Chapter 24
Percy groggily opened his eyes to see a luscious blonde mane of hair blocking his vision. He blinked.
"A-Annabeth? Wise Girl?"
He was so sure that it was her... he reached out with his hand, desperate, willing to do anything to see her face again... those beautiful, stormy gray eyes, and that smile that lit up his day... It was her, wasn't it? He had to see her-
He managed to nearly get himself out of the bed, but the pain in his abdomen forced him back down, along with a hand that wasn't his own.
"No, silly, it's Yang," she playfully winked at him, although he could see the worry hidden in her lilac eyes.
He swallowed, heart inside his throat. Of course. She was gone... like the rest of them. Percy averted his eyes, grimacing at the thought.
"You need to rest, Percy," she chastised him gently.
"I'm fine-"
"Perseus? Are you feeling alright?"
Percy's head turned to his left as he saw Ironwood looking worried.
"Yeah... What happened? Why did I faint? That shouldn't have happened…"
The doctor from Beacon, Tsune, he recalled, who hadn't spoken a word until now, sighed, "You were quite literally burning up from the inside."
He must have overexerted himself after not using his powers for so long, he realized.
"Don't you have amb-" Percy cut himself off abruptly, realizing that they didn't have ambrosia or nectar here. As to why he had been burning up from the inside… that probably had something to do with all the power he had used yesterday.
"We are currently in the medical bay in my private ship," Ironwood explained helpfully, "Beacon's infirmary was destroyed, and if we went to Vale's hospital, the people would crowd outside like a mob. Of course, there are some who see Atlas taking Vale's hero for themselves."
Of course they would. The sheer stupidity of people never ceased to amaze him. Percy nodded, taking his answer.
"The CCT? Is it-"
"Yes. It's been a day since the attack, and the virus has been purged. Vale's CCT is up and running. I was waiting for you to wake up so you could tell me who was at the attack as well."
"Yo boss, glad to see ya back up," Mercury sauntered into the room escorted by Qrow, getting dirty looks from Ironwood and Yang at the former.
"The others are still eating, they'll be here soon," he elaborated.
Percy rolled his eyes, already having gotten a feel for Mercury's personality.
"Cinder Fall, Adam Taurus, someone named Tyrian… there was a giant man, but I don't know what his name was… and there was Emerald, Emerald Sustrai."
The General's face was set in a grim line, "The Tyrian you speak of, would he happen to be a scorpion faunus? Yellow eyes, brown hair?"
Percy nodded in affirmation.
Ironwood sighed, "Tyrian Callows, a dangerous serial killer is on the loose. Arthur Watts, a disgraced Atlesian scientist was found there as well, along with a now deceased Roman Torchwick and an unidentified associate of his."
"Wait. Kid, the giant you spoke of, did he have brown hair, hazel eyes?" Qrow was the one who spoke, the man's red eyes wide.
Percy nodded in affirmation, "He was the one who killed Ozpin."
"Damnit," Qrow clenched his fist, "Hazel Rainart. Former professor at Beacon. I knew him, we were third years when he left and joined Salem. Ozpin let his sister into the academy a year early under a different last name. Details aren't important, but she ended up dying on a mission. He wanted revenge."
Ironwood looked grim, "Very well. There are those who still blame Atlas for the attack, as our robots were forcefully ripped from our grasp, and they attacked innocents. All of this was caught on camera, which is why we are currently working to clear our name. A list of suspects will deflect the blame from Atlas."
"That being said, I will put out a list of suspects who were at, and participated in, the attack. Hazel Rainart, Cinder Fall, Adam Taurus, Emerald Sustrai, Arthur Watts, and Roman Torchwick's associate will become national fugitives by the end of today, joining Tyrian Callows."
"Wait!"
The three of them turned towards Mercury, who now had a slightly panicked expression on his face, gray eyes slightly wide.
"I… Emerald shouldn't be put on the list."
"Why? She was seen by Percy helping Cinder." Yang narrowed her lilac eyes, crossing her arms under her breasts, seemingly put off by Mercury, and rightfully so.
"No… see Emerald isn't like me… she has a good heart," Mercury explained, "she's only misguided. She serves Cinder because that's all she's known her whole life; Cinder picked her up off the streets, but Cinder doesn't care for her, at all… I tried getting her to realize that, but she wouldn't budge."
"Misguided… the White Fang is also misguided," Ironwood looked coldly at Mercury, "Mr. Black, I hope you understand that we are giving you a lot of leeway here by not putting you on the fugitive list, and turning a blind eye to any crimes you have committed."
"Understand that you are on thin ice. You were part of the group that put the previous Fall Maiden in a coma, after all," he reminded him.
The silver-haired man raised his hands in defense, "I understand... Sir," he quickly amended at Ironwood's glare, "And… I'm not saying you should exempt her or anything, just don't make her a national kill-on-sight fugitive, ya know?"
