(DISCLAIMER: I do not own Young Justice, DC or PJO)
AN: Hello there everybody! It's been a LONGGGG while, yes I know. I'm just going to get it out there and explain it plain and simple; I was busy LMAO. Yep, I haven't updated any of my stories for many months because I've been very busy irl (school and shit) and also because I just lost interest in writing as a whole for a while until of course I decided to get back into it just in time for Christmas, so here it is, one of many other updates which will be posted on Christmas day as a gift to you all for all the support and for reading my stories, and not absolutely despising them.
This here is one of the many other new stories I will be posting on the 25th, so yeah expect more to be published. ALoC has been a story I've been planning and thinking about writing for quite a while. I loved One-Seven (by lildrummerboi), which I'm sure most if not all of you have read (and I'm assuming enjoyed like I did) so this story is more or less inspired by that fic among many others from the PJO/YJ crossover archive. A common occurrence I saw though, with these stories were that Percy would either join the team or is a cop (in One-Seven's case), regardless he's mostly on the side of the "good" guys. I didn't think it was that simple though as I really thought that Percy would have many disagreements with how the heroes handled things, especially with the no-killing rule so I thought that while he was a good person, I didn't think that if he were to be transported into the DC/YJ universe that he would ally with or join the League and them heroes. I mostly imagined him to be more on the grey side of things, almost like an anti-hero in a sense, so that's how this story was born more or less. I wanted a Percy being a force for good in the YJ universe though he may not be directly affiliated with Justice League or the Team and though he could be seen as a villain at times, so yeah.
If you want an easier explanation, I pretty much just wanted to write about a gangster Percy in Gotham because it'd be fun LMAO. This story definitely ain't perfect, and it will seem highly self-indulgent at times but eh, I'm mostly writing this shit for fun and for myself so yeah. Now moving on, Imma just point this out and clarify now rather than at the end so that I don't get flamed immediately. Yes, I am aware the first scene with Percy in Tartarus and going through the gates, getting him into Themyscira and etc was all copied from Greed720's story, The Oncoming Storm. Though there were slight changes, it still was taken from his story, BUT rest assured I did ask and get permission from the man himself. Why? Well, my idea of how Percy would be sent to the YJ universe was coincidentally quite similar, I realized when I reread Greed's story, to how the Percy in his story got sent there, so I used it because it surely would've been better than anything else I could've come up with. So pretty much just for convenience, not like the rest of the story will copy his anyways, this'll be very different to The Oncoming Storm as all of you will see the more this story progresses.
Now, one last note before we begin. I will say this in my other new releases as well but I've had this chapter already written many, many months ago just like the others. Hell, I have like the first 2 arcs for this already, completely prewritten, they're just waiting to be posted. They've just been gathering dust in my google docs ever since, so yeah here they are. Unfortunately, you'll all have to wait for a few more months probably for any new chapters since I've just gotten back to it; I'm sticking to it this time, another promise LMAO. I can't promise regular updates nor quick ones, since you all know by now that I mostly break those anyway, so yeah. But, I will promise to update. Don't know how long some updates might take due to life but rest assured I won't quit writing anytime soon.
As for the rest of the chapters for this story, which I've already prewritten, I'll try and get off my lazy ass and post them sometime soon LMAO
Anyways, with all of that out of the way, let's get started!
Merry Christmas everybody!
And enjoy reading!
Chapter 1
August 18, 2002
Tartarus
His body was aching, not just from the gnawing hunger in his gut, but also due to the many wounds, cuts, abrasions and bruises that littered his dirty, blood and gold dust encrusted form.
He'd found it again, finally after what felt like decades, he had finally found the ever moving, ever shifting Gates of Tartarus.
An eager smile creeped up Percy's face at that thought, even as he placed his hand on the warm, yet twisted and demonic looking metal that made up the door.
The last time he had found the door, he had been forced to retreat. At the time there had been far too many monsters gathering around it, fighting and battling for access to the doors as they always did whenever it appeared, as well as a Titan and two fallen gods.
The odds had not been in their favor, and after a brutal battle he had only just managed to escape with his life. His hand pulled away from the door, falling onto his side slowly as the memories of that day came rushing back.
The tears he had shed. The anger he felt. The…body he buried. It all never left his mind, no matter how much he tried, reminders of what he lost still continued to linger inside his head to this very day.
Percy closed his eyes shut, reigning in his emotions before they got the better of him.
Breathe in and out.
In and out.
In and out.
In and out.
He repeated this process until he could no longer feel the tears welling up in his eyes. Sighing in relief afterwards, Percy opened his eyes to look upon the very thing he had been searching for so long.
It was a long journey, one he would rather not repeat if given the chance, but despite it all. Despite what he's been through, what he's endured, what he's lost. It was all worth it because now…
Now he had found it. Not only that though, but he had also fought and butchered the other denizens of Tartarus who had also found it. Which was helped by the fact that this time there were only a couple of dozen lesser foes to face at the moment, and no gods or Titans to deal with.
Percy grinned wildly at this thought, he had made it. After six years, he had not only found the doors once again, he had also got to them too and was now in a position to use them. Now it was only a matter of forcing his way through them, and out of Tartarus and onto the other side; where his family and friends resided, just waiting for him to come home.
His hand reached up and clasped the bronze hilt of Anaklusmos, which was looped in his hide belt, at that thought. The familiar grip soothing him as he took in deep, ragged breaths. The sword had been one of his most trustworthy companions to him for many years, but even so the godlessness of Tartarus had taken its toll. While the blade was far from being broken, at least for now, its state had dwindled through the years and had already become dull.
He could still use the blade, but it had been a long while since he had last wielded it in battle. When it proved difficult to handle with it becoming blunt, Percy decided to move on to other choices in equipment.
This had of course happened years ago, and since then he had picked up and acquired many other weapons. Swords, spears, halberds, warhammers, maces, axes, he looted them from the enemies he killed, or found them in stashes at the occasional alter, but in the never-ending maelstrom of war, death and chaos in the pit, none of these weapons lasted long.
His most recent acquisition was surprisingly not one of the ones he had scavenged, instead the giant of war, Damasen the Bane of Ares, had crafted him the sword on commission. With it having been forged from the bones of a Drakon, and designed and crafted to perfectly match Percy's own style of fighting.
On top of that his old friend had also managed to scavenge a Celestial Bronze cuirass which he had also buffed up, before he then handed it over to Percy, in return for some of the loot and spoils the Demigod had acquired over the last few years of course. Nothing was free down in the Pit after all.
Still it was worth it, as the additional protection of the cuirass, when added to Percy's Nemean lion skin jacket and the Celestial Bronze cuirass and greaves he had previously acquired, he was now very well protected.
Pushing those thoughts aside for the moment, Percy instead braced himself on the ground, after which he started to push on the doors. Ignoring the pain in his arms and back, and the way the rocky ground below him shifted and cracked, as he instead pushed, tectonic shock waves erupting from his palms as he did so causing the gates to rattle, shake and lurch.
