Shaking his head, Percy followed the pathway towards the house, simultaneously marvelling at both the Bakugou's powerful sound cancelling and the sheer volume of the screams cancelling out the sound cancelling. Percy had never been a fan of people who were loud just because they could be; it reminded him too much of the gods back when he was a child. Throwing tantrums because they knew nothing could harm them. He had a feeling that he wouldn't be a fan of whoever it was screaming inside that house.
He debated on just warping into the house, considering that he'd probably have to tell Izuku he was a god at some point, but eventually decided against it. In this world of unfathomable superpowers, he'll probably be put off as a megalomaniac if tries to tell a mortal that he's a god. It was better to wait until he could prove it in a way that doesn't include threatening someone with death.
Percy rolled his eyes as he suddenly remembered the time his father had dragged him out for 'bonding time' alongside his uncles, and some police officer tried to arrest Zeus for unlawful quirk usage. It took them a lot of work to stop Zeus from smiting the poor man - mostly because dad and uncle Hades didn't help, instead standing off to the side and laughing their asses off. Percy didn't think he'd ever heard Hades laugh before then.
Schooling his face into a neutral expression and pushing away his memories, he once again rapped on the door loudly. Surprisingly, the screaming stopped. Percy could hear loud footstomps slowly approaching the door. Suddenly, someone swung the door wide-open and Percy came face-to-face with a miniature male Mitsuki. Well, face-to-torso. The kid was shorter than Izuku, and that's saying something.
His eyes are positively smouldering with animosity, and he wasted no time before screaming in Percy's face.
"EH! You're the fucker that brought Izuku here, aren't you!? Fucking hell, I'm surprised you came back. Take the quirkless shitstain and get out of here." The blond spat Izuku's name like it hurts him to say.
Percy breathed in deeply, already regretting leaving Izuku here. He's not going to shout at an eleven year old, no matter how much of a dirty mouth they have or how much quirkist propaganda's been drilled into their heads.
Gently, he pushed past the kid, ignoring his shouts as he invited himself into the Bakugou household. He kept his hands clenched in his pockets as he stalked through the house, making his way to the back where he could sense Izuku's supernova. Slowly but surely, it was rebuilding itself. Even at its worst, Izuku's spirit's brightness had never dropped below any of the others in his domain, still dwarfing the rest - even Toshinori's borderline suicidal need to help others.
Hm. Perhaps Percy shouldn't encourage him too much. A little bit of restraint might be welcome.
Walking through an ajar door into a large living room, Percy was glad to find Izuku sitting on the couch. He looked like he was being consoled by Mitsuki, as a middle-aged man set the table with mouth-watering bowls of katsudon. Izuku visibly perked up when Percy entered the room, but he flinched when the other kid trails in after him, his palms sparkling and crackling. Percy tilted his head. By mortal standards, that's a very powerful power.
"You're back already? What about that bastard?" Mitsuki asked, springing to her feet. Her eyes hold thinly veiled anger, and Percy assumes she's been wringing information out of Izuku.
The full story, now that he's gotten it out of both Izuku and Hisashi, almost made him sick. The sick bastard drove Izuku out to Dagobah and fucking left him there, telling him to never come into his sight again. And that if he even thought of going to the police… well, they'd never help a Quirkless kid.
Percy can't blame Izuku for being scared. The man's Quirk was destructive beyond belief, his control over flames non-existent but his production almost unlimited. He'd have made a good hero, but some people just don't like to help others.
"Hisashi has been dealt with. Police." Percy said, giving her a self-satisfied smirk. He didn't miss how Izuku's lips parted in shock. "Now, I do have a few things to say to the two of you, regarding Izuku." he began, motioning to Mitsuki and to who he assumed was Masaru.
"Eh? Why would you wanna talk about this fucker?" the blond brat asked, having plopped onto a couch with his feet up in the air as he completely ignored Izuku. Izuku kept glancing at him with legitimate fear in his eyes, and Percy was seriously reconsidering his 'always be nice to children' rule.
Percy sighed and looked towards the two parents. Unsurprisingly, they seemed ashamed yet resigned to their son's behaviour, although Mitsuki looks like she was barely restraining herself from shouting at him.
Personally, Percy was stuck between both blaming and pitying them; it's obvious that they don't like the path their son was heading, but society would do everything in its power to push him down it. Although, they could do a bit more to hold him back.
Walking forward, Percy began speaking, "I've known quirkless people before." An understatement; most of the people he's ever been close to have been Quirkless, considering they died before Quirks even developed. "I'm also able to adopt, have the funds to support a child and am well aware of the problems he will face in his daily life. At the moment, it's unlikely that anyone else would be willing to adopt Izuku, sadly."
If Izuku wasn't shocked before, he certainly was now. The same went for the other three inhabitants of the room.
"I – You mean it? You'd adopt me?" The hesitation and fear mixed with hope in Izuku's voice was unmistakable, and tugged at Percy's heartstrings harder than it should.
Smiling softly, Percy states, "Of course, though only if you wish."
