The restaurant was quaint and cosy, the cool orange glow of the lights washing over the pair as they entered. Percy led him to a small corner stall after ordering two bowls of ramen, one hesitant palm on his shoulders. It was… warm. Not like Dad's, not at all.
Izuku slipped in next to the window, glad to still be close to the soft pitter-patter of the rain. Curiously, it was creating a symphony with the soft jazz music playing in the cafe. Izuku had always loved the rain; it was comforting yet cold, sudden yet unyielding, and whenever it graced Musutafu he always made time to sit and reflect in the rain for some time. This time, though, he wasn't sitting in the rain out of any love for it. This time, he just wanted a quiet place to cry in.
But then, Percy had appeared.
The man reminded him of the rain, almost. Sudden and comfortable, in its own unique way. But then he had spoken to him, and hadn't left even after learning Izuku was quirkless, and he still bought him food for his grumbling stomach, and Izuku was left wondering when exactly Percy would disappear, just like the rain would.
It had to happen, didn't it? No one would stay, after all. Not for him.
Izuku took a moment to study the man as he stared out the window, seemingly lost in thought. He was tall and slim, looked to be muscular, and was very obviously foreign. Even so, he spoke Japanese without a problem even if he did throw some English idioms in. His hair was long and wavy, tied up in a strange ponytail at the base of his nape. He had an earring hanging from his left ear, a silver depiction of an owl holding what looked like a trident. As for his dress, he was wearing a crumpled white dress shirt under an expensive looking loose jacket that looked like it couldn't decide between black and blue. His loose pants matched the jacket, and a pair of soft and dark gloves with deep blue palms covered his hands. He was the epitome of rich and careless, at least until Izuku looked at his eyes.
They were swirling with colour, every shade of green mixing with every other to create a mesmerizing effect. And they were so, so old, strangely ethereal and divine. It didn't take more than a glance for Izuku to know that the man had seen things Izuku couldn't hope to imagine. Izuku couldn't put a single word to his eyes, probably not even a whole paragraph, but if he had to, he would say that they seemed regretful and mourning beyond belief. They told stories in their unfathomable depths. You didn't need to look him in the eyes for long to know that he was kind, that he was humble, that he was powerful.
The man's face reminded Izuku of a statue, sculpted by a master. It seemed that his default expression was nostalgic, as he kept a gloved hand on his chin, running it through his salt-and-pepper beard as he stared out the window, his eyes swirling like miniature whirlpools. Every single sign spoke of a man who wouldn't have looked at Izuku twice.
But he did. Izuku wanted to know why.
After a few moments, the food arrived. Izuku wolfed his bowl down; he hadn't even realized how hungry he was after – well, after dad kicked him out. Izuku wondered whether he should tell Percy; after all, he hadn't left yet. He might be willing to help - or would that be too much? After all, he already knew that he was quirkless. But while he didn't seem to care, Izuku has met people like that in the past. They cared as much as the others, but just hid it better. Besides, it's only been two days, and Izuku's still got a bit of money, and it's not like he wants to go back to him. To burns and bruises.
He'll be fine, even if Percy doesn't help, right?
It didn't matter in the end because Izuku didn't have to ask. Once his food was done and safely down his gullet, Percy turned to Izuku. His face held the slightest bit of anger, hidden in the tightening of the skin around his eyes, and Izuku stilled when he noticed it. Percy saw him flinch obviously, because he gave him a small soft smile, and asked out-of-the-blue, "Are you safe at home?"
Izuku ended up gaping like a fish for a few moments as he thought on how to answer. In the end, he settled for a simple, "I don't have a home." although he stated it more like a question. Percy's hand clenched into a fist.
"Let me guess, your father kicked you out because you're quirkless? Where's your mother, kiddo?" Izuku wondered how he knew it was his father, and why he spat out the word with such animosity. And as for his mother… Izuku doesn't really want to talk about that, but he finds himself speaking anyway, desperate for someone to understand.
"Mom died a f-few months b-back, so d-d-dad had to take care of me, but he didn't, he didn't w-want to," he said, tears already pouring out. Percy handed him a tissue wordlessly, and whispered a few choice curse words under his breath that Izuku didn't think he should be listening to.
Percy still remembered what he felt like when Mom died. Shouting and screaming at Hades in his throne room to no avail. His uncle only watched him impassively, a glimmer of sorrow in his cold eyes. When that didn't work, all of a sudden massive storms were ripping apart the world for days until Thalia forced him to calm down, bless her. No matter how many he lost, it hurt the same every time.
All the other gods say it gets easier.
Does he want it to?
"Any relatives, kiddo? Anyone who'd take you in?" he inquired, having calmed himself down just a bit.