With a groan the giant doors began to move.
Gritting his teeth, Percy drew upon more and more energy, bolstering his strength as much as he was able as he continued to push, the gates still slowly, but steadily, centimeter by centimeter, opening.
From behind him, far in the distance, he could hear roaring, shouting, and shrieks, along with the tell-tale tramp and clomp of monsters approaching.
He was running out of time. Soon enough this place would be swarming with more monsters, and not just the common variety. Giants, Titans, gods and the ancient eldritch monsters of old, all of them would be heading here as they always did the moment the doors new location got out. It wasn't often that the door appeared, once every few years, and when it did it was always in an isolated location and only for a few hours, hence the rush to get here and then the battle over momentary ownership.
Forcing the doors open, Percy for once was very grateful for having a human sized body. It made it much easier for him to force himself through the small crack he had created, as opposed to needing to have the doors fully open. Which was especially useful as it had taken nearly everything he had to open the door the silver he had.
He dreaded to think how long it would take to fully open the door, if it were possible for him to do so at all, which considering the size, weight and nature of the door he very much doubted.
Still he was through. Casting one last look back at the barren landscape of Tartarus, Percy felt like he should have felt something like melancholy as he saw the horde of charging, squabbling, fighting monsters appear in the distance, but he didn't. All he felt was pain, grief and rage at all the things he had to live through.
He had spent almost a decade in Tartarus. All things considered, compared to the others who had been residing in the Pit longer than he did, his time there would be seen as little, but that didn't change the fact that he had lived there. Only eight years, sure, but he wasn't about to complain for not being stuck in the hellhole for as long as the other monsters in there were.
Besides, while it had only been eight years, it sure as hell didn't feel like it to him. Ever since he lost Annabeth all those years ago, time had to be a bitch to him and go much slower with every passing day since losing her. The long-stretched hours he spent wandering around in the pit with only riptide and memories of his Wise Girl tormented him day and night. The nightmares never went away causing him to lose so many hours of sleep.
Over the last eight years, he had only hurt, lost and fought. He laughed too, sometimes, but those moments were very few and far in between as a result of his distant relationship with those he befriended, Iapetus and Damasen were the only ones he made an effort to keep in touch with over time. This horrible, miserable place was nothing but a prison to him. All it had caused him was pain, it made him do things he never would have done and it oftentimes turned him into a monster.
The Pit will always be a reminder of every unspeakable act he's done, every second he felt immense pain, every day he wished for a way out, an end to the despair. He'll never miss it. Once he's out, he'll never look back.
With that last, bitter and sobering thought, Percy looked away. Instead reached for the soft, orange light he could see on the other side of the door. As he always said to himself back when he was at his lowest and darkest points, 'never look back, always go forward'.
With that in mind, and with a last concerted push he forced himself through the gateway and out of Tartarus, and instead onto the other side, the giant, black, hell-forged metal doors slamming shut behind him.
Once on the other side, he found his vision had blurred as he suddenly found himself in what looked like a brightly lit cave. His breathing was still coming out ragged, even as he found himself breathing relatively fresh air for the first time in a century. The usual acidic taste, and sulphur in the atmosphere was absent, along with the oppressive heat too, as he found out when a sudden chill overcame his body.
Unfortunately Percy only had time for a single, deep, exultant breath of this sweet, fresh air, the air of freedom, before he was snapped from his jubilant thoughts, by the sound of a nearby voice shouting out.
"That's far enough, you eldritch monstrosity," The voice spat out venomously, bringing Percy back to reality as his sight cleared up, letting his gaze fall upon the army of armed and armored women pleasantly stationed right in front of him.
'Oh shit…'
Themyscira, with Percy
In Tartarus, there were always short moments in which Percy Jackson thought of the different scenarios that could unfold once he escaped. One in particular he was fond of was coming across a vast body of water on the other side, where he could let himself go and relax all his nerves, possibly even falling asleep in the process and earn himself a well-deserved rest.
Another one was that he'd find himself in New York on the other side where he could easily find his way to his mom's apartment, go inside, hug his mother and step-father, promptly collapse on his bed and eventually wake up to a batch of blue cookies waiting to be devoured by him. Though highly unlikely, it was a good fantasy to hope for especially since he was in a place that caused only pain and misery.
Now, out of all the things he could have foreseen playing out once he had left the Pit, being welcomed by very angry-looking women with an assortment of various weapons ranging from bows to spears pointed at him was not one of them, not one bit.
Seeing the tense looks in all their eyes, their hands looking ready to unleash hell upon him, Percy almost instinctively went for his sword, only to stop himself midway so that he wouldn't die within seconds of exiting Tartarus all because of a habit.
Choosing to go through the peaceful, smarter route instead, Percy raised his hands in resignation.
"I come in peace," Percy started, his eyes travelling around the all-women group in front of him. At first, he would've guessed they were hunters but their clothing suggested otherwise, making him realise…
"Amazons? You're…Amazons, right?" The look on their faces only confirmed what he now already knew, causing his lips to curl slightly upwards in triumph. "It's me Percy…Percy Jackson? I don't know if any of you remember me, but I do know your queen, Hylla, she's a friend so could you a—"
His words died in his mouth as he saw the death glare being directed at him by the one he assumed was in charge. A redhead clad in burnished bronze armour who was standing on the front, began making her way towards him only to stop in her tracks once she was only a few feet away. The Amazon dangerously narrowed her eyes at him.
"Liar," She muttered loud enough for him to hear. "You claim to know our queen yet you don't know her name?"
Percy's eyes widened as the woman aimed the spear's edge at his throat.
"You already made a grave mistake coming here and you still have the audacity to attempt to deceive us?" Her words were laced with disgust.
By now, Percy threw the idea of getting out there without a fight out the window. Not stopping his battle-hardened instincts to kick in, he let his hand hover just above the hilt of his sword, awaiting for the battle to begin.
The idea of fighting immediately after exiting Tartarus left a bad taste in his mouth. He was exhausted in every sense of the word and he had to fight again? Alright then, he would fight, so what if he had to go through dozens more of opponents, as long as he could finally take a breather afterwards, it'd be worth it.
"Look lady, I don't know what's going on, I don't know where I am, but I promise you, I mean no harm and I am simply looking to get back home. We don't need to fight," He said with a warning on his lips, trying his best efforts to ease the situation, as anger began swelling up inside him.
He was honestly surprised at his restraint. Had a situation like this happened in the Pit, he wouldn't have tried to de-escalate the situation and instead would have already initiated the fight.
But this time was different. He was dealing with people who didn't know him. People who, from the looks of it, were only acting on instinct drilled into them. Granted, their hostility was not totally unfounded. He came out of Tartarus not looking all that friendly. If these women knew what the Pit was as well as what kind of monsters resided in it, it was not out of the ordinary for them to assume him to be another one of those monsters.
Nevertheless, his patience was running thin. Couldn't they see? If he had meant business then he would've gotten on with it already the moment he arrived.