"On the other hand, making her a fugitive could give her a wake-up call," Yang pointed out, "That what she's doing is flat out wrong and it could even lead to her defecting from Cinder like Mercury has."
"If Beacon wasn't enough of a wake-up call, I doubt making her a national fugitive will be," Percy argued back.
The General pursed his lips in distaste, "Then we will take Sustrai off the list, but we will still keep a look out for her, and if we see her, she will be taken into custody," Ironwood locked eyes with Mercury, daring him to protest. He didn't.
"Keep Torchwick's unknown associate off the list for now as well," Percy added.
Ironwood shot him a look, clearly indicating that he disagreed.
"She could be useful to us; she has an illusionary semblance, and the council doesn't exactly know that you have her or that he was implicated in the attack. She's less use to us if she's a national fugitive," he elaborated for Ironwood.
"She's a criminal!" Ironwood stated coldly, black eyes glaring into his sea green ones, "A criminal to the people of Vale, involved in the attack on Beacon and Vale!"
"A criminal that could help us win this war!"
Ironwood still looked unsatisfied. He opened his mouth, only to be interrupted by the sound of the door opening.
"PERCY!"
He turned his head to see his team, minus Yang, and team JNPR surging through the door like a mob, Goodwitch entering behind them. He had time to wave and open his mouth, but then they started fussing over him, waving their arms and talking rapidly. Pyrrha had a hold of his shoulder and was whispering something as she tried to push him back down into the bed. It didn't help that Nora was shouting something about missing his pancakes, and Ren doing his best to calm her down, all while Ruby zipped around his bed like a hummingbird.
"…Sooo?" Nora asked at the end, lilac eyes looking at him with an expectant expression. All of them paused, looking at him.
Percy winced internally, "Uh… yes?"
"You didn't even hear the question, did you…" Weiss narrowed her ice blue eyes at him.
"Uh… no?"
"We were asking how you felt," Ruby whined, crossing her arms. Her cheeks were puffed out, silver eyes wide, and the way she looked at him made him laugh.
"I'm fine, Ruby. No need to worry over me."
"The doctors told us you were burning up!" Pyrrha looked at him, emerald eyes wide, "Are you sure you're fine?"
"I'm fineee," Percy casually waved them off.
"Very well. What was that?" Ironwood looked at him questioningly.
"What was what?" he tried to play dumb, only to get deadpan stares from everyone present in the room.
"Mercury, leave us."
"Hundred percent, boss," the sarcastic man saluted before leaving the room and closing the door.
"Tsune, if you would do the same, please," Goodwitch asked, and the fox faunus left, tail swishing behind her as she went out the door.
"Can we talk about the absolutely massive Goliath in the room!?" Yang said, eyes red.
"We have been skirting around the topic of what happened yesterday," Ren brought up neutrally.
"Perseus, did you know that there's footage of what you did out there?" Ironwood looked at him with a gaze between stern and disbelieving.
Remnant had that kind of technology? To be able to see through the storm he'd made? Admittedly, he didn't try too hard to cover up what was going on; he was focused on actually killing the Grimm, after all. But the fact remained that Remnant was decades ahead of Earth's technological capabilities.
Still, being seen was… bad, to say the least. If there hadn't been footage, it could have been easier to play off as some kind of freak storm, but this made it infinitely worse.
"They're worshipping you out there, kid," Qrow said in his gravelly voice, looking serious for once, red eyes unusually sober.
Goodwitch chimed in, "To be frank with you, that was a level of power that I'm not even sure a fully realized maiden could attain."
"Unless you are a maiden!" Nora gasped, intrigued, as her baby blue eyes widening, "Are you a chick!?"
"I'm not a chick," Percy looked at her with amusement, lips twitching slightly.
"Thank the Brother gods for that," Yang grinned in amusement.
Ironwood looked serious, though, "Perseus. Your blood is not only red, but it has specks of gold in it."
Percy widened his eyes, stunned. For the longest time he could remember, his blood had always been red...
Ironwood didn't give him any time to ponder it though, as he continued.
"Do you understand what they're saying, Perseus? You're being called… a god."
The last part was said in a whisper, Ironwood's gaze locking onto him along with everyone else's.
Fuck.
He'd been offered godhood before, and he'd declined. All that just to find out it was happening anyway, at least in the eyes of the people. He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.
The silence in the room was deafening.
"Vale's council is in an uproar," Goodwitch elaborated, "Half of the council want you to be their nuclear deterrent, and the other half have very mixed opinions. Some want you to be exiled because, and I quote 'he is a clear danger to our democracy', and others are supporting you to gain the vote of the people because you are beyond popular with the people."
