The air rippled. The sky darkened. The ground shook as if to remind the world that there was a higher power amongst them. A power that walked, talked, and appeared as man, but very much was not one—a god walked amongst the living once more.

Percy peered across the street as he took in his dad's presence; gone was the usual Hawaiian shirt, instead an armor befitting a god, a questioning expression marred his otherwise perfect sunblown face. Poseidon stood in a regal manner that befitted the true king of the seas while he peered across with a face that spoke a thousand questions and zero answers.

"So. . . could you explain what is going on? Since we both know you can't help out," Percy stated as an expert upon the gods' unwritten rules of non-interference. Poseidon quirked an eyebrow at the statement and smirked. He held his hand out, and a trident materialized in Posedion's stretched-out hand. He slammed the weapon with authority; the doors swung close almost as if Thanatos had closed them himself. The league remained unmoving, except for Wonder Woman, who was kneeling. She made to speak.

"Lord Po- " Poseidon held his hand and motioned her forward. The leaguers seemed to trust that she could handle herself; Percy could agree after his short assessment of her skills.

"Step forward, son; we have much to discuss." Percy did so, needing answers that only a familiar face could possibly supply. He stepped forward, and the league moved forward, attempting to remain close by. They were interested but still trying to fly under the radar in the conversation. Poseidon quirked his eye at the behavior.

"Without the mortals, please," he spoke while simultaneously slamming his trident once more—a sphere of water enveloped Poseidon. Percy moved towards it, and Diana followed. They passed through it with ease. Poseidon smirked at both of them as they entered. His gaze seemed to linger on Diana; Percy didn't want to think of the implications of that.

"Where is she?" Poseidon sighed. Percy didn't want to have this conversation. He thought it was better to ask as fast as possible; He knew Poseidon probably didn't want the same, but Percy couldn't— he just couldn't avoid knowing about her.

Diana looked questioningly back and forth; her beautiful face was marred by a look of uncertainty, probably a rare emotion for her. Percy needed his answers, and he couldn't care less about any other topic, so he refocused on Poseidon and gave him a look intending to will the answers out of him.

"Percy, it isn't so simple to answer."

"Make it simple."

"In due time, Son. Right now, I need to greet our guest," Poseidon gestured towards Diana.

" Yes, Lord Poseidon. It is an honor to make your acquaintance, I appreciate the many safe travels you have authored upon your seas for my sisters and I," Diana stated with a reverence that Percy was not a fan of. Ironically, he was never comfortable with worship, considering he was part-god, but the concept never sat right with him. Poseidon, however, seemed to take to it like a fish in the water as he smiled at the praise and inclined his head.

"I offer my domain to all those worthy. I have praise for the Amazons-"

"Father, she understands you are all kind and powerful. But where is Annabeth?" The earth rumbled. Father and son seemed to be at an impasse. The earth seemed to rock back and forth as the tides themselves, almost as if it was unsure which master to be beholden to.

" Has your time in Tartarus dulled your manners?" Poseidon had a dangerous tint in his eyes that would have cowed a lesser man—Percy wasn't a lesser man.

"It has only dulled my patience."

"You know the answer to your question. Why waste your patience when you know the truth: she and the others are gone." Percy stopped, he tried to hold in the pain that erupted inside him, but he couldn't. His reason was gone. He felt his mind crash as his reason was gone, the point of it all, who he had braved the deepest pits just to see again.

The world answered for his pain.

Everything shook.

Poseidon's eyes widened as he closed the distance between him and his son instantly. He touched Percy but was blown back.

Rage: gave way to strength beyond the gods.

Diana also rushed to his side, unsure but attempting to stop the apparent walking disaster. Percy's magic was visible as stormy blue cascaded off his skin. The very air itself seemed to mystify—the elements bending to his will. She didn't try the same as Poseidon but instead used her wit.

"Stop PERCY, do you think SHE would want you to destroy the world? Please stop for HER!" Diana's words at first appeared to fall upon deaf ears, but eventually, the air returned to normal, the ground stopped shaking, and Percy was as normal as the average man once more. Percy could feel the tears that pooled in his eyes; he wouldn't deny himself his chance to mourn, but he would not do it here—she deserved to be mourned elsewhere. He would do it alone. Percy hoped that he at least appeared remorseful, but he honestly couldn't find it in himself to pretend.

"That is why I am here, son. The doors of death would have been eventually closed by the league. But you are an anomaly. A true god has not walked this earth in years, much less a son of the big three. Come with me to Olympus. This earth does not need us, plus your strength here is a danger," Poseidon pleaded in a way that was not godly. It was almost sincere, almost fatherly. Percy couldn't help but enjoy it a little. He was adrift, his tether was gone, and he knew no one else could understand his pain. He needed someone.