The woman's eyes were inspecting him thoroughly as if she was a predator assessing how best to handle her prey when she popped the question. "Who are you?"
"I am Percy Jackson…son of Poseidon?" He added, hoping that it would somehow help ease the tension, but it didn't in the slightest. His statement clearly got a reaction out of some of the Amazons though, unnerving them, but their leader didn't budge.
"Lies."
Percy snorted, rolling his eyes. "I'm—"
"ENOUGH!" She cut him off. "I grow tired of this useless rambling. Prepare to die."
"AMAZONS!" The woman yelled as she got into an aggressive stance, ready to pounce on and vanquish him. "Remember, no mercy."
"Charge!"
When the red-haired Amazon thrusted her spear towards his neck, Percy was ready for the attack, deflecting with his blade as he swiftly pulled it out and right after, ran towards the army of Amazons in front of him and ducked to avoid the barrage of arrows that was sent his way. A few were able to graze him though, but it didn't slow him in the slightest as his body was solely focused on fighting whoever stood in his way.
Not long into the battle, Percy already knew better than to underestimate them as he quickly figured out that they were all well-trained. Were he the man he was before the Pit, he would've had a much harder time in fighting them even if he was one of the most powerful demigods and even then he doubted he would have lasted long against them.
But, his time in the Pit had changed the way he fought, he was more ruthless, more unforgiving and most importantly a much better swordsman than he was prior to his arrival in Tartarus, so he was finding himself able to best most of the Amazons who ran at him within seconds.
As the battle waged on, Percy found out quite a number of things while fighting against the Amazons. For one, they weren't that good at fighting as a team. A group like theirs, he had honestly expected them to be more coordinated, so it came as a surprise to see that they were quite unorganized.
On another note, he also figured out that many of them were similar in skill with only a select few being much better than the rest, which hindered him a lot as said warriors lasted longer in a fight with him before having to fall back, giving opportunities to the less proficient fighters to get good hits on him. He also couldn't forget the archers in the back, their arrows being a nuisance as they continuously reminded him during the battle that they were indeed there and that he shouldn't let his guard down for one second.
As such, he was struggling more with each passing moment. With there being no near water supply he could sense and him already being slightly tired from his earlier battles, he was at a disadvantage and should he continue to hold back and allow these warriors to extend the fight, he would die.
With all the flaws he had spotted earlier amongst many of the weaker ones, Percy arrogantly assumed he'd be able to incapacitate many of them and clear a path for him to escape without killing anyone. But, he'd been proved wrong and now if he didn't think quickly, it didn't matter if he left the Pit, he would perish here either way.
As he continued to fight tirelessly, Percy's mind wandered elsewhere, thinking about the possibility of reinforcements arriving and ways of how to escape. The latter wouldn't be possible at the pace he was going though, so he needed some way to end this quickly and without killing anyone.
Sadly, with every scenario that played out in his head, it all just pointed to the fact that if he continued refusing to kill, he would be the one to succumb to his demise.
He wouldn't have hesitated were these monsters he was fighting, but they were mortals and they simply didn't know the full story. Unfortunately, they couldn't listen to reason which angered him further, because now he was going to be forced to kill them, if he wanted to keep on living. He couldn't fight through their numbers while holding back nor could he surrender, he'd get killed if he did.
"You made me do this," He whispered regretfully under his breath softly. Then in a matter of seconds, three of the female warriors closest to him fell with a puddle of blood forming below their bodies, gushing forth from their slit throats.
The sudden change in his demeanour and with the way he easily dispatched three of their sisters caused some of the Amazons around him to get nervous but it was overridden by their rage at seeing their comrades fall in battle and only prompted them to fight even harder than before.
After shedding the blood of the three Amazons, Percy felt a sudden glee surging through him as if seeing the blood of his enemies being spilt triggered a switch within him, causing his mind and body to begin to forget his initial goal; now focusing solely on adding more of the Amazons to his body count.
Percy then went on to make short work of whoever went to fight him, killing anyone who got too close ruthlessly and with pleasure. The effects of him no longer holding back soon became apparent as their numbers visibly thinned and soon enough the only ones left standing were a few lucky souls, the distinguished, stronger fighters of the bunch and the archers on the back of the formation.
Deciding to go for them, he closed in on the archers. In close quarters, they were unfortunately at a disadvantage so the fate of the long-ranged warriors who Percy had his sights on were plain to see.
Having killed a substantial amount of their numbers, Percy had already lost touch with his original goal, as his new focus was now on driving his sword through every Amazon he laid his eyes on and seeing bodies fall lifelessly onto the ground.
He felt as if he was on cloud nine with more and more bodies falling prey to his blade. Oh, how he had missed this bloodshed.
Seeing the life leave the eyes of the Amazon he currently had his sword plunged into, Percy pulled the sword out of her abdomen, watching as the brunette fell onto the ground. And just before he could look for his next target, Percy froze as a feminine cry broke him out of his killing spree.
He turned around slowly to look for the source and in the process, he finally got a good look at all the deaths he caused. The small army which had consisted of fifty valiant warriors now stood at a measly number of eight.
The rest were either dead or gravely injured. Some of those who were still alive were tending to their fallen sisters, either sobbing or trying their best to heal the ones who were still breathing. The others were standing tall, weapons in hand, glaring at him with hatred.
Ignoring them, his eyes travelled to the lone warrior who the earlier voice belonged to. She was currently cradling one of the fallen Amazons into her arms, silently weeping. He recognised that look. It was similar to the one he had when he lost her. That thought alone made him drop his sword.
The sound it made as it fell to the ground grabbed the Amazon's attention, causing him to look into her eyes. They told him the feelings that were going through her head. She was in pain. She was hurting. She was…afraid. Afraid of him.
Those eyes looked so much like hers when…
"Percy!"
"Stop…"
Annabeth's voice echoed in his ears, sobering his mind as he started to regain his grip on himself. He swallowed hard as his eyes roamed the cave which was now lathered with blood and filled with bodies.
Again. He did it again. He lost control and this time it wasn't a Goddess who was aiming to kill him or some monster from the Pit. It was mortals. Innocent. Mortals.
"You made me do this."
That's what he had said. But, did he have to kill all these women? He could have only killed a few, broke through their formation with brute force and made a run for it. Instead, he had let his bloodlust get to him and killed more than necessary. His inability to control himself caused their deaths, the thought alone made him bite his lip.
"I—" Percy was cut off as an Amazon shot an arrow aiming at his head, which he easily dodged. Now that he had a cleared head for the most part, he swiftly turned around and ran towards the way out of the cave. He stopped in his tracks though as he casted one last look behind him.
His eyes only lingered at the surviving Amazons for a moment before he turned back around and headed towards the light, not daring to look back.
When he made his way out of the cave, Percy had gaped at the sight before him but was only given one fleeting second to admire the view as an incoming arrow reminded him of his current situation. Looking down at who fired the arrow, his eyes widened at seeing a much bigger army heading towards the entrance of the cave.
