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Title: The Legacy of the Big Three – Heroes of the Next Generation
Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus
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
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, Lupa, 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 1: The End of the Golden Era of Heroes
/Twenty-Five Years Ago...\
They didn't know it yet, but one day, this time was going to be known as the Golden Age of Heroes. They also didn't know yet that they would become the prime example of what a superhero was. No, they were still young, bright-eyed and filled to the brim with enthusiasm and excitement.
Hades, Poseidon and Zeus – already known as the Big Three, a moniker they had earned from the press. Only a few years ago, they had been solo acts. Poseidon had protected New York, Zeus came from San Francisco and Hades had been a shadowy urban whisper in Los Angeles. What had been vigilantism against small-time criminals grew with the rise of supervillains.
And when the villains started to band together, forming the so-called League of Titans, the heroes knew they had to work together too. All three of them had made a name for themselves at that point and them coming together, it had been a truly historic moment. The Big Three.
They gathered other strong heroes and formed a group known as the Olympian Council. Twelve of the strongest heroes of the United States – Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Demeter, Artemis, Apollo, Hephaestus, Ares, Athena, Dionysus, Hermes and Aphrodite. Side by side, they fought against the League of Titans – and won. The Big Three, Zeus first and foremost, took down Kronos.
World-fame was theirs. And so was a proper headquarters. They took over the Empire State Building, their own Olympus, where the heroes could meet and plan. Even without the League of Titans, the teamwork was beneficial for everyone involved. Backup for a tougher enemy, exchange of information, someone to take over if one hero was hurt or occupied. And with that, the Olympian Council gained more members, smaller heroes, newer heroes. The US and the Olympian Council became a worldwide respected example of heroism.
"Let us celebrate today's victory, brothers!", declared Zeus, laughing loudly.
He had one arm wound around Poseidon's neck, the other around Hades'. Out of the three, Zeus was the most muscular, physically the strongest. His dark hair was combed back and his electric-blue eyes sparkling with the joy of victory. He had a handsome face, a face that had enchanted many over the years he had been a public figure now. His white skin-tight suit with the large golden lightning bolt on his chest and the golden cape made him look more royal than ridiculous, despite the color-scheme treading the line. Since the forming of the Olympian Council, he had become the team's leader and the true All-American Hero. Poseidon was taller than Zeus, but he had the lean musculature of a swimmer, not a boxer. His hair was longer and wavy. his eyes a brilliant sea-green. A different kind but no less of a teen-heart-throb. His suit was different colors of blue – dark and light, in beautiful patterns and he wielded a trident, his signature weapon. The last one was Hades, who radiated goth energy, his pitch-black eyes intense at every gaze and his dark curls softly hanging into them. He wore all black and his power to pull the shadows around him had helped him stay out of the public eye for many years. Some found him frightening, others were enchanted by his mysterious aura and certain bad boy charm.
The three of them could not be more different in personality, and yet they worked well together. Perhaps because they were so different. They complimented each other, even in powers. Zeus ruled the sky – controlling the weather – while Poseidon ruled the ocean – he had hydrokinetic powers – and Hades could control darkness itself and had necromantic powers; he could control the dead like puppets. They wielded such great power that, so far, there was no force able to overwhelm them.
"I'm not drinking with you, Zeus", sighed Hades exhausted, trying to dodge out of the embrace.
"You're so boring, Hades", groaned Zeus. "I'm glad Dionysus joined. He knows how to party!"
"I don't think Hades is boring, I think Hades has... other things on his mind", noted Poseidon.
He cracked a mischievous grin as he spotted the object of Hades' affection. They were walking the halls of Olympus, on their way to a debriefing. There, down the hall, stood Persephone – one of the newer additions to Olympus. She was beautiful, her green skin-tight suit with the dark-green skirt complimenting her figure, her long, dark curls cascading down over her back as she was... watering the plans. She loved plants; controlling them and communicating with them was her power.
"Wait. You like Demeter's girl?", asked Zeus stunned. "I mean, she's pretty, but... damn."