Ironwood nodded, showing them all a photo that was snapped of him, "This is what people see. Not just a huntsmen or a hero, but a beacon in the darkness, someone who they can look to."
His arms were held out towards the sky as he wielded the power of the storm, lightning falling from the sky as his sea green eyes smoldered. He had no clue how they took the photo even through the storm, but it had managed to get through.
"Did you have to be shirtless?" Weiss asked rather bluntly, "That image is all over the internet."
Percy's face burned in embarrassment.
"… Cinder burnt my shirt off."
"… Of course she did."
"Yang likes, Yang likes a lot!" the blonde grinned stupidly, "I don't see you complaining, Weiss-cream..."
The ice queen spluttered, face turning red, "I-I think it's indecent, though I can appreciate artwork like everyone else, Yang. See, even Pyrrha is looking."
As their gazes locked onto her, the redhead turned away immediately, her face turning the same color as her hair as she refused to respond to Weiss' teasing.
Ironwood continued, ignoring the bantering, "In Mistral, the noble houses are singing your praises like no other."
"Why?" Percy cocked an eyebrow.
"Because in Mistral, the sea and the sky are some of the most important entities," Pyrrha answered for him, "Even if they don't exist, many still worship sea and sky gods like Neptune and Jupiter."
"The noble houses see an opportunity in you that is too good to pass up on. Vale doesn't yet know if they want you, and Mistral could use you as their nuclear deterrent. If they show hospitality to you, or even put you in power, they would gain the vote of the people. Since you are still a teenager, they'd expect you to be inept at your position, and any one noble house would try to curry favor with you so that they could control the government entirely."
Neptune and Jupiter, nobility… Mistral was a lot more like Rome, and East Asia than he had expected. Atlas was a military upstart country from what he'd read, but it had many elites, similar to medieval Europe. Vale had far too many parallels to America. Vacuo? A lawless land of anarchy mostly, from what he'd read and heard."
"You certainly know a lot about Mistral," Ironwood commented curiously, the implied question going unsaid.
"Ah, yes," Pyrrha nodded, elaborating for them, "House Nikos is one of the five Great Houses that sit on the Mistralian Council. The Great Houses are heavily respected, and each house's opinion holds much sway within the council. As the Heir Apparent, I was trained from a young age to be able to understand Mistral's politics."
Not only a noble, but of a highly renowned house, and she was also 'the Invincible Girl'! No wonder Pyrrha had struggled with being put on a pedestal and with making friends.
"Either way, Mistral believes you should be theirs," the General continued, "Your name is Mistralian, and you look Mistralian, even if you are Valean. You are of the sea and the sky, which, as Miss Nikos said, is an integral part of Mistral's religion. In Vale you are being called a god, but in Mistral? They are hailing you as their rightful god-king."
"They're only half wrong," Percy said, his voice reverberating throughout the room.
"Excuse me!?" Goodwitch raised an eyebrow, expression disbelieving.
"Well, a quarter wrong. I told you all before part of my story," Percy gestured to his team and their sister team JNPR, "And that it was a half-truth. The other part would be unveiled in time. This is it. Nothing I say leaves this room without my express permission, understood?"
After a brief moment of silence, they all nodded, and he continued.
"My name is Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, storms, earthquakes, droughts, floods, and horses. My true title is: Two-time Savior of Olympus. The Bane of Kronos, titan of time, Slayer of the Giant Polybotes. Slayer of Procrustes, the Minotaur, Alecto the Fury. Vanquisher of Hyperion, titan lord of the East and titan of heat, heavenly light, and power. Defeater of Ares, god of war, Phobos, god of fear, and Akhlys, protogenos of misery and poison. Bearer of the sky, survivor of Tartarus. And I come from a different world known as Earth."
There was a moment of stunned silence.
"So you were cheating in our spars!"
All eyes turned to Nora.
The room imploded on itself.
By the time he'd finished explaining everything, his dry mouth ached from speaking, and it was nighttime. They'd eaten breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and only then had he finished.
He'd basically became a teacher to a bunch of hyperactive teenagers, and it had not been pretty.
He had to teach them about the mortal world, then the mythological world, then his own journeys. Talking about his own life had been oddly nostalgic, filled with moments where he reminisced, followed by moments where he longed for his Wise Girl. His eyes stung at times, but his heart was filled with bittersweet longing.
Still, no matter how much he missed his old friends, he had new ones now, that had his back. His team, team JNPR. And he wouldn't trade them for anything in the world, not even if he could get his old friends back. Much like how Athena had once warned him that to save a friend, he would destroy the world. He supposed that was true.
The absolute barrage of questions, disbelief, and denial he'd gotten was not worth the effort. Ruby had barraged him with questions about weaponry, then proceeded to barrage him with questions about mortal weaponry, which he had answered to the best of his ability.