With a reminder of why he had to get out of there, Percy's eyes shot immediately to the ocean which surrounded the island he found himself on and knew where he now needed to go.
He quickly took off, running with everything he had, ignoring the stares he got, ignoring the war cries he had heard nearby, ignoring everything around him as his eyes were fixated on one destination only, the edge of the island.
He leaped over obstacles, ran through barracks, zoomed past other Amazons and then he had finally reached the docks. There were many ships there, one having taken his fancy, but before he could walk towards it an arrow landed just in front of him, barely missing his foot.
And so he abandoned the thought of using any of their ships. Without wasting any more precious time, Percy dove into the ocean headfirst and swam.
To where? He didn't know, but anywhere else would be better than that island.
He was sure of that much.
August 18, 2002 - Many Hours Later
Nearby Gotham City
'Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming…'
He repeated the phrase over and over as he swam, keeping himself entertained while hoping that he wasn't lied to. A relieved smile soon set on Percy's face once his eyes caught sight of a nearby dock and as he kept getting nearer, the view of countless tall buildings came into view.
Percy silently thanked the fishes he encountered earlier. They were the ones who had so kindly pointed him towards the right direction. As he climbed the dock, he made a mental note to thank them if he ever came across them again in the future.
Reaching his final destination, out of the ocean and onto dry land, he took a deep breath, enjoying the fairly fresh air—
He grimaced. Nope. Scratch that, not fresh. Putrid. Rotten.
It was bad but still, a definite step up compared to Tartarus, Percy thought to himself as he examined his surroundings whilst walking down the dock. As he got closer and closer to the city he had washed up in, he could clearly see numerous, dark and seemingly empty warehouses; he could probably use one of them as a place to stay for the time being. The ground he stood on was dirty, for as far as he could see the streets were all littered with garbage, dirt and some leftovers.
He guessed that the specific part of the city he was in was abandoned if anything else, his eyes travelling upwards as many bright lights lured him there. Taking in the sight before him, Percy stared fascinatingly at the multiple towers he had come across, the tallest one having the word, Wayne, plastered on it.
Before his eyes could roam around any longer though, Percy shook his head.
'Not the time for sightseeing.' Percy said to himself, not wanting any more distractions as he began walking around the place while thinking of what he needed to know, because as it stood, he had been gone for eight years. Who knows what could have changed in that time?
As his mind formulated every question he could think about, Percy paced around while keeping an eye out for someone he could talk to and ask for help. Not long after he had started, his musings were paused when he caught something in the corner of his eye…
A person!
Percy marched his way towards the man and an apt term to describe him would be haggard. The man looked and smelled like he hadn't taken a shower in weeks, his clothes were stained with condiments and his hair looked ruffled. It was safe to assume that the man was homeless and very much wasted, if the empty bottle of alcohol on his hand was anything to go by.
He cleared his throat. "Hey, pssst, hey," He nudged the man repeatedly, only getting silent groans and mutters in response. Percy sighed.
He crouched down to the man's level and leaned towards his ear, shouting.
"HEY!" This time he got the reaction he wanted.
The man had woken up with a jolt, his hand dropping the bottle due to being alarmed though it didn't concern him at all as his priorities were more on the throbbing in his head. The man groaned with exasperation, rubbing his temples before his hands went onto his eyes that looked like they were about ready to go back to sleep in a moment's notice.
"Hey man, I need some hel—"
"Fuck…" The man burped. "Off."
'Okay, he speaks English, good.'
"No," Percy replied with a defiant grin as he eyed the man amusingly. "I just need some answers then I'll be on my merry way and you can go back to dying peacefully."
The man glared at him weakly in reply, but it was obvious to both men that it didn't scare anyone at all. With a resigned sigh, the man nodded, gesturing for him to go ahead.
"What country am I in?" He asked, earning a pointed look from the man.
"Just answer the question please?"
"America," The homeless stranger said. "Dumbass." He added as an afterthought.
Ignoring the comment, Percy shot off more questions.
"City?"
"Gotham," Again the man looked at him like he was crazy, but he was more focused on what he said.
"Gotham?" Percy asked. He never heard about a city called Gotham before, maybe he just never heard of it? Well as long as he was in America, he would be able to find his mother so he couldn't complain.
"Yep, Gotham. This hellhole you and I are standin' on."
"The date?"
"18th."
"Month?"
"August."
Huh. It was his birthday. Nice to know.
"Year?"
"2002."
…
…
Wait. He calmed himself. There was no need to jump to conclusions.
"Could you repeat that?"
"2002."
"2002…" He muttered in disbelief. "Are you sure?"
"Did I fucking stutter?"
No, no he did not…so time travel…huh.
For him, it certainly came as a shock though not too much of one. He was a son of a God, so thinking about it more, it wasn't too far-fetched to think it was possible.
Whilst thinking of the plausibility of going back in time and all, Percy had a realisation.
'Oh so that's why I got their queen's name wrong…' He thought, recalling the moment. Time travelling aside because there was no use in denying it at this point, Percy still had many questions.
Was going through the Gates the reason for his arrival in the past? Would he meet his younger self if he went to Manhattan? How could he get back to the present?
"Brat!" The man shook him out of his thinking.
"What?" He said absentmindedly, panicking slightly on the inside with the whole predicament he found himself in.
"We done? Cause kid, I need to sleep and I don't got the energy to deal with your loony ass tonight."
"Yeah, yeah, that's all I needed to know," He said, rising up and muttering a silent, "Thanks."
"Get the fuck outta here."
Percy complied with the rather rude request and quietly walked away, deep in thought. As he went farther and farther away from the man, he heard the man's last words faintly before he was out of earshot.
"Only in Gotham."
With Percy
Percy was walking around aimlessly as he was looking for a place to stay for the night. It was late and he needed a place to rest. Fighting against a small army and swimming in the ocean for hours had worn him out.
Oh and there was the fact that it hadn't even been a few minutes since his latest revelation of having somehow traveled to the past, so frankly he needed the nap.
He scrambled to find a suitable warehouse out of the many he had as options since most of them were uninhabitable. The skies continually darkened with each passing moment, hurrying him up with his search.
His efforts were halted however by the sound of a gunshot making it to his ears. Impulsively he ran towards the source like an idiot trying to get himself killed.
The sound brought him outside an abandoned warehouse farther east from where he came from. Nearing the source, he could hear the sound of someone talking. Once again, Percy obviously locked any self-preservation instincts a normal mortal should have away and threw away the key, before walking in as stealthily as a 180lbs demigod could. Which was, to his surprise, not unquiet.
Percy was met with quite a sight. An old man with three small scars on his eye was tied to a chair by his hands with restraints and around him were a dozen menacing-looking men who were watching his every move, their hands ready to open fire on him as they held the old man at gunpoint.
And in the middle of it all, was their boss who had a huge grin spread across his face as he stood in front of the vulnerable, aging man.
The man laughed happily. "This is delicious."