"Now, hold on a moment here, what if we wanted to adopt him?" the brown-haired man began, looking slightly frustrated and rather suspicious of Percy.
"Apologies, but if Izuku didn't feel safe coming here when his father kicked him out, and if I had to convince him to stay here for a few hours while I went to talk to his father, I do not believe that your household would be a good fit for him." Percy said, his voice taking on a regretful tone.
"Well, if the fucker wants to make a mistake like that, why would we stop him?"
"I think my points been proven. But, let's leave it up to Izuku, hm?" Percy rubbed his temples. The brat really was getting on his nerves and he doesn't want to lose his cool. Everyone in the room turns to look at Izuku, who looks immensely uncomfortable at the attention.
"I – I think I would want to stay with Percy-san." He managed to stutter out, his eyes flicking back towards the younger blond every now and again.
The Bakugou's looked rather hurt, apart from the kid, but Percy might've manipulated the Mist just a slight bit to let them accept it easier. He really had to thank Hazel for teachi- well, maybe on his next trip to Elysium. Which reminded him, he really should visit soon. Or - probably not. It usually led to bad situations whenever he went. He might go just to meet up with Frank and Hazel and Jason and try to avoid the rest. Wait, Izuku first, future plans later.
"In any case, Izuku, let's go. And Mrs. Bakugou, here's my number. If you ever need to meet Izuku, just call." Percy handed her a slip of paper, and she nodded at him robotically. Well, Percy can't say that he's ever had a gentle hand with the Mist despite Hazel's best efforts.
Percy motioned for Izuku to follow him out of the building and the young boy does, staring incredulously at the suddenly silent family as they left.
Now, while Percy could just pull the papers out of thin air, he should probably at least stick it in legal records that he's adopting Izuku, so that put going through legal proceedings on the top of their list of things to do. But first, an explanation was long overdue. After all, he was pretty sure Izuku was close to figuring it out on his own.
Strapping himself into the car that Percy had materialized before leaving the building, Izuku was strangely quiet. And he remained quiet as Percy drove all the way back to Dagobah.
It's hard to think that he met his little supernova only about three or four hours ago. Percy would probably kill for this kid at this point. Parking at a spot along the beachfront that has a good view of the ocean, Percy got out of the car with Izuku trailing behind him.
They leaned on the railing high above the beach, watching the sun shine on the blue water, listening as the waves lap onto the shore. "What do you know of the Roman gods, Izuku?" He was a Roman legacy, so hopefully he'd have an easier time understanding it from the Roman side. Whatever the case, Perseus was worshipped the same - Greek or Roman.
That had come in handy during the Second Gigantomachy; Percy had fought alongside the demigods then, when the rest of the gods could not.
He doesn't have many good memories of that time; that had been the beginning of his world shattering.
"Not much. They were a religion practiced by the Roman Empire, but much of the traditions and even some of the gods themselves have been lost to time." Izuku's eyes are scrunched up, a face Percy was coming to realize meant he was thinking hard, but the way he's staring at Percy is still indecipherable to the god.
"What if I told you that the Roman gods were real, and that they still walked among us today?" Percy stared out at the ocean, his mind running back to his first meeting with Mr. D, the stunned disbelief, the shock and awe and fear.
Izuku stared at him, but it was with none of those things. It was almost like he expected it. " So you're a god."
Percy wasn't too surprised. The boy has proven himself to be smart, and he would have an easier time believing it; it's in his genes, after all. But still, he huffs out a laugh. The kid's… refreshing.
"How'd you figure it out, kiddo? That was a confident answer." Percy kept his eyes firmly on the horizon, the waves so calm when they had been storming hours ago. He wondered if his father was watching. Maybe he should ask him for parenting advice too.
Probably not.
"You – you just give off a vibe?" Percy's gaze broke away from the ocean to raise an eyebrow at the kid, but he didn't falter. "Just, like, you feel old."
Percy blinked. "I'm going to take that as a compliment, thank you. But aren't you going to ask for proof, or anything?" Surprise seemed to be his primary emotion around this kid.
"I believe you, kind of. I mean, I was beginning to think you weren't human, maybe somehow magic or something, but a god makes sense. Sort of. A demonstration wouldn't be too bad, though. But then, why – why would you try to adopt me? Wh – what'd you do to my dad?" He didn't seem too concerned about his father's fate, just curious.
"Your father's fine, mostly. Whether he stays that way is entirely dependent on him. As for why I'm adopting you," Percy paused, thinking hard, "You remind me of my friends when I was young. And you don't deserve the world you were given, nor the way you were treated, so I'm going to do my best to give you better." He ended his little spiel by giving Izuku's shoulder a squeeze. That was a dad move, right? In any case, Izuku looked stunned. He gaped like a fish for a few silent moments, before shaking his head frantically.
"Okay. Okay. I - okay. I - you can't be real." he said in disbelief, trying to convince himself that Percy was an illusion. Percy would laugh at his disbelief, if his heart wasn't breaking at the fact he legitimately couldn't believe someone would want to care about him. Obviously, the scars of quirklessness cut deeper than he thought.