"N-no… I guess Auntie Mitsuki, but I don't want t-to go l-live there." Izuku said, rubbing his eyes dry and hiccuping.
Percy supposes that he has his reasons for not wanting to live there, but he really needs someone to watch over the kid while he deals with the 'father', and he isn't in the mood to ask any of his own relatives or the mortal authorities. He could look around for a demigod and ask for a favour - after all, they've gotten much more numerous after the dawn of quirks - but that's easier said than done. Maybe he could call Thalia? No, no, she's in Argentina at the moment. The einherjar? Not exactly safe to leave a mortal with them, in his opinion.
"Would you be okay staying with your Auntie just for a few hours? I need to go and have a chat with your dad." Izuku's eyes widened to saucers, "No, no, please, dad's dangerous!" he all but shouted out, remembering at the last second they were in a restaurant. Thankfully, it was mostly empty, apart from the cashier who looked like he really wanted to call CPS.
"Trust me, kid, I'll be fine." Percy had to stop himself from laughing out loud, but he was strangely glad that the kid had an eye out for him. "How about we drop you off at your Auntie's first, yeah? She won't hurt you, right?"
Plans were slowly forming in Percy's mind; puzzle pieces fitting together. It had been centuries, and he finally has an idea of what to do, where to go, who to do it with. And all he had to do was speak to his little star. Whether it makes him want to cry, or laugh, he can't really say.
Percy would pay to see Zeus' face when he realizes that Percy's adopting a mortal child. The next solstice will be… interesting, to say the least. It's not like they could stop him, anyways. And they should know better than to hurt the kid. After all, harming the adoptive son of the god of righteous rage? Not a smart idea.
Percy can't truthfully say he's doing this just out of the goodness of his heart. The kid reminds him painfully of old memories; of himself, of Nico, of Jason, of Hazel. Of someone who just wanted to help others, no matter what anyone else said. Dammit if he won't help the kid. Someone had to.
For once, Percy would be that someone. This kid needed love, needed a home, needed someone to believe in him. His little star needed to be given the chance to grow, and Percy… well, Percy would do his best.
"I guess I'd be fine with staying at Auntie's?" Izuku said meekly, phrasing it more like a question.
"Perfect, then. I've got a car. Think you can direct me to her house?" Percy said, gesturing out the door at a parked blue sedan that was definitely not there ten seconds ago. Thankfully, Izuku didn't seem to question it.
Percy had tried to draw Izuku into conversation about this 'Bakugou Mitsuki' along the drive, but it had been short and clipped. All he gleaned that Mitsuki was good friends with his mother, but Izuku wasn't good friends with her son, a boy he called Kacchan. She was married to a man named Masaru, who Izuku liked more than Mitsuki. So, not much in the way of information, but Percy had fought wars on less. He'd be fine.
Thankfully, her house wasn't all that far away. They reached the Bakugou villa after a short fifteen minute drive. The house itself was nice, and it was definitely giving Percy ideas for his own house. After all, he can't exactly keep a kid in Olympus, can he? They're gonna need a house to call their own.
The Bakugou's had a nice two-story house, nothing too preposterous or out-there. The entire street is made up of modern architecture buildings like theirs; Anna - she would have liked them. He admired it quietly instead, ignoring his mind bringing up things and people he'd rather not hear of. The sky was clear of clouds; Percy had dismissed the storm on the drive here.
Percy decided that he'd have to talk to Chiron about the adoption – now he could bring Izuku into the Japanese Camp Half-Blood, but he doesn't think Izuku would do well in a community of demigods. Still, Chiron would be able to give Percy good advice on taking care of kids, and he hasn't seen his mentor in a few decades. Actually, Percy hasn't spoken to any immortals in a long time. The last time was - well, it was Uncle Hades, almost fourteen years ago. Time flies, he supposed.
He rapped on the door curtly, one hand on Izuku's trembling shoulder. He sighed to himself; it's not that he doesn't trust the kid, but he had to confirm this place was safe for him before he left to meet with his 'father'. As he raised his hand to knock again, the door opened to reveal a middle-aged woman, her face set in a scowl. But when her crimson eyes fell on Izuku, it melted away to reveal a large, happy smile.
"Izuku!" she shouted. "Where have you been, kiddo! C'mon in!" An admirable but easy to see through effort to distract the kid of his mother's death, considering her forced smile and tight eyes. In any case, there were more important things for him to be doing. Grimacing to himself, he took a quick swipe through her memories; yeah, she's good enough to Izuku, if a bit loud and boisterous. Her son wasn't... the best, though. Percy might have to give him a talk, or just move away with Izuku, but something will definitely have to be done about that brat.