"Look around you, old man. No one's got your back anymore, you're finished," He mocked. "You're going to die today and it's going to be with great honor that I send you to hell." He said sadistically. His voice had an Italian accent, Percy noticed as he eavesdropped.
"You're hard to kill, I'll give you that. But, you won't be getting away this time."
"No," The man strapped to the chair said, appearing calm despite the situation. "You and your people are just third-rate thugs, that's why you couldn't kill me. And that's why your bum of a father couldn't either. He never succeeded and neither will you," The old man chuckled, but was stopped mid-way as the man in front of him connected his fist with the old man's gut.
Despite having the wind knocked out of him though, the man was still defiant to the end. "What a hothead you are. Just like your father…I wonder if you'll die the same way as him. That'd be a shame, wouldn't it?"
"Shut up!" The young, overweight man said as he punched the old man in the face before punching him again.
And again.
And again.
Until—
"Hey!" Percy yelled, getting everyone's attention as he walked out of the shadows and towards them.
"And who are you supposed to be? A cosplayer?" The man asked with a raised brow, raising a hand for his men to stop aiming their guns at the young man.
"Your cousin," Percy said with a mischievous grin as he cautiously took more steps closer to the man, who was surrounded by a dozen others that were armed and dangerous.
"Funny," The man deadpanned. "I don't have no cousin. Get the hell out of 'ere and mind your own business, if you know what's good for you." He waves him off.
"Well, my mom always said that I wouldn't know a good decision if it jack-slapped me in the face unless it was holding blue cookies," Percy quipped.
The man simply turned his back on Percy with irritation as he faced the old man on the chair. "I'm done talking with this mook, kill him," He ordered as a pair walked out from the men's formation and aimed their guns at Percy.
Just as they were about to shoot, Percy took them by surprise by getting out of their line of fire and quickly took them out, knocking both of their heads together. The collision effectively put them both to sleep.
The remaining 10 guards tensed and widened their eyes at Percy, who grinned. "Come on then, I don't have all day," he teased, getting the desired effect of having all guns aimed at him.
Unlike any sane person who would run away and find cover, Percy ran at them. The men opened their fire on Percy, who jumped just before they pulled the trigger, which was too fast for their mortal instincts to adapt. He then landed behind them and made quick work of the four men nearest to him, using his skills in close quarters to easily put them down.
Percy didn't waste any time in attending to the rest, wanting to get the fight over with quickly as he felt himself tiring more with each moment he exerted any kind of force. He fought his way through every one of them, knocking out one's gun away from him before using the man as a shield from the others who opened their fire again. Once they paused to reload, Percy used the opportunity to take care of the rest.
The only one who was left standing seemed to be the smartest of the small group as he had stood on the sidelines while his comrades were being beaten, using the time they gave him to analyze Percy's moves. It didn't help him much though as he soon realized in the short time span that Percy's fighting style held no flaws, at least from where he stood.
That fact itself unnerved the man as he nervously stepped forward to get ready for the battle. He braced himself, taking a deep breath before starting the fight on the offense. He threw a set of consecutive hits before finishing off with a wheel kick. He performed them all perfectly, but Percy, who was simply playing with the man, dodged them all without any sweat.
"Don't beat yourself up, you lasted much longer than those guys," Percy said, ending the fight with an uppercut and reflexively grasping the man by his neck when he knocked him out. With the man unconscious and his neck being held by him, his life was effectively in Percy's hands.
Before he knew it, Percy began adding pressure to his clenched hand, choking the man.
'No…' Percy stopped himself as the reminder of what he had done on that island came back. 'Not this time…' He took full control of himself and dropped the man with a thud.
He inhaled and exhaled calmly, before turning around.
Percy found himself surrounded by a dozen unconscious bodies, his gaze lingering slightly longer on the man he had used as a shield and was now laying dead with bullets in his chest, feeling guilt but quickly shook it off.
'Gods. I'm in the past…in Hades knows where and the first thing I do is keep getting into fights' He grimaced.
As his eyes roamed around to look for any others who were trying to kill him, Percy found himself having an audience. The boss and the old man were staring at him.
Giovanni Maroni was many things and a fool was not one of them. After seeing what Percy did, he did what any other self-respecting gangster would, knowing that he was hilariously outmatched. Flee.
"I'll kill you someday old man, mark my words," The man remarked as he started running away. "And you!" He pointed at Percy while glaring at him angrily, "How dare you. I'm gonna kill both of yous someday, understand? You're both dead!"
The man was out of sight soon after, prompting Percy to help the old man with getting out of his restraints. He didn't need to though as he saw the old man cut himself free on his own.
"Looks like you've got yourself covered over there," Percy said, earning a chuckle from the man.
"Yes, but don't get me wrong. Just 'cause I had a way of escaping, doesn't mean I had a way of getting out of here alive," The man smiled at Percy, who smiled back at him.
"Got a name, young man?"
"Percy Jackson," He answered with a lopsided grin.
"Percy…thank you," The man said.
"No problem."
"Is there any—" The man started but winced as he was forced onto his knees. Before he could fully collapse, Percy caught him, helping the old man get to his feet.
"Just wait, I'll get you some help, do you know where the nearest hospital is?" Percy asked.
"No, no. No need for that. I've got my own people heading to this location as we speak, just help me get out of here," The man said, earning a nod from Percy who helped the elderly get to a nearby bench by the docks.
As the old man took his seat, he sighed. "Thank you once again, son."
"As I said, no problem," Percy shrugged. "So what were you about to say earlier?"
"Oh right, yes," The man nodded. "Is there anything I could do to repay you?"
"I don't—" Percy was about to reject the offer, not having the need for it. Well, he did, he could've asked for some money or asked to crash at his place temporarily. But, he didn't want to impose, he could make do on his own.
"Please," The man cut Percy off. "Allow me. You saved my life. Let it be known to you that I'm a man of my word. I will repay this favour that you've done for me."
Percy sighed, too tired mentally to even argue. "Okay. I guess I need a place to stay and a job. You don't need to pay for much. If you could just point me to a place where I can earn money and maybe somewhere cheap I could stay the night, that'd be great, I'll pay you back when I can."
"You don't want to leave Gotham?" The old man sent him a confused look.
"Why would I?"
"It seems like you're new here then," He snickered. "That man child you just pissed off is Giovanni Maroni and he is not someone to be trifled with. I can handle myself—"
"So that's what that was back there? Sure then, you were handling yourself great," Percy interrupted rudely, but the man just continued, ignoring his snippy comment. He was a little surprised with his impassive attitude towards his sassiness, but hid it with a smirk as he listened on to the man speaking.
"—I've still got some pull around these parts. You, however, you are vulnerable. He has many friends in high places, so believe me when I say you wouldn't want to stay here for long. Can you think again about what you want? If you want me to get you somewhere safe like Metropolis where that fool can't reach you, I can."
"No," Percy shook his head. "I'll stay here."
