"So," began Rumi over the mounting silence, "who the hell is this?"

"Right, introductions" said Percy, stepping back and putting a hand on Calypso's shoulder. "Rumi, this is my…erm…family, I guess?" He glanced uncertainly at Calypso. "How are we related again?"

"Hell if I know," Calypso rolled her eyes. "The family tree is a mess."

"She's from dad's side of the family," Percy said, turning back to Rumi.

"Of-fucking-course she is," groaned Rumi, rubbing at the bridge of her nose in agitation.

"I take it this is your Rumi, then?" Asked Calypso innocently. Heat rushed to Percy's cheeks and he glared at her.

Rumi watched the by-play in curiosity, but quickly grew agitated. "You ignoring me?" She snapped.

Percy sighed, "Calypso…think you can give us a minute?"

"Of course," she nodded, glancing back over to Rumi. "I'm sure the two of you have quite a bit to talk about."

"Might be understating it a bit," Percy muttered to himself as Calypso strode away, gazing idly in minute awe of the buildings around her. Turning back to Rumi, they locked eyes. The seconds ticked by as neither moved. When Percy couldn't take the discomfort any longer, he lunged forward and wrapped his arm around Rumi.

"I'm sorry," he said lowly, tightening his grip around her. "I'm so sorry. I know you're pissed, and you have every right to be but-" his breath hitched as Rumi matched the embrace, tucking herself under his chin, her ears tickling the corners of his cheeks.

"Shut up," she said, "Just-just shut up."

Percy acquiesced, and allowed himself to simply enjoy the feeling of her arms wrapped around his.

"There's a lot we need to talk about," said Rumi, gently prying herself out of his grip. "But…not here. Not now." There was a hurricane of emotions playing just beneath her surface, not unlike the confusion and anxiety he was feeling. Percy nodded, and was momentarily distracted by a commotion near the edge of the police barricade. He caught sight of four very familiar figures racing in his direction.

"You're right," he said, turning back to her. "I think I'll be caught up for the rest of the day. I'll meet you at your place tonight?"

Rumi nodded, before turning her back on him and springing away into the sky in a fluid motion. Percy watched her leave for a moment, before he was abruptly nearly thrown to the ground as something slammed into him. Nearly toppling over, he smiled down at the mess of burgundy-hair sobbing into his chest.

"Hey Shino," he said, hugging the smaller woman, "good to see you too."

"Bastard!" She hissed as she threatened to crush his ribcage, "you utter, absolute, bastard."

"I know," he said, "but hey…I said I'd be back right, I'm just a little late is all."

"I wouldn't play that game with her right now stud," said Pixie-Bob, walking over to him and planting a soft kiss on his cheek. "Welcome back, it hasn't been the same without you."

"Thanks Pix," he said, before repeating the process with Ragdoll. Tiger thumped him hard on the back, though his large grin could have powered the city for the day.

"That was a hell of a way to make a return," the large man chuckled. Then his head turned to the diminutive woman watching the exchange curiously. "So…care to introduce us?"

Nodding, Percy turned to Calypso and gestured for her to approach. She walked over cautiously, eyeing the colorful and eccentrically dressed group of pros warily. Draping his arm over her shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting gesture.

"Cats, this is my, erm, cousin. Calypso. From Dad's side of the family. Calypso this is…" He trailed off as he caught sight of the confused look on her face. She was glancing up at him, her eyes wide. Percy realized in that moment that he might have overlooked something.

Calypso didn't speak Japanese.

At all.

Switching to Greek, he introduced the Cats quickly to Calypso, and explained their relation to him. Percy had spent the better part of their trip to Japan explaining everyone in his life in detail. Confusion gave way to happiness, as a wide smile spread across Calypso's face, as she beamed at the four cats.

"Is, uh, is there anything we should know about your…cousin?" Asked Ragdoll hesitantly.

"She doesn't speak Japanese," said Percy sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Look, I can explain all of this later, but maybe…"

"We should get out of here," agreed Tiger solemnly. Already there was an enormous throng of paparazzi clambering at the edges of the police barricades. Percy nodded. Life was going to be getting more than a little crazy in the coming days, but he didn't exactly want to kick the hornets' nest himself.

"Meet you at the school?" Percy asked, "I have a feeling Nezu is going to want to speak to me…"

Tiger chuckled, clubbing Percy on the shoulder. "He's not going to be the only one."

Percy winced, "That bad?"

Tiger nodded solemnly, "That bad."