Persephone was Demeter's newest sidekick and Demeter was fiercely protective of her, like a daughter, which was why Hades had been keeping his distance so far. Hades frowned and averted his eyes, his cheeks red in embarrassment at being caught like this by Zeus and Poseidon.
"You should go talk to her", whispered Poseidon softly. "Me and Zeus will distract Demeter."
"We will?", asked Zeus doubtfully. "She's kind of mean."
"I'll pay the tab when we go to the pub later", offered Poseidon.
Immediately, Zeus laughed and wrapped an arm around Poseidon once more. "We will!"
Hades just glared at them. "No, don't-"
But with a wave of his hand, Zeus summoned a gust of wind that pushed Hades up against Persephone, causing both heroes to stumble a little. Thankfully, Hades managed to catch her in his arms before she could fall. She pressed her hands against his chest, staring startled.
"Has Aphrodite been rubbing off on you, mate?", asked Zeus curiously. "Such a matchmaker."
"The only one she's rubbed off on is Ares", muttered Poseidon amused. "What can I say, the engagement has made me... soft for love. You should try it too, you know. Settling down."
"And break the hearts of countless women and men?", huffed Zeus offended. "I could never!"
Poseidon snorted and shook his head at that. Zeus liked his flings, he liked his fame and how it brought him a different person to warm his bed every night. Hades, he had never shown interest in someone before. And Poseidon, oh, he had given his heart away two years ago to the woman he knew to be the love of his life. A mermaid he had met at the shore while fighting off a tsunami. She was – she was special. A literal princess, Princess Salacia, daughter of the king and queen of their sea. And she held powers, the same hydrokinesis as Poseidon. He had never met anyone else with the same power as him before. Mermaids, they were special yes, but they didn't have special powers like those. She was, just like him, a mutant – only of a different world. The two of them had started teaming up with each other, more and more, until she came to join him. Leaving the ocean behind to explore the human world. She took on the hero-alias Amphitrite, to honor the fishes she guarded (part of her special mutation; she could communicate with all sea-creatures).
Life was good. Poseidon couldn't imagine life to be any better than this. Him and his brothers by anything but blood led the greatest team of superheroes, he had a beautiful fiance with whom he fought side by side proudly. The dynamic duo of the sea, they were called. Life was perfect.
/Five Years Later\
"The world needs me!" His voice was booming, echoing through the apartment. He looked worn down, the fighting spirit his words may suggest didn't show on his face. The sky outside their apartment lit up as the storm raged on.
"No", his wife whispered softly, shaking her head. "The world needed Poseidon once upon a time. All the big villains are defeated. There is no fight left."
"There is always a fight left!", argued Poseidon angrily.
"What? Do you want to chase down purse-snatchers and rescue kittens? There are new heroes, younger heroes. It's time for a new generation. The world doesn't need you anymore. I talked to Persephone, her and Hades are thinking about retiring too, you know."
He looked up, surprised. He knew she was still close to Persephone, despite having hung up her own cape nearly two years ago. The thought made him swallow hard. Him and Hades, they've been through a lot together. They were like brothers. Them and Zeus, the Big Three. Did the world truly not need them anymore? Did the age of heroes… just end?
"I'm not saying this to be cruel, my love", whispered his wife. "The world didn't need Amphitrite anymore either. Look at me. I retired, but the world moves on. We inspired new, young and hopeful heroes and they're slowly taking our places on Olympus and in the papers."
Thunder accompanied the lightning this time, the whole apartment bright for the blink of an eye. The thunder was followed by screaming and crying. Poseidon watched his wife leave the hall.
No more Amphitrite. Once upon a time, they were the aquatic duo – what a golden couple of superheroes. Poseidon and Amphitrite. And then she retired. No more Amphitrite, only Salacia Jackson, candy-shop owner, wife and young mother.