"Did you hear a word I said?" The man asked with a raised brow. "He is going to kill you if you stay here, you were lucky today because all he had was a small gang composed of brainless grunts and that was only due to him expecting me to be alone. Now that he has most likely set his sights on you, he won't give up until he's gotten revenge and believe me, that man knows how to hold a grudge."
"He'll try," He let out impulsively, not meaning to come off as arrogant but deep down he held no fear towards the mortal and his guns, and if he chose to come after him then so be it. He would utterly destroy him and anyone else who will follow his lead.
Stopping himself from letting his darker side control his thoughts, Percy mentally scolded himself whilst shaking the horrific ideas he had in mind away and instead directing his focus more on listening to the man's warnings.
"Look, kid, I get it. I may be old, but I ain't blind. You've got skill, you're young, and let me guess, your parents are some kind of hotshots?" He asked.
Percy dwelled on that thought for a moment before nodding. Technically his dad was, though not his mom. But how'd he know?
"You got this regal kind of feeling about you despite your, you know, peculiar choice of attire. And I know a privileged child when I see one," He remarked, and Percy was almost tempted to protest before he continued. "Anyway. Like I said you come from wealth, got skill and talent, got women probably fighting over your pretty face too. I bet you feel like you're on top of the world, but let me tell you something."
"That kind of pride and ego will be the death of you when you live in a place like Gotham, and most especially when dealing with men like him regardless of how much money your daddy and mommy's got in their pockets. So, I suggest that you reconsider your decision. I don't want to lead you to your demise when you have saved me from mine."
Percy sighed. He didn't know why he insisted on staying in Gotham either, he hasn't even been here for long. This man said that he should leave and he probably should,
He might even be able to get to New York if he asked, but he couldn't for two reasons,
One of them was that he wasn't ready to face his mother at the moment.
The other was…he has felt and still does feel lost, being in a city foreign to him and in a time he doesn't belong in. But, whenever he felt lost, he followed his gut and that was what he was going to do, currently placing more trust in his gut than in a man he'd just met.
His gut told him he needed to stay…for now at least.
"I get that you want to repay me for saving your life," Percy said softly with determination. "But, we've only just met. You don't need to worry about me, I'll be fine. Whether you choose to give me a place to stay and a job or not is up to you. Either way, I'm staying."
"Fine," The man relented with a frown after a short pause. "I can get you a place to stay and a job." He said while observing Percy, seeing that he had a lean build like a swimmer's.
"Have you ever thought about teaching, young man?"
"Teaching?"
"I have a friend in the Upper East Side of Gotham, he owns the Gotham Academy. Would you be interested in applying for the position of a coach? It is quite the demanding job, seeing as you'd be teaching the next generation, specifically the children of the wealthiest families—Gotham's 1% if you will—but it is a very rewarding career should you accept."
Percy thought about it, and shook his head.
"I don't even know the first thing about teaching, so are there any other options you've got for me?"
"Hmm. Well…" The man began listing off dozens of dozens of possible jobs Percy could take.
…And he wasn't qualified enough for any of them. Damn his ADHD and Dyslexia, he barely learned a thing from school. Even if he did, all the things he was forced to remember and learn in Tartarus during those years in the Pit made his memory of school…faint to say the least.
Out of all the options he had, Percy seemed to go back to the coach option. He'd just be showing kids how to play sports and stuff…right?
"I guess I'll just go for the coach position."
"Wise choice," He nodded with a smile. "If it makes you feel any better, I could ask my friend to get someone to show you the ropes, so to speak."
"That would be great, thank you."
"It's the least I could do," The man said. "And regarding an apartment, I'm sure I could find you one near the Academy for convenience."
"Thank you."
"My pleasure."
"…now what?" Percy asked after a short silence.
"We wait, my ride must be close now. I can drop you off at your new apartment."
"Thank you so much, again."
"No, thank you. And good luck, you've got guts and spirit, Percy. I'm looking forward to what you can achieve here. Since you know what they say, Gotham is the city of opportunity."
August 18, 2002 - Sometime Later
Upper East Side District
Percy exited the vehicle once they arrived at their destination, his new, temporary home for the time being until he can find a way to get back to his time.
The house he stood in front of looked relatively small, but it clearly wasn't cheap, the outer design and overall look of just the front itself made Percy sure of its value.
Turning around, Percy faced his mysterious benefactor, the man he'd saved from earlier, who was currently looking at him through the open window of the limo he had just left.
"Is it to your liking?" He asked.
"It looks great, though you really didn't have to go through all this just for me, I could've lived with a small apartment or something," He said sheepishly. "I'll pay you ba—"
"No," The man interjected firmly. "Like I said, consider this a gift for saving my life. My thanks to you."
"Alright alright," Percy chuckled. "Thanks…"
What was his name again?
"Falcone," He said, bringing him out of his stupor. "Carmine Falcone." He finished, having easily read his thoughts from his expression.
"Thanks, Carmine," He smiled.
"Don't mention it," He smiled back. "I'll be back here tomorrow to drive you to your new job."
Without waiting for a reply, Carmine closed the window and not soon after, the limo sped off, leaving the demigod on the sidewalk.
Finally alone, Percy felt the weight of the whole day come crashing on his shoulders as feelings of weariness and exhaustion overwhelmed his body, tempting him to collapse on where he stood. He held on though, going on to quickly enter his home and navigating through his surroundings to look for the bedroom.
He didn't stop to look at the interior, knowing he'd have enough time to explore his new home the next day, but now, he needed to sleep. After finding the room he had been looking for, Percy no longer bothered to take off his clothes or take a shower, allowing gravity to do the rest as he fell onto the soft, warm embrace of the bedsheets.
In his last moments of being awake, Percy stared at the window positioned beside his bed and gazed at the stars.
It had been a long day and there were many new problems now that he was here, but at least he escaped the Pit and now all that was left to do was to get back home. Surely, that wouldn't be too hard?
He chuckled as he was randomly reminded of an earlier memory.
"It's my birthday." He whispered under his breath.
And with that Percy Jackson let his eyes close shut with a hum of satisfaction as he fell asleep.
August 19, 2002
Gotham Academy, Headmaster's Office
More often than not, Percy made decisions without thinking them through. He's never had a job before. He didn't have any kind of experience in teaching. Nor in being a coach. And he wasn't even the least bit qualified to even handle a job like the one he was offered. To give him the responsibility of taking care of over a dozen rich kids sounded preposterous and anyone who knew Percy would agree.
Of course, said demigod never thought about any of this the night before or even earlier that day. No, it only dawned on him how unfit he was to be a teacher when he was standing in front of the goddamn principal of the Academy himself.
And now there he was, looking like a deer caught in headlights before both the headmaster and Falcone, who was silently standing on the sidelines.
"It's an honour to meet your acquaintance, kid," Said the black-haired man looking to be in his mid-40's whilst extending his hand for Percy to shake, which he did.
"Not a kid…just saying," He said, immediately regretting it afterwards at the dead stares he received. Clearing his throat, he then continued. "The honour's all mine, mister…?" Percy asked, whilst trying to hide the uneasiness in his voice.
