Disclaimer:
The following is a non-profit fan-based crossover story. Young Justice and Percy Jackson are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros. Entertainment, and Rick Riordan, respectively. Please support the official release.
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
"Harbor Haven"
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
A city was burning.
Savage howls rent the air, mixing with the screams of fear and the wails of despair. Smoke filled his lungs, as the iron smell of blood flowing through the streets hit him. There was a sharp pain on his left side, from a wound he could not recall how he got.
He was limping through alleyways, wary of the shadows hidden in smoke. There was a child in front of him, dragging him along. His vision was blurring as fatigue came to claim him. He stumbled and fell to his knees.
"Get up!" the child called, hands tugging weakly at his arms. They were so small. "We need to keep going. They're too close!"
Yes. He could sense them. The shadows. Their blood was fire, and where they went death followed. Flashes of memory came to him.
Dead and dying men and women in white robes on a cobblestone courtyard. Fire erupting from the earth and falling from the sky. A bronze and silver blade, singing through the air. Armor of sunlight. An oath to a raven-haired priestess.
Nine red eyes.
"Please!" the child begged. "Don't leave me alone!"
His body ached. He wanted to rest. But the quest wasn't done. It was only beginning. He dragged himself up, and pulled the child close. "I'm here," he rasped. "Keep going."
They kept going, the journey a blur to the boy's mind. They came to a stop, on the outskirts of the burning city. It was a strangely peaceful spot from what they had experienced.
"Here is good," the child whispered. "They'll know when I start."
The boy pulled out a shining bronze blade hanging at his side. It felt familiar and safe, yet somehow different. "I'll keep you safe," he said with a grin. "I promised, didn't I?"
Bright blue eyes shined with hope, as the child gave a small laugh. The boy turned away, as cold wind swirled around them, the sound of tearing and a faint black glow emanated behind him. A chill ran down his spine as the air shifted and he raised his sword. The howls from the city grew louder, and the sound of a rampaging stampede was approaching.
And in the sky, dark clouds swirled and coalesced. Fire and lightning fell as the mass of smoke and ash moved closer. In the center, the boy could see the faint red glow of eyes.
Nine red eyes, weeping fire and blood.
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
Happy Harbor (July 17, 21:16 EDT)
Bleary sea-green eyes opened to unfamiliar surroundings.
Percy Jackson was surrounded by water. Salt water, he noted. Bubbles rose up in time with his breathing, as he seemed to float upright. He felt exhausted but slowly regaining strength. A dull throbbing ache pounded through his head. He raised a hand to his face at the pain.
Or, he tried to.
Panic coursed through him. He looked down and found himself strapped down by metal restraints, wires and tubes surrounding him. There was clear glass in front of him, and he realized he was in a tube. Outside the glass he could see a large room with a set of monitors and other equipment scattered about. An oxygen mask was strapped around his face, which confused him.
I don't need this to breathe, which means whoever has me doesn't know what I can do.
Or most of what he can do. From what he could see, it seemed he was in some sort of medical bay on a ship. He recalled vaguely that he saved a ship from a storm before passing out. He also remembered fighting something, but his mind was hazy and the image of whatever it was kept shifting in his memory like a bad video.
The crew must be letting me heal, he thought. He began to calm down, but his confusion only grew. This doesn't explain why I was strapped down, or how they knew salt water would heal me better than any medicine.
Do they know what I am? His memory was a bit spotty. He remembered stopping a huge wave and calming a storm, but the Mist should've covered his involvement. He wondered if the entire crew was made up of clearsighted mortals, before dismissing the thought.
The trait was so rare, that would be nearly impossible. A crew of half-bloods on a quest, perhaps?
A quest... Wasn't I on a quest?
Percy closed his eyes and wracked his brain. His mind was fuzzy. He knew he was doing something important on his quest, and he wasn't alone. There were… seven of them? And a ship. The Argo II! They were in Rome…
Percy's eyes widened. Annabeth!
They fell into Tartarus together, they travelled through hell and made it to the Doors of Death. Bob and Damasen stayed so they could escape. They were in the elevator, on their way back to the surface. And then…
And then what?
Percy once more took a look at his surroundings. Did we make it out? Where's Annabeth? Where are the others? Where am I?
Before he could keep thinking on it, the door into the room slid open with a mechanical hiss. In came two people, a man and a woman wearing lab coats. They looked to be arguing. The man had short, slightly balding, dark hair, beady black eyes behind dark-rimmed glasses. His frown and furrowed brows emphasized the wrinkles on his face. The woman was younger, with long dark hair tied in a messy bun, and soft, brown eyes. She was agitated, her hands waving around as she spoke, while the man calmly replied, not even looking at her as he checked the monitors.
They didn't seem to notice that Percy was awake. Their voices were muffled by the water and the glass, but Percy focused and listened to their words. Eyes closed, he ignored the quiet and constant beeping and whirring of the machinery, his breathing slowed. He listened…
His eyes opened wide in fear.