"The world may not need Poseidon, but… we need you", whispered Sally. "It was different, when it was just you and me. You and me against villains. Fighting, side by side, throwing ourselves into danger and coming back together. Now, you leave… without me. And I hold my breath, wondering if you'll return to us."
She came back into the hall, carrying the crying and hiccuping toddler. Immediately, Poseidon softened at the sight of his son. Messy, soft black hair on his little head, those rosy chubby cheeks and the eyes. The boy had his father's eyes, sea-green like the entire ocean was trapped in them.
"What do you say?", he asked as he took the toddler from his wife. "No more Poseidon? Only Paul Blofis, high school teacher, husband and… father?"
The baby stopped crying and yelped as he grabbed for his father's face. He reached an arm out to pull his wife close against himself. The age of heroes didn't end, but their time as heroes would be over. Young heroes would take over from hereon out and all all Poseidon… no, Paul… would do was… be a regular guy, with a job and a wife and a hopefully growing family.
/Two Years Later\
Maria di Angelo hummed to herself as she ate breakfast. Everything tasted oddly different these days. And what she was particularly craving was licorice. Today, she was eating buttered toast with licorice and it made her happy, despite the disgruntled and disturbed look on her husband's face.
"It's what your daughter is craving. I am simply the food-delivery system", pointed Maria out.
She rested a hand on her prominent stomach and the look eased off his face. Smiling softly, Maria waved her fingers in swirling patterns through the air and the potted flowers at the center of the table bloomed. There were never cut flowers in the di Angelo home, only grown, living ones. Even though Maria may not take up the name Persephone anymore and had hung up the cape when she and Hades had gotten married, she would never deny her powers and her connection to nature.
"You're awfully engrossed in the newspaper", noted Maria after a moment.
His glare had returned as he was staring at the newspaper intensely. Frowning, Hades looked up once more, searching his wife's eyes before he turned the paper around and pointed at the article.
"Look at that. He's holding that child up like a priced possession", huffed Hades, shaking his head.
Maria hummed softly as she read the headline. Zeus presents firstborn heir – Thalia. She sighed.
"There's a reason Amphitrite retired when she got pregnant", said Maria. "To protect the child."
"Exactly!", exclaimed Hades, slapping his flat palm against the desk. "He's just parading the baby around, even announcing her name. Her and her mother are all over the news. This child will be targeted by every villain we ever put away!"
Maria's eyes softened as she reached out to grasp her husband's hand, linking their fingers. After Amphitrite had retired, Maria had started thinking about it too. Their era had ended, they had come together to defeat the League of Titans and they did and for years after, they still fought villains. Smaller villains. And they grew older, they started... settling down. Poseidon and Amphitrite had their first child, Hades and Persephone got married. Persephone's mentor Demeter had already retired, had passed the mantle on to her so she could live a domestic life with her husband and children too. And Persephone thought that maybe, it was time for them to retire too. More and more of the Olympians stepped down, more and more new heroes came to be, with their own villains to fight. Maria knew she didn't want to raise their potential family in the spotlight.
"It's... his decision, his family", whispered Maria gently. "We can not... control that. All we can do is protect our own, mi amore. We'll keep our daughter safe, together."
"Yes. Yes, we will", agreed Hades with gentle eyes. "Did you consider the name I suggested?"
"We are not naming our daughter Melinoe", huffed Maria, laughing softly.
"Well then, my love, what do you suggest?", asked Hades with the smallest pout.
"Bianca, after my aunt", declared Maria. "What do you think?"
"Bianca di Angelo? I like the sound of that", hummed Hades, nodding to himself.
/Two Years Later\
Paul was rushing into the hospital, his son pressed against his chest as he nearly ran a nurse over. He was in a hurry! He had to get to his wife. He was completely out of breath as he rounded the corner and entered the hospital room, where Sally was laying, resting.
"You're late", complained Sally with a glower, before cracking a smile. "Come meet your son."
"I'm right here, mommy", argued the little one in Paul's arms.
"His other son", corrected Sally fondly. "Your brother. Come here."