To his amusement, Nora had insisted that he was cheating in their spars because he was a demigod, and "Ultra Fearless Leader", or "UFL" was apparently "OP as hell", with a massive aura and versatile semblance, along with his demigod status and Athena's blessing.
When he had protested, saying demigods weren't all that powerful, she'd pointed out that he was the son of one of the big three, and quite possibly the most powerful demigod of all time. Then she'd asked for an autograph because, well, according to her, he had to be famous, right? Well, he was. Not even just in the mythological world, but also on Remnant. Then she'd started listing out all his abilities, at one point pointing out how he could literally never be caught off guard because of his water sensing ability with bodies, along with his reflexes. He had to give in at that point, much to everyone else's amusement.
He'd compared Nora to Clarisse, and he easily saw the similarities there. Nora wasn't as hotheaded, but she wasn't afraid to resort to violence to protect her friends, much like the children of Ares.
Yang honestly reminded him of Thalia. She had the same grit and determination, and the same thinking of brute forcing their way through opponents. Thalia had never been one to accept defeat, and Yang wasn't one either. The same hot headedness, the refusal to back down from a challenge. Except now, that same energy wasn't quite there. He didn't see quite the same fire in her eyes afterwards. She was… depressed, lonely. He had to pay her a visit after this.
Ruby was kind of like a mini-Leo, reminding him of that passion for weapons and the hyper enthusiasm that came along with it. She'd bounced around and asked him about the children of Hephaestus and took a liking to Leo from his stories. Festus was certainly something Leo was proud of, and he could from the grin on Ruby's face that she was thinking about replicating it.
Pyrrha was like Reyna in many ways, or a daughter of Athena in the fighting department, except without all the hubris and battle strategy that came along with one of them. She was skilled in battle, more than the average demigod, yet less than Reyna herself, as she had none of the true experience of a demigod.
Jaune? Jaune reminded him of his young, inexperienced self, or a young, inexperienced Jason that he'd never met. His fighting was still average, good but not great, yet he showed great potential in battle strategy and planning. Blake and Ren reminded him of Nico, oddly enough, but neither were as utterly reclusive as the son of Hades.
Weiss? Weiss was the odd one out. She was cold on the outside, absolutely freezing. She would chastise him like Annabeth at times, and other times she'd look up to him, fishing for approval, although she would never admit it. It was almost humorous, but he didn't dare call it out, lest he face the wrath of the ice queen herself.
The day had been full of shocking revelations. Qrow and Ironwood had informed them about everything that was going on, including Salem. They had been understandably more shocked than he was, but it was all necessary. It was better to have them onboard earlier than later.
Although it might have resulted in even more questions that they were forced to answer.
Thankfully Ironwood and Qrow did most of it, as Goodwitch had to attend a press conference and work on the state of Beacon, and him? Well, his jaw ached, and his mouth was dry from talking so much. He was not explaining Salem and the Grimm to his teammates after explaining his demigod status.
Oh, and Ozpin wasn't actually dead. That was good; Ozpin was the head of the group, and probably knew more about the enemy than he did. The guy could "reincarnate". His soul would merge with that of a like-minded host, and the host would also have access to his memories. His next host was in Mistral. Ozpin apparently had a hunch his next incarnation would be there, and so they were going there to search for him. Still, Ozpin had died, and Cinder, Tyrian, and all her associates would suffer.
"Look kid," Qrow's voice broke him out of his thoughts, "Actually, well… I can't really call you kid anymore, eh? You've been through more than me. You sure you don't want this girl on the list of international fugitives? We've trusted ya so far, but… well, with ol' Ozzy gone for now, and you technically having more experience than all of us, you're kinda in charge, y'know?"
"I'm sure. She'll be a useful asset if I can convince her to follow through on her end of the deal. And she will. More than likely, she wants revenge on Cinder for Torchwick."
"I still don't like this," Ironwood growled lowly, "Yet you've shown a knack for handling things like these so far, so I will trust you."
"Thank you, General. Trust me, I'll know if she tries to run away."
Percy stopped in front of a cell, tilting his head down and looking at its inmate.
It was Roman's associate. The diminutive girl, who had half pink, half brown hair, glared up at him, though he could see the remains of dried tears on her face, red skin around her mismatched brown and pink eyes that were shifting color to white.
She was also scared of him, he could tell. He could see it in her gaze, and on the train when she'd fled him as well.
He remembered how she'd almost killed Yang on that train. Part of him wanted to extract his revenge for that, yet he knew it was pointless. She had potential to be useful, much like Mercury, but she was volatile, much like the assassin.
Yet, if he played his cards right, she would stay with them until Salem was gone for good. All he had to do was phrase his recruitment pitch correctly.
