpoint his ethnicity.
His hair was raven black and windswept from a nonexistent sea breeze with sea-green eyes that seemingly shifted like they housed the tides. At a second glance, Midoriya noticed a single streak of silver in his hair and wondered if he dyed it. His facial features, Midoriya imagined, could be called regal with high cheekbones and a strong jawline.
The girls in the class had increased their whispering and some stray giggles escaped their mouths.
But the thing that Midoriya noticed the most about the new kid was his posture and demeanor. His eyes seemed to routinely flit across the room and everyone in it in an analytical, almost strategic way. His body looked entirely relaxed, but ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.
Midoriya caught his gaze for a brief moment and felt like all his secrets had been revealed from the piercing gaze alone. The gaze didn't seem intentional though which made him just slightly more uncomfortable.
He wondered what kind of quirk he had.
"Introduce yourself," the teacher told him and he gave a small, lackadaisical wave with a lopsided grin on his face that made most of the girls blush.
"Yo. I'm Aizawa Perseus, but you all can call me 'Percy'."
Chapter II End
I know I said updates will be sporadic, but I think I'm motivated enough to write one a night while in bed while I have an idea of where I want to take it. I have a vague idea of how I want to write the key moments, but I'm looking for suggestions on the Sports Festival. Should Percy participate and just not take it seriously? Should he not participate since it's practically a guaranteed win? I have a plan for the internships already. He won't be in Hosu for the Stain arc (it's key to Midoriya's development even if he obtains FC beforehand), but I won't reveal where he's going.
Also, for the ship I'm all ears for suggestions. Nejire would be the bubbly airhead that would help him try and make a life out of his situation (not become a workaholic like Aizawa) and I wanted to try to show him dealing with the age gap. So maybe Melissa? I don't really know. Maybe no ship at all.