Then fear became rage.
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
There were days when Clara Marquez hated her job.
Clara loved the sea. She had grown up on the West Coast, in San Diego. Her family lived near the beach, and would always take trips down the shore. She had earliest memories are filled with sand and saltwater. It was inevitable that she would get a job as a marine biologist.
She loved her job. Clara had worked hard to earn a name in her field, helping rehabilitate and release several captured, injured, or beached sea creatures. Her hard work paid off when she was scouted by the venerated Dr. Stephen Shin, the foremost expert on ancient marine life.
It was a dream come true to help the man with his research on Atlantis, especially with the reveal of the hero, Aquaman. An actual Atlantean! They had hoped this would mean that the sunken city was ready to rejoin the surface world, but Aquaman, or King Orin of Atlantis, refused to disclose the city's location or to allow unvouched visitors to enter.
Stephen seemed to take the news personally, and enlisted Clara and the crew of the S.S Anomaly to search the seas. They had begun the search five years ago, and there had been no developments.
Until today.
"Incredible," Stephen whispered out, voice full of awe. He was staring at the monitors and papers in the medical bay. He had gotten back some results from some skin samples he'd taken. "The specimen's physiology is remarkable. They seem to react positively to the presence of salt water, as predicted, but their skin appears to be the same as a regular human. No gills or fins, so the specimen must be pure. A blood sample will be needed to – "
Clara slammed a hand down on one of the tables, a scowl forming on her face.
"The boy," Clara growled out the word as a reminder. "Is a minor, and we will need his, or his guardian's, consent for any further intrusive tests. I have already acquiesced to having him strapped down for his own safety, but I will not budge further. You weren't even supposed to take skin samples from him!"
"Yes, yes," said Dr. Shin, waving his hand dismissively. "And I've told you that for all intents and purposes, the specimen is not a citizen of any acknowledged countries in the UN charter. Atlantis has refused an invitation to join the UN, and until then they are unrecognized and hold no rights."
Stephen finally turned to Clara, a crazed gleam in his eyes. "We have the chance of a lifetime to finally learn more about Atlanteans. This is no time to be dealing with your moral dilemmas, Dr. Marquez."
Clara shook her head and took a step back from Shin. "No, this isn't right! That boy saved our lives. You can't do this!"
"You forget your place, Dr. Marquez. I am your employer, and I trust you remember the contract you signed. Now, forget about your notions of right and wrong and prep the surgery room for a vivisection procedure."
Clara stared open-mouthed at her coworker, the shock of his words leaving her speechless for a moment. Before she could react in any way, she heard the cracking of glass.
Immediately, the monitors around the room started flashing red, as warning beeps filtered through the air. The two doctors turned to the screens, as the same messages flashed across:
CONTAINMENT BREACH
IRREGULAR TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATIONS
ERRATIC VITALS FOR SPECIMEN 001
Clara looked back at Stephen, who had turned back to look at the containment tube. She followed his eye-line, and she let out a small gasp.
The boy was awake.
And he did not look happy.
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
Happy Harbor (July 17, 23:16 EDT)
Aenne Wayland wanted some hash browns.
It wasn't a surprise, having been six-months pregnant with her third child, but she wished her cravings hadn't woken her up at such an ungodly hour. The most annoying part was there weren't any hash browns in the apartment, and she didn't want to wait an hour for delivery.
Mel and Timmy are having a kip, she thought to herself. I could just go out to the store for a bit. It's only a few blocks down.
And so, she found herself at the local 6-10 store, with a basket full of hash browns. Thank God for 24-7 convenience stores.
"Late night snack?" the store clerk, Bill, asked with a grin, as he ringed up her purchase.
Aenne smiled back, a bit sheepish. "My stomach thinks my throat's been cut, Billy."
"Food cravings," she explained, when she saw his confusion. "You'll know soon enough when you finally pop the question to Mindy. I'm sure you'll have your own tykes to worry about by then."
Bill laughed as he bagged up her order and handed it to her. "Yeah, yeah, no need to remind me. Mom's already nagging me about grandkids. Anyway, here's your change. Be safe out there. I heard there was an explosion down by the docks, so you might want to steer clear of Main Road."
"Thanks for the heads up!"
On the way back, Aenne decided to take a short cut down an alley to avoid the waterfront. She didn't want to be dealing with the guards and their yellow tape. As she walked down the dark and dank path, the smell of cat piss and wet rubbish met her nose. She quickened her pace, wanting to get out of the stink.
A man blocked her path. She was about to excuse herself and squeeze past, when the glint of steel caught her eye, and her throat seized up.
He had a gun.
"Give me your purse," the man growled out.
Aenne clutched her bags protectively, turning to the side, to keep her stomach out of the line of fire. Her legs were shaking. She wanted to run, but the other end of the alley was too far, and she didn't want to risk her baby. "Sir, please –"
"Now!" The man yelled, as he raised his gun higher.