Percy sighed, but nodded in understanding. Looking down, he gave Mandalay one last squeeze before gently extricating himself from her grasp. She allowed her removal with some semblance of grace, and dabbed at her eyes.

"See you in a bit," she said, flashing him a watery smile. Percy watched the expression, then with a meaningful look at Calypso, he gripped the woman around the wrist and soared up into the clouds. To her credit, Calypso handled the sudden flight with little more than a startled gasp.

"This is a new trick!" She had to shout to be heard over the wind.

"Picked it up a while ago," Percy shouted back, "Figured that since there was no one to blast me out of the sky for trying, it was worth a shot."

"Where are we going? And what was that odd language?"

"You remember that school I told you about?"

She nodded,

"We're headed there. The teachers are going to have questions, and my classmates are going to want to meet you." He smiled warmly, "And that language was Japanese, it's the language of the people here. We'll…figure something out for you. I'm sure you'll pick it up quickly."

She nodded but fell silent as she gazed below in open awe. Percy suppressed a chuckle. He could understand the surprise. He'd been fairly overwhelmed himself when he first woke up, and he could only imagine how she was feeling. It had been a shock to Percy, but at least the world felt semi-familiar. But it had been millennia since Calypso had last walked amongst humanity. In her time, they hadn't even known the true size and scale of the world, the buildings were made of clay or stone. But now those buildings were made of solid steel and reached higher into the heavens than ever once thought imaginable.

He would let her have her moment to take it in.

Thankfully for his sake, it wasn't a terribly long flight to U.A., barely over an hour. But it was late enough that the sun had fully set behind the horizon, and it was getting darker by the moment. He still wasn't sure how long precisely he had been out of commission, but he was happy to see that the school didn't appear to have changed all that much in his absence. At the top of the school, near the faculty end of the building, Percy saw a reception already waiting for him.

He felt Calypso stiffen slightly as she took in the odd and misshapen collection of heroes on the roof.

"They're friends," he reassured, "I know some of their appearances can be a little…disconcerting, but they're good people. I promise."

"I trust you," she said, even as she gripped his sleeve a little tighter. Doing his best to conceal a grimace, Percy descended down onto the roof.

Mr. Yagi was the first to approach. Though he may have been retired, All Might's grin seemed to glimmer in his bright expression as he strode forward to wrap an arm around Percy's.

"Good to see you again, my boy."

Percy matched his expression and the gesture eagerly. "Good to see you too, sir."

With the floodgates opened, Percy was inundated with a swarm of hugs, handshakes, and claps on the back by the remaining instructors. Percy was keenly aware that Calypso was, once again, watching uncomfortably a safe distance away. He noted idly the slight swarm of divine magic around her hands.

"As lovely as this reunion is," came a chirpy and squeaky voice, "I believe it might be best that we take this inside."

The diminutive, rat-like face of Principal Nezu smiled brightly up at Percy from his place perched comfortably on Cementoss' shoulder.

"And you can introduce us to your lovely new friend while you're at it."

Percy nodded, and turned back to Calypso, and gestured her forward. She approached cautiously, the divine magic still swirling around her hands. The defense mechanism fell though as Percy placed a calming hand on the small of her back and ushered her inside the facility. They followed the teachers through the familiar halls for a few minutes until they arrived at the familiar faculty meeting lounge. Percy bit back a chuckle, it felt to him as though he had only just been there a couple of days ago.

He deposited himself in what he had begun to dub as his chair, Calypso taking up residence right beside him. When everyone was settled into their seats, Percy set about his third round of introductions for the night. He took the time to translate for Calypso, and go down the line introducing her to each of the teachers one after another.

As the idle chatter subsided all eyes turned to Percy, and silence came to dominate the small space.

"Right…you all want to know what happened," Percy began uncertainly. "Um, but first…it might be nice to know how long I've been gone?"

"Two months," said Aizawa and Percy frowned.

"Damn…" He glanced over at Calypso and asked in Greek, "How bad was it?"

Calypso flinched, averting her gaze. "Bad," she admitted. "If not for the ocean, you would have been dead."

Percy hissed out a breath between his teeth and turned his attention back to the faculty. "All right, I assume that Rumi has already filled you in on what happened?"

"Miruko told us that you confronted Orochi in the volcano," said Nezu. "Though she was…displaced and could not tell us how the battle ended."

"Pretty sure we figured that out for ourselves," snorted Present Mic. "The damn volcano erupted."