Still, he smiled softly at him. "I'm certainly real, Izuku."
Izuku set his mouth into a thin line, determined as always. "Prove it, then." His eyes are blazing with a fire that wasn't there moments ago.
"Alright, then." Percy responded, amused and glad to see that fire once again. "Brace yourself, kiddo."
Percy raised his hand, and reality broke.
Izuku stumbled back in shock as the world around them shattered. The ground below him fell away, crumbling to dust. So does Izuku, falling into a deep inky void with the beginnings of a terrified scream forming on his tongue. But not a moment later, he found himself standing upon thin air, miles above the sky. Feet resting on nothing, the cold wind cut into his face. He stood tall and silent in the sky, watching the clouds flow far beneath him. He could see all of Japan from up here, the curvature of Earth clearly defined, but he was having zero trouble breathing. He stared at the coast, so small he could blot it out with his thumb, and searched for the place he was standing seconds ago. It was... exhilarating. Is this what it was like to fly, he wondered in awe. However, the moment passes, and suddenly he's back at Dagobah. Standing at the edge of the beach next to Percy, gulping in the sea breeze with no less excitement and amazement in him.
Percy looked different now that Izuku knows he's not human. The otherworldly aspects of him, which he passed off as just a strange aura, slapped him in the face. His clothes shifted colour at every moment, his eyes were deep pools of warmth and regret, his hair curled in the wind even when there was none, he smelled like the ocean itself.
"Apologies if that was too rough." Percy was sitting in the water, looking perfectly at home. He gestures for Izuku to join him, and Izuku stumbles over, sinking to his knees in the tides, barely noticing that he's dry even as he submerges in the ocean.
"No, no, that was – that was awesome!" Percy probably didn't expect that, if the amused look in his eyes means anything.
"So – you really are a god," Izuku has no clue on how to deal with the fact that gods exist, much less that one wanted to adopt him. "I suppose I am. My name is Perseus, the god of heroes. And the reason that I took an interest in you, Izuku, is that I felt your dream of being a hero dying."
"You're the god of heroes." Izuku doesn't believe it. "Yes, I am." Perc-Perseus raised an eyebrow at him.
"But – but why?" Izuku can't seem to understand, "Why would the god of heroes take an interest in a quirkless deku like me?" Izuku asked, his voice confused and almost angry near the end, both at the world and himself. It seems like the past few hours have been nothing but his world being flipped over again and again.
Perseus' eyes narrowed, the lines around them tightening as his mouth drew into a thin line. Izuku's coming to see that as his 'angry' face, and now that he knows the man was a god, he was beginning to fear it as well.
"Tell me, kid. What does 'deku' mean?" His voice was clipped and rough, but soft.
His stutter returning, Izuku responded with the truth. He couldn't lie, not when looking at those deep green eyes. "W-well, it's an al-alternate reading of I-Izuku. It m-means use-useless." At that, Perseus' eyes blaze. His irises practically light up in vibrant greens, and he clenched his fists. Resigned to his fate, Izuku closed his eyes and prayed. To what, he didn't know, considering that a god was sitting in front of him.
"Kiddo." Perseus' voice was even calmer than before, but Izuku kept his head down and eyes closed. "Kid, look at me." Izuku raised his face and looked at Perseus. The god's face was calm, his incomprehensible eyes no longer shining oppressively. "I will never hurt you. Do you understand? Never."
Izuku nodded frantically.
"I'm not letting this go, however." Seeing how Izuku's eyes widened, Perseus waved his hand. "Not in that I'm angry at you, Izuku. Just at whoever gave you that name." He returned to staring out at the ocean, and Izuku wondered whether he should tell him who. "You don't need to tell me, but you should know that you don't have to listen to them. They're as wrong as they can be."
As Izuku raised his head in shock, wondering whether gods could read minds, Perseus chuckled heartily and said, "Nope, you're just speaking your mind without realizing." Izuku was certain his blush went all the way down to his bones.
The two of them stayed like that for many moments. Izuku supposed that gods probably don't get too many quiet moments like this, so he sat next to him quietly, relaxing in the sand as the water lapped at his toes. Eventually though, the god stood.
"I am going to adopt you, Izuku. This isn't some sort of trick." Percy said, staring down at Izuku very seriously. "First things first, let's go to our new house and have a long overdue conversation on why exactly you can and are going to be a hero, and then we can finalize the adoption at the station, hm?"
Izuku wasn't sure that he heard him right.
"Come again?"
Perseus turned to him with a vicious glint in his eyes. "All those people that thought that a quirkless person can't be a hero? You and I are going to prove them wrong. After all, you're going to be being trained by the god of heroes himself. You sure you're up to it?"
Izuku didn't waste any time.
"Yes, sir!" he screamed, tears already beginning to stream down his face.
"None of that 'sir' stuff, kid. The name's Percy, don't forget it." the young god said, a genuine and unintended smile gracing his face at the sight of the overjoyed child.
It was his first such smile in decades.