Suddenly, there was a shadow behind the man, and the next thing Aenne knew, the mugger was on the ground, unconscious. Someone else stood in front of her now.
He was young, maybe sixteen or seventeen. He had windswept black hair, and intense sea-green eyes. He wore a tattered orange shirt with faded print, and a pair of torn jeans. His expression was angry as he stared at the gun he took from the mugger, before he tossed it into a dumpster and turned to look at Aenne.
His eyes glanced at her midsection, and his expression softened. "Are you alright, miss?"
Aenne stared at the boy for a few moments, before bursting into tears and tackling him in a hug. The boy let out a surprised yelp, before patting her back awkwardly.
"Thank you," she whispered. She pulled back and stared at the man on the ground. She let out a huff and gave him a stiff kick. She turned back to the boy who saved her, shakily taking out her phone. "I should report this to the guards."
Aenne saw the boy stiffen and start to take a step back. She gave him a curious look. "I should probably go," the boy said.
She grabbed his hand before he could go away. "Please, don't leave. I don't feel safe alone right now. At least stay until the guards arrive."
The boy looked uncomfortable. "I shouldn't be around when they do," he mumbled.
Aenne looked closer at him. Dirty and tattered clothes, out on the streets late at night, eyes glancing at every dark corner, afraid of the police. A runaway?
"Alright," she said. "I can report this once I'm home. Could you walk me there, young man?"
The boy blinked at her, eyes narrowing in suspicion before nodding. "Okay."
"Grand!" She hooked her arm around his and began to lead him to her home. He was tall, she only now noticed Much taller than her. "So, may I know the name of my brave, dashing savior?"
The boy let out a shy laugh. "It's Percy. Percy Jackson."
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
Percy sat in Mrs. Wayland's – Aenne, she insisted – kitchen and dining room, with a plate of hash browns, watching late night cartoons. He still wasn't sure how he found himself in this situation. After escaping from the ship, he had wandered around the city, looking for a place to stay and figure out what to do. He hadn't expected to stop a mugging in progress, and be housed and fed by the person he saved.
He found it odd that Mrs. Wayland – Aenne – would trust a stranger into her home, though with the way she was still shaking, he suspected she just wanted someone who could watch over her and her family.
Percy took a bite of his hash browns as he glanced around the apartment. It was small, but larger than the one Percy used to live in. There were pictures of Aenne and her family, her husband and two kids, a girl and a boy. Her husband, Charles, was at work overseas.
He looked through the doorway into the living room, where Aenne was currently on the phone with the police. She gave him a smile and a wave, which Percy returned with a silent nod. He turned back towards the small TV with the dancing teacups, though his attention was elsewhere.
Percy tried to make a plan. He was alive and out of Tartarus, though he was alone. He wasn't sure why, or how he was back in America. Rhode Island, he realized while on the ship. Though not any city I know. I've never heard of Happy Harbor.
He leaned back on his seat and let out a quiet sigh. He needed to contact the others. He didn't have drachmas for an Iris-message to camp or the Argo II. He tried whistling for Blackjack while he was wandering the streets, but he hadn't come. That worried him a lot.
"We interrupt this program for some Breaking News with GBS," Percy heard the TV announce. "This just in, giants are running amok in New York!"
WHAT?! Percy nearly fell out of his seat. He straightened himself, wide eyes focusing back to the TV.
On the screen, a man was sitting with a small live feed of a large figure rampaging through the streets of New York. "This news brought to you by our eyes in the sky, Cat Grant. Cat, what's the situation?"
The man was replaced by a blonde woman in a helicopter, with the giant in the background. "Thanks, Ralph. At around 11 PM in New York, an explosion happened at the Manhattan branch of S.T.A.R. Labs. Moments later, a large figure appeared from the smoke and debris and started running through the streets."
The camera zoomed in, showing a clear view of the giant. It was a woman. Not like the giants that Percy had seen; no scaly dragon legs or monstrous hair, no strange-colored skin or eyes. It was just a giant human woman. "The woman has been identified as Dr. Doris Zuel, one of the scientists employed by S.T.A.R. Labs. It is unclear as of yet why she has become gigantic or why she is rampaging through the city, but –"
Suddenly, there was flash of red and blue, and the sound of an impact as something seemed to strike the giantess. As she began to fall, a line of golden rope wrapped around her torso to keep her from dropping on any buildings. The figure of a woman in a strange costume floated in front of the downed giantess, holding the golden rope. Another figure, which appeared to be a man in a blue suit and red cape flew up next to her.
Cat Grant turned back to the camera with an excited grin. "It appears the situation has just been solved by members of the Justice League, Superman and Wonder Woman!"
Percy tuned out the rest of the broadcast, as he stared at the screen. His dinner lay forgotten on the table as he tried to wrap his mind around what he had just seen. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath. He looked back at the screen and the image of the flying man and woman, wrapping the giantess in golden bindings.
"What the fu–?!"
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
Cut to credits.
See you in the next chapter!