"Ahem. He'll be safe with you, I hope? I need to 'speak' with his father," Percy said, putting up air quotes and smiling genially. The blonde looked him up and down, before asking, "And who the hell are you?" with a faint sneer on her face.
"Just a friend. I need to speak to Izuku's father; could you do us a favour and keep him safe till then, yeah?" he asks, eyes pleading with her.
"So you're one of Hisashi's friends?" she asked, her voice dripping with venom.
"Hardly," he responded, bemused. He pulled out his wallet and slipped her a card. "I actually work with CPS." Benefits of being a god, number 1 : able to pull out necessary documentation with a flick of the hand. Hell, he won't even have to go through the adoption process at all; he could just pull out magical documentation that says Izuku's under his guardianship.
But still, legalities. Schools require a legal guardian, there might be a fuss if someone notices Izuku's technically missing if he was living with Percy, et cetera. While Percy might be a god, he has no clue on how to tamper with legal records safely. He supposed he'd have to go through that whole process.
Shaking his head, he brought his focus back onto the pair. Izuku looked like the card in Mitsuki's hands was the answer to all of his questions, while Mitsuki seemed a tad more trusting. As he took the card back, he leaned closer to her and lowered his voice, "I'll be coming back to pick him up in a few hours, at the most. In case Izuku doesn't tell you, his father kicked him out, and he'll be serving time if I can do anything about it. Don't worry too much, Izuku won't be going to an orphanage or back to his father, but please, take care of him until I return."
With that, he turned around and walked back to his car, cracking his knuckles. Behind him, Mitsuki seemed to be a moment away from getting her car and going after Hisashi herself, but she didn't need to worry about a thing.
Percy's had that covered.
Time to have a chat with Midoriya Hisashi, son of Vulcan.
The sleazy apartment building he drove up to was a stark contrast to the Bakugou's villa. Percy wondered whether he should leave Izuku with the Bakugou's, but something about them doesn't feel right to him - other than the obvious brat, of course.
He's learnt to trust his gut over the years, and something in his gut tells him that Izuku needs more than just a nice place to live. He needs support, assistance, training, someone who can tell him that 'he can do it', someone who can see the drive and determination he has and help it grow into something more. Percy was happy to provide.
While he did enjoy the hour-long drive to the apartment for helping him calm down and not commit a murder, Percy has grown a bit lazy after becoming a god. Instead of climbing the many flights of stairs, he simply pops up to the Midoriya family residence.
Not much of a family anymore, he thought dejectedly. He didn't bother with knocking on the door this time, instead just kicking it down. Splinters of wood went flying into the house as shocked shouts came out. There was a gaggle of middle-aged men sitting at a table across the room, a poker game and beer set around them. The faint smell of smoke lingered in the drab room despite there not being a lit cigarette in sight. His gut lurched at the similarities, but he fought through it. The congregation stood as one, startled by the sudden intrusion.
Putting on his best scary voice (which he's been told by many people is absolutely terrifying), he asked, "My name is Detective Jackson. Which one of you is Midoriya Hisashi?"
The speed with which they all pointed a finger at one man, a carbon copy of Izuku with black hair, was astonishing. "Midoriya Hisashi, you are under arrest for the mistreatment of one Midoriya Izuku. You have the right to remain silent. The rest of you may leave." he said forcefully, giving the other players one of his signature wolf stares as he stalked forward, pulling a pair of silver handcuffs out from his jacket pocket. They almost knock each other over in their haste to get out.
Still scared shitless from the entrance, and well-aware of who - or rather what - he was looking at, Hisashi didn't offer much of a fight. His friends get out of the house without too much hassle, but they're gossiping the moment they're in the stairwell, wondering whether 'Hisashi will actually go to prison for getting rid of a quirkless shitstain?'.
Percy isn't actually going to arrest Hisashi though, although he is thinking about sucker-punching the bastard that said that. Percy has much worse punishments in place for this son of Vulcan.
He guided the handcuffed man to an empty seat after all of his 'friends' left, and sat down across from him. Remaining silent, he waited for him to speak. The silence dragged on for at least ten minutes, Hisashi still as a statue. Sweat dripped across his face despite the chilled room, his fingers clenched into a white-knuckled fist. Finally, his voice chock-full of fear, Hisashi stated, "You're a god."
Percy was never a fan of when people were afraid of him. However, this is a case in which he really didn't mind it. Now he does care about most mortal's boundaries, but when he had the power to sift through Izuku's memories and see what his father was really like, it would have been stupid of him not to use it.
He didn't like what he saw. If Percy's being honest, it's taking everything in him to not smite the demigod in front of him. Percy feared that when he saw Izuku's plain body, it would be covered in burn scars, all courtesy of this disgusting man. Now, as he sorted through Hisashi's memories, the man is even worse than Izuku's mind had shown.