She had cuffs on her wrists and ankles, Atlesian aura-draining technology, apparently, as Ironwood had told him. It was particularly useful here since she was a tricky one, an illusionist that could escape the second they had their eye off her.
"I'm going to cut this short. Cinder invited Grimm into the city. I'm guessing she threatened your boss to do it. And she deserves death for it. She killed your boss, not directly, but what she did led to Roman's death. You want revenge on Cinder, we," he made a general gesture to the ship, "want to stop Cinder's boss. Our goals align perfectly. What do you say?"
The girl nodded almost instantly, agreeing with him.
"As a token of good will," Percy smiled widely, internally hiding his grimace at what he was about to do, "Allow me to inform you that I gouged out Cinder's left eye and cut off her left arm. You may have the rest of her, if you want."
He could almost feel Ironwood and Qrow's disgust, but the girl in front of him looked up at him with something akin to approval, a vicious little smile on her face.
"Before we begin this partnership, tell me, what's your name?"
The girl tilted her head, spelling out letters in the air.
Neo, she said silently.
Neopolitan.
Weiss Schnee glared at the offending object again, narrowing her ice blue eyes as she tensed on the bench.
The offending object?
Her scroll.
It was ringing, again. The caller?
Her father. Jacques Schnee, CEO of the Schnee Dust Company.
She didn't feel like picking up, but she had delayed such a thing for far too long. And there was no better time... well, that was a lie.
A better time would have been to just never pick up in the first place.
Weiss sighed, picking it off the bench as she looked up at the bright blue sky.
She finally pressed the 'accept' button, pressing phone to her ear.
"Hello, father," she said coolly, "What is this about?"
"Well, I only wanted to make sure you were alright," Jacques Schnee's voice came through the speaker, sounding rich and cultured like it always had.
"I am. You cut me off from my allowance," she accused.
"That I did," he freely admitted, causing Weiss to clench her scroll slightly, "I have a proposition for you."
As much as Weiss wanted to immediately decline it, some small part of her decided to at least hear her father out.
"You are well aware of the events that have occurred at Beacon Academy and at Vale, correct? And that live footage has been procured onto the world web, and it has been spread all across Remnant, now."
Weiss didn't answer, a sinking feeling in her gut about what he was referring to. After a moment of silence, Jacques continued.
"That boy... he is on your team, correct?"
"The leader of it, yes."
"And how close would you say your relationship with him is?"
"We are good friends," Weiss admitted, wondering where her father was going with this.
"He has become a celebrity over the course of simply a few weeks. He is a household name, even compared to the Schnee family... They call him Apollyon. He is the hero of Vale. He demonstrated incredible prowess, but again, many have before him, and many will after him. That is not what I'm interested in."
"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, make no mistake. Perseus Jackson is the next step for the SDC."
"...And what would you have me do?" Weiss questioned, not liking where he was going with this.
"And so here I give you a proposition: My secretary will forward you a contract in a few hours. Convince Perseus Jackson to publicly link himself with the SDC by signing this contract, and I will restore your allowance to you."
"And how do you expect me to do that?" Weiss snapped, the consequence of failing setting in, "I know him. He has a sharp mind, a sharp wit, and won't be convinced to simply sign a contract with the SDC before considering other options."
"I don't care how you do it, only that you do it, even if he is rumored to be a god. God or not, he will want what all hormonal teenage boys want. Strong in battle, but weak in the flesh. Simply offer yourself to him," Jacques Schnee's dismissive tone seemed to echo through the call as he scoffed.
"I am your own daughter, am I not? You cannot expect me to do such a thing!" Weiss narrowed her ice cold eyes, even though he couldn't see them.
He scoffed again, "I can and I will. Otherwise, you may find yourself no longer the heiress of the SDC, due to... unfortunate psychological effects of the Fall of Beacon Academy."
She recoiled, her heart dropping into her stomach, a chill setting into her bones. If she knew her father, he would go through such a thing.
"Of course, If you cannot do it, I will have Winter do so. Who knows, perhaps she may even have better luck."
The jab wounded Weiss. There was no question her sister had a more... developed figure than she did. Even at seventeen, she looked nothing like the other girls on PRWBY or their sister team JNPR. Nothing like Yang, Blake, Pyrrha, or even Nora...
She sent a cursory look down at her chest, before mentally slapping herself for doing so.
She had to make him sign it. What other way was there to make sure she was the heiress? She wanted to change the faunus labor laws, make sure they were placed in better working conditions and what not. She wanted to change the SDC for the better! That had been her dream since the very start.
"You will come back to Atlas tomorrow, and attend the SDC charity banquet for Beacon that is in one month."
"No- I- my team- my friends-"
"Your wonderful father is concerned about the safety of his middle child in Vale following the Fall of Beacon. Thus, he has chosen to bring you home. We need to show the people of Remnant that we are on their side... that we are all victims of the Fall of Beacon. Jacques Schnee has kindly chosen to host a charity banquet for Beacon in one month," Jacques smoothly rattled off the story the public would be given, interrupting her.