"No, thank you", hummed her son, shaking his head. "I don't need one."
"Son, you... will have to get used to him. He's here to stay", chuckled Paul.
He sat down at the edge of Sally's bed, with their older son perched up on his lap. The boy frowned and leaned in, poking the baby's cheek curiously, repeatedly, making his parents smile amused.
"Triton, meet your brother Perseus", introduced Sally, her voice soft.
"That's a stupid name", complained Triton with a pout, still poking.
"That's not very nice", grunted Paul. "We picked that name together."
"Still stupid", declared Triton. "I'll call you... Percy."
The baby blinked his big, green eyes at Triton, not understanding a word, but Triton looked very pleased by his choice, nodding to himself. Sally and Paul exchanged a fond look at that. Paul leaned down to kiss his wife softly before kissing the baby's chubby little cheek.
"He is absolutely perfect, Sally", whispered Paul in awe. "My little Perseus."
"Percy!", exclaimed Triton with a pout.
Paul laughed at that, his eyes sparkling as he looked at his family. He hadn't been Poseidon in what felt like an eternity – but a part of him would always be Poseidon, even if he didn't go out there fighting the good fight anymore. He was Poseidon. Every time he saw the news, saw a disaster or a hostage situation or read about a new villain... His instinct was to put on the mask and the cape. But then he saw it unfold in the news, saw the new heroes – heroes, by now, that he had never actually met in person even – and they... they did their jobs, effectively.
He would always miss it. He'd always miss the excitement, the rush of adrenaline, the satisfaction when he would save someone's life. Even the camaraderie with the other Olympians. It was a special bond, one that would always tie them together, despite those who had died, those who had retired by choice and those who had been forced to retire. And, well, those who still went out.
Many of the younger heroes from his time were still active, some who had started out as sidekicks back then had taken over their mentors' mantles. And then there was Zeus, who still went out there himself, sure the world still needed him. And it did, in a way. He was... more than just a hero, he was a symbol – the symbol of America's freedom. The leader of the Olympians, even if nearly all other members had changed by now. He was getting gray around the temples, he didn't charge head-first into any danger, he led, but even he was aware that many years of heroism were getting to him physically. One day, he was going to have to retire too and Paul wondered what would become of him then. Paul had always had a life, even outside of being a hero. He had been Paul Blofis, school teacher. And then he met Salacia and he became a boyfriend, a fiance, a husband.
Hades too. Paul knew his secret identity, he knew the man was a billionaire, owner of a very famous record-label. It would never cease to amaze Paul, the way the man had juggled the billionaire life with the life of one of America's – no, the world's – greatest heroes. After retirement, Hades – well, Aiden di Angelo (though, Paul smiled, the man had never quite liked his name and always preferred to go by Hades) – could fully focus on his business and his new wife. He had gotten married to Persephone and, if Paul wasn't fully mistaken, they were currently expecting their second child too. Sally was still in contact with Persephone occasionally. Paul, he tried to stay away. For one, because of the temptation – the yearning that thinking about his old hero-life brought with it – and for another for safety reasons. The more time they spent together in their civil identities, the easier it would be for people to figure out their secret. And Sally and Paul, they had agreed to never reveal their secret – not even to their children. Triton and Percy would grow up as normal, happy children.
Author's note: NEW FIC! And since I do already have a Nicercy right now, I figured... it's been a while since I gave the LittleBigThreesome a multi-chapter story. So, here you go - Jason, Nico and Percy as (future) superheroes!
Also, something a little bit different; Percy getting a happy childhood because no Gabe, only being raised by his loving parents. I figured the dual-identity thing would give that a nice spin, after all most heroes DO have a different persona to go with their superhero-alias too. ;D
Next chapter will have all three of our boys as cute, adorable children, because how could I not? I love writing them as kids and I want to give more insight into their upbringing.
As always, you can find my updating schedule on my profile - and come visit me on tumblr at takaraphoenix, I've been teasing this story over there for like a month before posting and I tend to do that sort of thing over there! ;)