"Name's Franco Bertinelli, but you can call me Frank," He smiled kindly before his expression morphed into one of solemnity just as quickly. "Now I believe we can shy away from the pleasantries and get down to business, gentlemen?"
"Yes, of course," Percy forced a smile as panic rose inside him. Was he going to get questioned? Would he lose the chance if he answered wrong?
"I've heard about you through our mutual friend," He said, turning towards Carmine with a smile. "Again, I would like to say what an honor it is to see you again, vecchio amico." Carmine returned the gesture with a respectful nod.
"And I'd like to say on behalf of the school that we, at Gotham Academy, would be thrilled to have you on board as part of our staff," Frank said, turning back to Percy, who for the second time that morning looked bewildered.
"Uhhh…what?" Just like that? He was hired. Percy glanced towards Falcone, who simply had a knowing look on his face, telling him all he needed to know.
"Yes, you're hired. Just like that," Frank said with an amused smirk. "I've seen your credentials, provided by Mister Falcone himself and you are more than qualified enough to be a teacher at this prestigious academy."
'Damn it, old man! What'd you say to him!?' Percy thought, glaring at Carmine from the corner of his eye.
Frank's face softened visibly as he added. "As a father myself with my own daughter studying here, I am relieved that I get to entrust her to an exemplary man such as yourself."
"…thank you?" It came as more of a question but that was the least of Percy's worries. His daughter was going to be one of his students?
Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool.
So theoretically, if this girl managed to see through his facade of being a qualified teacher, with her father being his boss, he'd be fired immediately. Nice, he was even more pressured and anxious now. He just got his first job and he'll probably be fired within his first week.
His thoughts were interrupted by a hand resting on his shoulder, causing Percy to snap back into attention.
"You'll start tomorrow, I hope to see you here at about 5:30 A.M so that we can establish some things and help you get adjusted."
"Yes, sir," Percy said.
"Good, I look forward to having you here," Frank said, walking away from Percy and towards Carmine. "Signore Falcone…never a dull moment with you."
"Likewise," Carmine replied curtly, nodding.
Frank then went on to the door after their short exchange to hold the door out for them.
"It was a pleasure doing business with you, gentlemen. Be seeing you," He said with finality, earning a nod from Percy, who exited the room alongside Falcone.
Once outside, he already knew this wasn't going to end well. What had he gotten himself into?
Looking to his side, staring at Falcone, Percy wondered if he should have let that Maroni guy kill him.
August 20, 2002
Gotham Academy
"…and the third door to your right is where my office is, if you've forgotten," Frank finished. "And that brings an end to your tour of the campus. Any questions?"
Percy was silent for a moment before. "Uh none, sir."
"Really? You sure?" He pressed.
"I'm sure," Percy said, whilst glancing around the empty hallway he and his boss stood in. "So when exactly do classes start? I haven't seen anyone here besides you and me."
"Do you recall the right wing I showed you earlier which was under construction?" Earning a nod, Frank continued. "A few weeks back, we were under attack by some gang of nutjobs. The students were held hostage for ransom…my daughter was among them." His jaw tightened.
"Thankfully the Batman came and saved everyone, but the bastards still blew the bomb and here we are. It took a bit of convincing afterwards but the parents were later reassured of our mutual desire to improve the security to better ensure our students' well-being. We've also managed to regain their trust in us and they have agreed to continue to send their kids to the school after the repairs to the buildings have been made. So all in all, everything ended quite well if I do say so myself."
Gangs? Batman? Okay, that's…new.
Not knowing how to respond. "You seem pretty calm, all things considered." He said, earning him a confused look from Frank, but it only lasted a second.
"Ah right my apologies," He chuckled. "Signore Falcone did say you were new here. Don't worry, this is Gotham and it's the norm 'round here."
"So it's normal for gangs to enter schools and hold the children hostage?" Percy joked.
"Not necessarily, but crimes similar to it or even worse and on a wider scale are something you do see every other day really. And it ain't only gangs we have," His expression darkening ever so slightly. "Makes you wish for the time before all this craziness, when Don Falcone was in charge."
"I'm sorry, what?" Frank quirked a brow.
"Huh, I assumed you knew of him," He admitted with a shrug. "Even if his name doesn't mean as much as it used to, our friend's still got the reputation and influence to do as he pleases in some districts."
"What do you mean by Don Falcone?" Percy asked. There were many things he was learning about Gotham today and he was seriously beginning to see the reason behind Carmine's adamant request for him to leave the city.
"Long story short. He was the boss 'round these parts back in the day. The King of Gotham, the Roman, the Godfather, he went by a lotta names over the years and for good reason. Don Carmine Falcone was a name everyone knew. From the mayor, to the cops, to the beggars you see on the street."
Frank paused to let the sudden flow of information sink in.
"He'd been at the top of the criminal underworld for over thirty years until he was forced to "retire" a few years ago."
"Oh…" Damn.
"Oh, indeed," Frank laughed.
"You…you talked about some Bat guy saving the day," Percy started after his momentary pause to let everything be taken into his mind. "Who is he?"
"No one knows," Frank shrugged. "He popped up 'round the same time the loonies started taking over. Except he's a vigilante instead of a criminal. Some people see him as another criminal though. Can't really blame 'em. When you think about it, he's just a man who goes out at night to beat up criminals dressed like a bat."
"You ask me? He's a hero. He's saved many lives, he instills hope and inspires people to fight back during a time of anarchy. And most importantly, he saved mio tesoro," He said with a grateful look in his eyes.
Percy nodded absentmindedly as his brain processed every bit of information he had just received. Gotham's full of crime and it even has its own superhero. Any normal citizen, who wished to live a quiet, peaceful life, would've wanted to get as far away from the city as possible after hearing such news, but Percy? He was more amused by this whole thing than anything else.
Time travel. An island populated solely by female warriors. Crime bosses. Gangsters. Heroes.
Oh boy, the stories he would tell once he returned to his time and home, Percy could already imagine everyone's reaction to it all.
"So?" He was brought out of his entertaining thoughts by Frank's voice.
"So?…" Percy asked modestly, not attempting to hide the fact that he had spaced out.
"Think you made a mistake coming here, Jackson?"
Said demigod smirked in reply, thinking about the odds of his coming to Gotham.
"On the contrary, no. Guess the Bat story got this city growing on me."
Frank let out a bark of laughter. "It does have that effect, doesn't it?" He shook his head. "Only in Gotham, I'm afraid."
"Now!" He clapped his hands together before checking the time on his watch. "While I did enjoy our little talk, we'll have to continue another time. I believe it's about time for you to meet some of your co-workers. They'll help you with settling into the job."
He then started walking away without a word. "Coming?"
Footsteps could be heard as Percy followed suit.
Faculty Room
The sounds of chairs being pushed back followed by footsteps echoed in the room once the door opened and in came Frank and Percy.
"Good Morning sir!"
"Boss."
"Fancy seeing you here, sir."