Weiss felt her heart drop into her stomach, knowing she couldn't do anything about it. If she did, it would be painted as psychological trauma following the Fall, never mind that she had nothing of the sort.
"You will bring Apollyon to the SDC charity banquet, and he will attend as your date, to... better foster relations between Beacon and the SDC. A public appearance of Beacon's prized pupil and the guardian of Vale at the banquet will bolster our reputation, and will drive sales up."
There was a moment of silence, of hesitation, before Weiss spoke.
"I-I will do it," she cursed herself for the stutter, and cursed herself twice for accepting. Was she about to beguile Percy? Her team leader, who had helped her grow, both as a person and as a huntress? One of her closest friends, and perhaps even something more...
Her stomach churned violently at the thought, her other hand shaking slightly as she tried to come to terms with it.
But really, what else could she do?
She could almost feel her father's smug smile over the call, and she clenched her fist, knuckles whitening.
"That's my girl."
After Percy'd run off to that conference of his, they had had little to nothing to actually do. Yang went to her room, not wanting to talk to anyone, despite her own sister actively trying to engage her in talking about anything, and so Ruby had decided to drag Weiss and Blake somewhere for some kind of "team bonding".
Also known as shopping for weapons magazines in Vale and buying cookies. Neither of them resisted, both knowing it would be good to take their mind off things. Sun had apparently tagged along too; anyone could see that he was head over heels for Blake.
A feeling of anger suddenly exploded in her chest, and she struggled to keep it down, wanting nothing more than to pummel the silver-haired boy sitting next to her, Mercury.
Pyrrhashifted slightly, eyes unwittingly flickering to him again. She didn't like him, not one bit. He was an ex-criminal, an assassin, someone who had assisted in the Fall of Beacon, and was only here because he feared the other side and Cinder more than he feared them. She only held back from pummeling him because technically, he was under Percy's protection, and was more or less part of their group now.
So was the girl that had been accompanying Torchwick, Neo. She'd been 'pardoned' and was also part of their 'group'. She knew Percy was doing something, gathering forces or whatever against the... Queen, Salem. That was the only reason why he would let Neo and this... scumbag free, she rationalized.
The ex-criminal noticed her look, before infuriatingly smirking.
Pyrrha clenched her fist, desperately trying to push the anger and hate down. She didn't feel the same anger towards the other criminal, Neo, though. She knew it had something to do with Mercury attacking the previous Fall Maiden, putting her in a coma.
Still, knowing that didn't stop her from glaring at him.
"Guys, check out this awesome board game I found!"
Jaune dropped it onto the table, beckoning everyone over, even both the criminals.
World of Remnant, Expanded Edition.
"Ooh~" Nora leaned over, excited, "Come on Renny, are you ready to crush our enemies?"
"Actually, it's six player," Ren tactfully pointed out, "Vacuo, Vale, Atlas, Mistral, Menagerie, and the Grimm."
"Aww..."
Pyrrha's lips twitched slightly upward.
Perhaps crushing Mercury in a board game would be therapeutic.
The boy that walked into the conference room wasn't quite a boy at all.
Legally, he was, and Lisa Lavender knew that; every single reporter in the room of them did.
But in every other aspect, he was not. He was a man.
He exuded a quiet, cool confidence that drew one's attention to him, an aura of confidence and power. It drew people to him, made them look to him as a leader, and she felt it herself.
Normally, when one came into the room, there would be cameras, questions, yelling, reporters scrambling over one another to ask questions.
None of that happened here, with only cameras flashing silently. It was strangely quiet, far too quiet for a conference room.
It was as if there were an unspoken assurance from him that he would answer all of their questions, and that alone had them relaxing in their seats.
As he walked to the chair set out for him with the new headmistress of Beacon Academy, Glynda Goodwitch, trailing behind him, she took the time to study him more.
He was undoubtedly handsome, with both a boyish look about him and a commanding, older look about him. There was something exotic about him, something... divine, and not just his looks. Something drew people to him like moths to a flame.
He had intense, sea green eyes that one could get lost in for hours. A disheveled mop of black hair sat on top of his head, his jaw set in a firm line, his lips a deep ruby. His complexion was undoubtedly that of someone from Mistral, yet he had claimed to be from Vale.
He was tall, with the clear lean physique of a huntsmen visible even under his dark, flowing cloak that he wore.
The differences between huntsmen and civilians were massive. Few civilians were allowed to have unlocked aura; the aura drew more Grimm, with the soul metaphysically projecting itself outside of the body. But for huntsmen?
Aura increased the healing process, allowing them to have much, much better physiques.