"That…pretty much covers it," nodded Percy. "We were both running on fumes, and the bastard was healing faster than we could damage him. So, I…summoned a lightning strike and blew up the mountain. Between the divine magic of the strike and the force of the explosion, I felt him fade." He frowned, his brow wrinkling. "I guess I must have been thrown from the mountain during the explosion and landed in the ocean." He shrugged and gestured to Calypso, "Don't really know what happened after that, I was more or less unconscious. But the ocean must have carried me to the one person it thought could help me."

"And that would be your…cousin?" Prompted Nezu.

"Still kind of stuck on the fact that ocean…carried you to her," admitted Snipe with a confused scratch of his neck.

"Magic," shrugged Percy drawing a snort from Midnight.

"Why her?" Asked Cementoss, gesturing to Calypso. "Why did the ocean take you to her?"

Percy started to answer, but Nezu beat him to the punch. "Because that's what it did last time, isn't it Mr. Jackson,"

Percy stared at the diminutive creature, before shrugging off the surprise. "Yeah…it was," he said softly. But he shook off the negative feelings swelling up in his chest, "Um…that being said, I was hoping I could ask for a favor?"

Nezu chuckled before nodding his head, "Miss Calypso can stay here as long as she needs."

Percy exhaled shortly and smiled. Calypso perked up at the mention of her name and looked over to him. He smiled and nodded at her,

"They said you can stay here as long as you need to."

Calypso's smile was blinding and she turned and bowed her head lowly to Nezu while drawing her hands tight to her chest.

With that anxiety alleviated, Percy turned his attention back to the room at large. "So, if I've been gone for two months…what's been happening?"

Nezu smiled, but the expression didn't quite reach his eyes. "Not well, I'm afraid," he admitted. "You've chosen a rather…desperate moment to return."

Percy felt his stomach drop, "What's happened."

Aizawa's expression dropped, "There was a mass breakout at Tartarus."

Calypso's back stiffened and her head whipped over to Percy, her eyes wide and a slight tremble in her shoulders. Percy reached out and gently squeezed her hand.

"Not that one," he reassured, "it's the name of a mortal prison here. Not ours."

The tension in her shoulders lessened and Percy released her hand before turning back to the teachers. Looking over to All Might, he asked, "All for One?"

"No," said All Might his face pinching. "At least…not exactly." Percy arched a brow and All Might clarified. "He's dead."

Percy blinked, "How?"

"His injuries from our fight were too pervasive, and with the dampening equipment of his cell suppressing his many quirks, he wasn't able to recover. His body simply failed and he died in his cell."

"But his death brought all of the attention away from the rest of the prison," explained Aizawa, "Allowing for another prisoner to stage an escape."

"Who?" Percy asked, and then followed it up with, "and how the hell did they manage that? I thought everyone in the prison was unable to use their abilities?"

"They normally are," said Nezu, "But apparently Overhaul had some abilities that he kept hidden. He broke free during the alarm and broke out of the prison, releasing over two-hundred prisoners as a result."

"We're doing our best," admitted Midnight, "but there's only so much we can do. Everyone locked up in Tartarus was at least a match for anyone in the top fifty, but even Endeavor can only do so much. They can't be everywhere all at once."

"How bad have things gotten?" Percy asked, "Aside from that thing I just fought, it didn't look like things have gotten too out of hand yet."

"That's the frustrating thing," groused Ectoplasm, "Things aren't out of hand,"

"And that's what's been so distressing," finished Thirteen. "There hasn't been anything substantial, at least not yet. There's been a handful of incidents, but they've all been dealt with quietly, and none of them have been exactly big-name villains."

"Which suggests something a lot more distressing," Percy muttered, his brow furrowing in thought.

"That is our concern," nodded Aizawa.

"You're thinking the League is still kicking," Percy said.

Aizawa nodded, "That is the concern. We haven't seen hide nor hair of any of the villains that attacked the USJ or Hosu since the attacks."

"Could have simply disbanded," Percy mused, "With Shigaraki, Kurogiri, and now All for One dead, they don't exactly have leadership to rally behind."

"A possibility we have considered," said Ectoplasm, "But we must also consider the alternative."

"I'd offer to look into it," said Percy, "but I'm guessing I have a fair bit of work I have to catch up on."

"It's funny that you mention that," said Nezu, a rather sinister smile on his face. "I feel that your time at our school has, perhaps, reached a crossroads."

Percy's eyes narrowed. "Are you kicking me out?"

"In a manner of speaking," giggled Nezu, "I'm suggesting that you graduate."

Percy wasn't certain how to respond to that, so he simply stared at the small creature who met his gaze with an unblinking smile.

"I'm sorry?" He finally asked.