A series of greetings came from the teachers who were now standing at attention before the principal. Not long after the door closed, their attention was quickly switched on over to the newcomer.
Some looked at him with surprise, some with stoicism and the rest with delight.
"Good morning to you all as well," Frank said, drawing their attention away from Percy who was currently looking around the room and at the people inside.
"I'd like to make an announcement," He said. "As some of you may or may not have already guessed, I have found a replacement for Mister Abagnale. He will be the new gym teacher for our students. Why don't you introduce yourself, kid."
Percy stepped forward, his signature lopsided smirk plastered onto his face, and waved.
"Hey, I'm Percy Jackson, nice to meet you all."
Almost immediately after his sentence, he was surrounded by his now-colleagues as they went to introduce themselves.
The first person to approach him was a man who looked only a few years older than him. He had short, brown hair that was slicked back and bright, blue eyes. He was shorter than him, but that was to be expected as Percy's height was more than just above average.
"Hello there new guy, name's Ralph Sawyer," He said, taking Percy's hand and shaking it. "You wouldn't mind going to the bar with me after work, would ya? We can get to know each other better there, what do you think?"
Before he could reply, Percy saw Ralph be shoved away playfully as he heard a laugh reach his ears. He did not need to look around for the source however as a woman took Ralph's place in front of him and slapped him on the arm playfully.
It was then that he was able to get a good look at her.
She was a beautiful, young woman who looked just as old as he was. She had striking amber eyes and long, silky, raven-black hair that traveled down her back. She was only slightly shorter than Ralph.
"Hey there, handsome," She purred with a playful grin. "Kate Rose. Pleasure to meet your acquaintance." She leaned in, bending over ever so slightly to expose more of her cleavage all thanks to her quite provocative attire.
Percy's eyes stayed up however and he returned her grin with one of his own as he leaned in as well. "Pleasure's all mine."
Seeing that he was not the least bit interested in her body, unlike most, was a little hurtful to her pride, but Kate giggled nonetheless
"I like you already, Percy," She smiled, pulling away from his face. "You look a little young to be a teacher. How old are you?"
…
"…Twenty five," Percy answered, though he wasn't totally confident in that. He'd been in Tartarus for eight years and he was only 50% sure he had been seventeen when he had landed there.
"Oh! We're the same age!" She cheered, but her expression quickly turned into one of utmost urgency.
"What month were you born?"
"August."
"…what date?"
"The eighteenth."
"YES!" She cheered. "I'm older than you by twelve days!"
Percy chuckled. "What—"
"Hold that thought, let me introduce you to…" Kate extended her hand to the side and pulled another woman to her, wrapping her arm around her. "Lyla Brown! Come on, say hi, girl!"
Lyla was a short girl with a tanned complexion unlike the others who had lighter skin. She had mesmerizing, brown eyes and shoulder-length blonde hair. She looked to be around his age as well.
"H-hi," Lyla greeted him shyly with a flushed expression while trying to avoid his gaze. Such a task was proving to be hard though, as she was being held in place by Kate.
"Oh~ Does someone have a crush?" Kate smirked at Lyla, whose blush only seemed to get darker and more visible. "Don't be shy!" She leaned into her ear and whispered. "I think he's hot too."
Percy didn't know when did Ralph and another man join the conversation nor where it went after as he was too busy staring at the clearly group of friends laughing. Soon their faces began being replaced by those of his own friends and the scene in front of him transformed into one of the fond memories he had of them.
He missed them, he thought to himself as a sad smile appeared on his face.
"Okay, okay that's enough everyone!" A thunderous voice got everyone's attention back to Frank who had been forgotten during the whole exchange of names and introductions.
"The kid will be working with us from here on out, and with him being both new to this Academy and to Gotham, I ask that you all help him out with getting used to everything, am I understood?"
"Yes sir!"
Frank nodded and turned to Percy. "I've heard great things, so I should expect great things, yes?" Getting a nod in reply, he then finished, saying. "Arrivederci." And left.
Percy had then lost his smile as he was harshly reminded of his lack of qualifications.
Shit.
August 20, 2002 - Later that Night
Percy's Home
After the long day he had, Percy took delight when he was finally able to reunite with the soft surface of his bed, moaning in satisfaction as he felt his muscles relaxing.
Beginning to make it a habit, he stared out into the stars once more whilst lying peacefully on the bed, thinking about everyone he's met so far, everything he's discovered.
Now that he thought more about it. He should've heard about some hero named Batman back in his time when he was younger. The guy was a vigilante, taking justice into his own hands while wearing a bat costume. He was sure he should've heard about him at some point, so why hadn't he?
And those Amazons too. It was 2002, so Hylla couldn't have been the leader—which he only realised after the debacle when he had learned what year it was from that drunken stranger—but they seemed different.
Some things clearly weren't adding up. But, tonight wasn't the time to worry about it, he'd leave the questions he had in mind for tomorrow's Percy to concern himself with.
For now, he just needed to wait. He'd earn enough money to get by through working at Gotham Academy and once the time came, he would then find a way back to his time — back to where he belonged. He'd make sure of it.
With that thought in mind, Percy finally got some shut eye.
AN: Anddddddd done! Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! If so, then please follow and favorite, it would be greatly appreciated! If not, then you don't need to. Also review! Love it or hate it, I'd like to hear all your thoughts, comments and as always, constructive criticism is welcome!
So here it is, finally, the first chap of ALoC posted. That fight scene at the beginning with the Amazons was rewritten like fucking 10, 20, 30? times, Jesus I just gave up at the last attempt and said fuck it, so yeah apologies for the fight scene being shit; I could not be bothered to rewrite it again. Lots happened in this chapter, we got Percy meeting the Amazons, arriving in Gotham, saving Carmine Falcone of all people, getting a job at the Gotham Academy. Lots of questions I'm sure, they will all be answered in time...probably LMAO. I did say that Percy was going to be a gangster, but he won't be become one till a lil later, still got a few arcs to go through before any development like that. Action will pick up quick though so things won't stay boring for long. Very excited for this story. Expect a lot of planning, crime families, familiar faces, appearances of several of Batman's rogues, the Dark Knight himself and many more! I hope you all look forward to it.
Now, I just wanna take the time to, once again, thank everyone for following and still reading my stories up till now. ALSO, some, if not most of you may have surely noticed by now that some of your favourite PJO (or even other fandoms) authors have also updated their stories on the same day. That is because Beats has once again organized a mass update among the authors in the EL server as a way for us authors to give back to the community.
If you don't know, the Emerald Library discord server is a place where both readers and authors can hang out, chat, brainstorm ideas and many more. The link to join is in my profile (It won't expire). So anyway yeah, go ahead and join if you have discord, I'm online there a lot (admittedly not as often nowadays but the server's still going strong and growing each day so come drop by and say hi to the authors you might know when you have the time!), though mostly lurking.
Anyways, that's all for now! Thank you all for reading and I will see you all in the next chapter! (Whenever that may be)
And once again, Merry Christmas everybody and have a wonderful day!