Even models did not compare to the lean but strong physiques of huntsmen and huntresses.
Models' physiques were for aesthetics, and not work; huntsmen's physiques were for both.
As she drew herself out of her pondering, Perseus Jackson took a seat, Glynda Goodwitch copying him.
Dozens of hands were raised, including her own, as he took his seat.
He pointed to her, and Lisa grinned internally at having being chosen first. People didn't realize how hard it was to get your question through, even if you were a semi-famous celebrity.
"Lisa Lavender, Vale News Network. There is documented footage of you utilizing, or harnessing, the power of the storms, controlling the weather."
When he nodded, she continued, "There are rumors that you are a god, or the reincarnation of one. The people are calling you Apollyon. To what do you have to say to these rumors?"
"I can say with full assurance that I am not a god, nor have I claimed to be one nor am I claiming to be one," he answered immediately, a winning smile on his face that instantly put everyone at ease.
"Then what are you?" was the following question.
"I am a proud Valean," he easily dodged the question, opting for a smile, "Just like the rest of you."
"But what are you? A human, or a god?" the reporter pressed on, unwilling to let up on this particular question.
"That is classified, unfortunately."
Murmurs and whispers broke out, as he moved on to another reporter's question.
"Vert Browning, Vale Daily Journal," a male reporter with brown hair introduced himself, "You demonstrated use of a certain semblance in your tournament. Yet you demonstrated your ability to control the weather when you defended Vale against the Grimm. Do you have two semblances? Some would say you are related to the Maidens... Are you? If not, how do you control the weather?"
"I am not related to the Maidens. As for the third question, that is classified. However, as a student of Beacon, I can assure you that Beacon would be happy to answer any questions you have discerning this topic," Perseus answered nonchalantly, leaning back in his armchair.
Lisa couldn't help but notice he'd dodged the first question, but the reporter didn't seem to be too concerned with it as the man turned his attention to the new headmistress, "Headmistress Goodwitch-"
"No, next question," she denied instantly and ruthlessly, shooting a not-so-friendly look at Percy next to her, who only shot her back a cheeky grin.
The chattering arose once more, reporters and journalists speculating on how he had a semblance and the power to control the weather… or perhaps he had two semblances?
The chattering died down as his piercing gaze swept over them again, inadvertently silencing the crowd as he picked out a female reporter with blond hair and brown eyes.
"Mavi Blanc, Evening Bulletin. With the destructive power that you demonstrated, you saved Vale. Many people worship you and love you. Yet, at the same time, many people fear you. That public support is not universal. Some believe you to be a danger to the people of Vale and think that you should be regulated by the Council of Vale for the safety of the people. They are calling you an unpredictable wildcard. Do these claims hold any truth?"
It was a loaded question if she had ever seen one, a clever one, whether the reporter intended it or not. Yet Lisa didn't think it was the latter based on the almost crazed, excited look in the reporter's eyes.
If he denied it and came on too strong, people would assume he had some kind of a superiority complex, and others would believe he was a danger to Vale. If he agreed that he was a danger, the people would take him at his word.
She could only wait to see how he handled this one.
"I am a proud Valean, first and foremost. A student of Beacon Academy, but a Valean all the same. Everything I have done is for the good of the people. Whenever I have acted, it is in the interests of Vale, to protect the people, most of whom have never even seen a Grimm up close and personal. We face the Grimm daily, for your benefit. We keep this kingdom safe, this city safe, your lives safe," Perseus looked stern as he leaned forward.
"Keeping that in mind... one could say all huntsmen have destructive capabilities, that all of us have an equal capacity for evil as we do for good."
"But-"
"I was not finished yet," he narrowed his eyes at the reporter, cutting her off. The room suddenly seemed to turn a little chillier at his words, more than a few of them wrapping their arms around themselves for some warmth.
"All of us huntsmen and huntresses have a capacity for evil as much as good. It is our moral compass that guides us in the right direction, our heart, our spirit. With that in mind, do you mean to belittle the sacrifices of the brave huntsmen and huntresses that gave their lives to defend this city from the Grimm!?"
It was a ruthless beatdown of the reporter's question.
Brutal. Cold.
Calculated.
The reporter stuttered, eyes wide and thoroughly cowed, "I- well- I-, I mean, I didn't mean to belittle their sacrifice… don't shoot the messenger…" she finished, chuckling nervously.
Perseus smiled with amusement. There was suddenly a clear shift in his mood, "Do I look as if I have an invisible gun in my hand?"
The audience of reporters and journalists chuckled slightly, but the atmosphere was still slightly tense.
"I-well, I didn't mean any offense," the reporter acted like she was apologizing profusely, but Lisa could see the menacing, fuming glint in her eyes at having failed.
He waved him off, "None taken. After all, you can never ask too many questions- Well, I've had teachers who ended up regretting that exact statement."