"Don't look so surprised kid," snarked Snipe, "Did you really think you would stick around here forever?"

"Well, no but-"

"Percy," said Shino softly, speaking up for the first time. "The time for playing with kid gloves is done. We're on the precipice of all-out war. We have two hundred villains running free. Not just your average two-bit villain, but some of the most dangerous people in the country. We can't sit back and let our biggest gun hide behind homework and lessons. People are going to get hurt. Are you really going to sit there and tell me with a straight face that you would be comfortable waiting for another two years?"

"Of course not," said Percy with a shake of his head. "But…well it's a lot to take in all at once you know? You're kind of just dropping this on me out of nowhere."

"We're desperate," said Aizawa, ignoring the sharp glare from the Cats. "The number of our top pros who are proficient combatants' number in the single digits. We need someone capable of taking these people out and Endeavor and the rest of the top ten can't be everywhere at once."

Percy's frown deepened. "It's not that I disagree with you…but you're asking em to just leave. To just abandon the rest of my class. I've already done that enough; I can't do that to them again."

Aizawa rolled his eyes. "Don't be stupid," he chided. "You're graduating, you're not dying. And it's about time that the kids learn to fend for themselves."

Percy's eyes narrowed, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that since you can't keep trying to fix all of the kids' problems for them," said Aizawa. "Since you've been gone, the kids have been forced to think and learn for themselves. I've seen more growth from them in the last two months than I did since you arrived. You've been trying to protect them, but all you've been doing is sheltering them."

"No, I-" Percy started to protest, but Pixie-Bob cut him off,

"Hon…you have been." Percy made to protest once more but Pixie spoke over him once more. "Percy, you've done nothing wrong. You were just trying to look out for them, but you can't keep trying to solve all of their problems for them. You can't always be there for them at all times. You have to let them try and solve their problems for themselves."

"More importantly," said Tiger gruffly, "You will do a lot more good for the world out there, rather than cooped up here. The people out there need you a lot more than the kids in here do. They're going to be heroes, Percy, they need to fight their own battles."

Percy slumped into his chair. Calypso was eyeing him curiously, but he wasn't meeting her gaze. After a moment's thought, he nodded his head.

"All right," he said softly, "you're right. Maybe…maybe it's time to leave."

"You're not abandoning anyone, Percy," said Shino, squeezing his hand softly. "But Tiger's right…the world needs you a lot more than the kids do."

Percy nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. "So…what do we need to do?"

"You let me take care of that," said Nezu, "The HPSC has been interested in you for some time. They'll be delighted, I'm sure."

"I'm sure they will," sighed Percy, rubbing at his forehead. "If there's nothing else…I should probably go see the kids and say hi…then say bye I guess."

"I'll be in touch, Mr. Jackson," said Nezu, "You'll find your classmates at your former residence."

"Of course they moved in," Percy grumbled rising from his chair. Following his lead, Calypso cast one last furtive glance at the eclectic group before following Percy out of the room.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, "You seem…distressed."

"Yeah," Percy sighed, "I guess you could say that. They told me that I need to graduate."

Calypso arched her brow, "And that's a problem…why exactly?"

"It's not…not really," he said.

"And yet you're clearly upset." She cocked her head to the side, "Why?"

"Because it means leaving my classmates," Percy stopped, propping himself up against a nearby wall. "And…I don't know, it just sucks you know? They're my friends, and it just feels…wrong you know? Like they thought I was dead for months and now I'm going to show up, say hi and then leave again? It just feels wrong."

Calypso hummed and nodded her understanding. "I think your concerns are understandable. But if they are truly your friends, wouldn't they be happy for you? Based on my understanding of this time, heroes are very important to society and if they're truly here to become heroes as well, I feel like they will be supportive."

Percy sighed, "You're probably right. But I still feel guilty."

Calypso approached and placed a soothing hand on his arm. "I think your concerns are valid. But you are not simply abandoning them, Percy. It's not like you will never see them again. Remember, this isn't the end of the story, it's simply the end of the chapter."

Percy smiled. Reaching out, he wrapped her in a tight, one-armed hug. She stiffened momentarily before leaning into the embrace. He held her a moment longer before releasing her, smiling softly.

"Thank you, Calypso." He said, running a hand through his hair, "I appreciate it." He gestured with his head down the hall.

"Now, let me introduce you to my friends."

AN: As always, thanks to my boy Double for being the best Beta of all time. Hit up the link in my bio to join the Emerald Library where I hang out with some of the best authors out there. Thanks again for all the love and support, and I'll see you next week.

Love,

LilDB