He was a serial cheater, a terrible offense to the god of loyalty. Even worse, the bastard was frequently physically abusive to his wonderful wife, even leading up to her death from... cancer? Percy's heart went out to Izuku. His mother had seemed like a wonderful woman and she acted almost like a more emotional version of his own mother; kind, determined, wearing her heart on her sleeve, and not afraid to fight for her son.
At the very least, the one good thing that came from Hisashi was that he was a son of Vulcan. That made Izuku a Roman legacy, surprisingly. He thought he had sensed some godly blood in him, but most mortals had some these days so he'd dismissed it.
While Izuku's heritage would give the young god some lee-way amongst his peers if he adopted him, it still filled Percy with rage that even a demigod would abandon their child for something that they couldn't control. It reminded him of his early days, before the laws were changed and gods finally allowed to parent their children, decades too late to save most of their lives. Even now, most of them still wouldn't try to be a parent.
The realization reminded him of the feeling of being alone, of hoping for a parent to hold his hand, someone to teach him, someone to love him, something that was thrown away by the gods, leaving him alone in the world. It fills him with an indescribable rage, that a father would abandon his child like he was trash.
All these centuries after his birth, people forget that Perseus was the god of many things. Heroes were often quoted as his greatest domain, and while it was not wrong, the rest were just as important to him.
He was the god of the aftermath.
The god of guilt and regret and suffering, the god of healing from invisible wounds, the god of storms and typhoons.
The god of loyalty.
The god of righteous rage.
There were other gods who dabbled in rage, in future, but Perseus was the one who held these domains with a care for humanity, not for the gods.
Ares would give soldiers the ability to fight endlessly with no care of what it did to them afterwards, the Moirai would care only for life and death and nothing in between. Apollo predicted the future, Atë and Oizys were the incarnations of guilt and grief and plagued humanity with their domains.
Perseus was the one who gave humans rage as a scalpel instead of a hammer, who helped ease guilt and regret, who visited those who still suffered from battles fought decades ago.
Over all, he was the god of 'what came next'.
The god of what happened to the living after a battle, after love, after war, after rain, after death, after hell.
And he had a feeling that whatever was coming next would not be pretty for Midoriya Hisashi.
"You've got good senses." Percy sighed, "My name is Perseus." Hisashi blanched. "You know who I am. Good. You should know that the gods have their ways, son of Vulcan. To think that you would abandon your own son so readily for something he couldn't control?"
Perseus' rage was growing, but he was not going to kill the demigod. Other gods would have struck him down long ago, but he was the god of suffering. He may have helped others through their suffering and eased their guilt, but that didn't mean that Percy did not know how to make others suffer, how to make them feel guilt. For once, Percy really did enjoy the growing look of fear on the mortal's face. It was surprisingly relishing.
He pulled a ticket out of his jacket, and waved it in front of Hisashi's face. The slip of paper formed out of stardust in front of both of their eyes. "This – this, my friend, is a ticket to America. It leaves in six hours. Take your dagger, and that's it. No luggage at all. If you return to Japan or leave America before, say, ten years, I'll kill you myself." If it was possible for Hisashi's face to get any paler, it did.
The main reason that the demigod population had boomed in Japan was that the monsters hadn't followed the flame of the gods here. They were still stuck in America, for an unknown reason.
Everyone else In Japan cheered and was overjoyed, but Percy knew better. He had orchestrated some of the greatest battles of the past millennia, after all. They were gearing up, letting their numbers rise back to the maximum after the massive losses they took in the early two thousands.
They were part of the reason that villainy and danger were so high in America. Most of the U.S's most dangerous villains were actually Greek monsters.
Sending Hisashi there was not much more than a delayed execution, and Hades wouldn't ask Percy for an explanation later either. Not to mention, the poor monsters don't have many demigods to hunt anymore. Percy guaranteed that they would take their sweet time with him; after all, they don't want to waste their generous gift, do they?
Percy grinned wickedly, but there were slivers of guilt hidden in it. It was unmistakeable - the god of guilt could not lie to himself on such a matter. Perhaps he truly had become a god, after he promised her not to.
It's been many, many years since that, though. If Percy can really only find joy in giving retribution to those who deserve it, then let him. It's not like his life ever had much joy in it in the first place.
"Now get out of my sight," the young god said tonelessly, unlocking Hisashi's handcuffs.
Standing and brushing off his shoulders, he popped away - back to the street of the Bakugou household.
He could faintly hear a lot of angry screaming coming from inside, and he distractedly wondered whether he really should have left Izuku with them. His rage was slowly melting away, his cold anger shifting to quiet regret at his actions, but he hoped that he could get Izuku out of the house without accidentally hurting any mortals.