They all chuckled again, a more natural laugh that completely alleviated the tension in the room.
He was playing the crowd, Lisa realized.
Playing it perfectly, expertly.
All while he smiled dazzlingly, showing his pearly whites as photos were being taken of him. He continued fielding questions, one after the other.
Perseus Jackson was something else indeed.
Yang raised her head up from the couch when someone knocked on her door in their temporary apartment for the third time.
"Come in," she sighed.
It was Percy. He looked haggard and worn, more mentally exhausted than anything. Still, it was he who came closer to her.
"You know, I just had a massive press conference with hundreds of reporters, and then I had the Valean Council interrogate me for four hours straight, and I bullshitted my way through all of it," he quipped, trying to get something out of her.
"Dodged all the questions too, found all the loopholes," he gave her a lopsided smirk, "One reporter tried painting me in a bad light I think they ended the meeting because I just annoyed them too much."
There was nothing. He let out a forlorn sigh again, looking ragged and worn as he ran a hand through his raven black hair.
"Can we talk? You've been avoiding us all day, even if you were there to wake me up and were joking around before..."
"I'm not sure what there is to talk about," Yang looked away, refusing to meet his gaze, knowing she'd be vulnerable if she did.
She heard him sigh, then take a seat next to her on the couch. She felt it dip, as he shuffled closer to her, and she could almost feel the warmth of his body.
"Stop sulking, Yang. Do you want to talk about it?"
"I- no."
She stiffened slightly when she felt his arms around her. She'd never let herself be held like this, and against her own wishes, leaned into his touch. She let herself be drawn into his chest. A tender expression was on his face, an expression that she'd only rarely seen. He looked as lost as she felt, as lonely as she felt, and in need of love too.
She felt his warmth pressed up against her back, as she inhaled his comforting scent. His arm banded her midriff, as he began stroking her golden hair, humming softly. She could feel the strength of his steady heartbeat, and the fierce pounding of her own traitorous one.
Yang felt her eyes become moist, and she stomped the feeling down, hard. She was Yang Xiao-Long! She didn't take shit from anyone, she burnt hotter than the sun! She was a hardened warrior, not some weak girl who sobbed into someone's arms at the slightest hint of trouble.
And somehow, he knew how she felt.
"I've cried before; everyone has. It only means you're strong enough to express your emotions, and not bottle them up. You're Yang Xiao-Long, one of the fiercest, strongest huntresses I've ever known. But no one expects you not to cry."
It all came out.
And for the first time in a long time, Yang Xiao-Long cried. She cried for her birth mother who had abandoned her, for her lost super mom, Summer Rose, and for her own weakness, unable to save her friends.
She cried into his arms, seeking her comfort, her rock, her immovable mountain that was always there, always nurturing her, guiding her.
"I- I wasn't strong enough to stop him," she confessed, "I-I just saw Blake, and Weiss, hurt, and I- I just charged in like a- like an idiot!"
Percy held her tightly against his chest, continuing to gently stroke her luscious blonde locks, as he listened quietly.
"I thought I could do something, that I-" she choked, "That I could help them, and knock out that bastard, but all I ended up doing was getting hurt! He... he- he was terrifying... Red... bloodred..."
"Everyone makes mistakes sometimes," he murmured softly.
"Even you, a literal demigod? One of the strongest of your generation?"
A bittersweet, reminiscent smile spread across his lips at that, a certain look coming over his sea green eyes.
"Even me. Especially me."
She hit his chest gently, "And to think that you could have been an actual god…"
"Well, then I wouldn't be here with you guys, would I?" he smiled at her.
"Shut it," she grumbled, "Don't have to have you smart assing too."
"This is still surreal to me. Salem, maidens, relics? How in the world are we going to beat the literal Queen of the Grimm?"
"We'll find a way," Percy affirmed. He said the words like he truly believed it, with such sincerity and firmness as if there were no other outcome that could possibly happen. And Yang believed him too.
"I know, it's just... so surreal, ya know?" she shook her head, blonde locks dangling in front of her face.
"I'm surprised you even know how to use the word surreal."
He grinned cheekily at her, even as she smacked his chest again, feeling a little better.
"Idiot."
A comfortable silence descended upon them, as she simply laid in his embrace and let herself be held by him.
Somehow, deep down, she knew it would all be okay.
AN: And that's a wrap for the big reveal!
So, Percy isn't completely receptive to love after what happened with Annabeth. Understandable.
Neo joins the team, like Mercury, with similar reasons, the primary one being true fear.
And Jacques Schnee wins worst father of the year again.
Another change from canon: after the Fall, they actually have a plan, instead of all of them just splitting up into their own paths, without thinking.
And a little dragonslayer moment at the end to top it all off.
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'til next time!
-thann3