"Lord, Poseidon, the league is very much equipped to handle anything Percy could do. We can acclimate him. And, if he needs somewhere separate, Themyscira would gladly harbor a son of Poseidon. A testament to our safe travels and your generosity," Diana implored. Poseidon looked her way once more.

"I appreciate your attempts, but Percy is a god. He does not belong here. He is-"

"Half, I am half-god," Percy found his voice again. Poseidon turned to him, and a look of hurt splashed across his perfect features.

"A god is a god. No half measures. You are stronger here than you know, Percy."

"What do you mean here? What are you talking about?"

Poseidon, sighed heavily; Percy was trying to hit every seamine in this conversation. Poseidon waved a hand, and glowing blue chairs appeared. Water chairs, Percy mused; he wondered if he could do that.

"Please sit. This is a long tale. I'd prefer you were comfortable during it." Percy remained on his feet, but Poseidon's look this time implored him to act differently, so he acquiesced. Diana took her chair without question.

"Percy, there is no easy way to say this, so I shall just say it. You didn't make it back. Not in the way you intended to."

"What?"

"This is a different universe. Your old one is gone. Gaea won. Without you, the, now, six lost."

Percy felt his world spin again. He felt a familiar anger well upon him, so easy it would be for him to make the world shake once more, but he felt Diana's hand upon his arm. He looked up and noticed a look of pure compassion sat upon her face. He used her, and he marooned himself in her emotional-safe harbor, she was his tether. He felt the shaking of his legs calm down, he felt himself recenter himself, and he was fine. Percy felt his snark wind up.

" You are really good at giving bad news, Dad."

"I told you it was a difficult tale, and I implored for you to come back to Olympus. There you could rage freely, and it would not matter."

"Lord Poseidon, the different universe, is it possible for Percy to go back? We can concoct a way for him to-"

"It is pointless. Gaea won; that universe is fraught with chaos, giants rule, and monsters walk the earth. It is not worth it. No human has survived."

"But if it is a different universe, why do you remember? Shouldn't you know be dead or whatever?"

Poseidon smirked at the question. Percy felt himself grow a tad bit resentful to see the man taking pleasure at a time like this but calmed himself once more as he focused on Diana's touch—his tether.

"I am a god. Not a fake one like some powerful people would have you believe, but that title truly means something."

Percy quirked an eyebrow at the sentence. Diana's face scrunched up in confusion.

"Care to clarify?"

"Gods are constant in every universe; I exist in perpetuity, my son. I am aware of the entire multiverse. My consciousness is shared throughout every Poseidon. I can call upon my collective memories. Simply put, I know what every Poseidon knows; I just have to search for our collective knowledge. When I saw you, I recalled our old universe."

That was a lot to take in. He couldn't imagine what that even entails; maybe that explained why Gods were so detached. These tales truly mean nothing to them since a different outcome is a thought away. Also, was this even his dad, then? Was he just another Poseidon? But, if he remembered everything they had done, then did it matter? His brain started to hurt, and he felt like his seaweed was actively burning.

"Is that the same for every God?"

Percy turned to Diana as he remembered she was here once more. Poseidon smirked.

"Gods differ; it tends to be only the truly strong ones. I know the other Olympians have a similar lesser experience, but it is much easier to bring up memories from other versions of ourselves for me and my brothers. The experience is overwhelming at times, it is a lot more of an active search than it is a passive viewing of experiences. Seeing Percy made me dwell on the memories of that universe, as well as it did for most of the Olympians. You have accomplished much, my son. "

Percy cringed at the end. He couldn't think of that right now. He would just accept this was his dad; he needed to believe that for now.

"Wait, you said I am stronger here than I know? That is why you started talking about this. What did you mean?"

"Universes are not created equally. Some have unwritten rules of noninterference, some are more magically inclined, and some are uninhabitable even to me. Here, this universe is way more magically inclined than your past one. Here, it would be easier for you to summon a tidal wave than it would be to summon a kiddie pool in your last one. Magic is everywhere."

Percy mused, which is probably why he felt lighter here; he had been running on a magic-caffeine buzz since he got here. But he was still confused about one thing.

"Wait, that makes sense. But how did I get to a different universe? I was in Tartutus, and I never left my old one."

"I said there were constants—-Tartarus is one of them. It is a true connector of all places. It is a wretched place, as you know, but it also is seeped in varying levels of magic—-no doubt you felt your powers react differently in that place. Tartarus isn't consistent with its magic levels so it no doubt felt like a natural progression, instead of this universe's high magic level."

Percy winced as he remembered the way he had controlled poison. Poseidon continued his speech.

"You probably have less control of your powers than you ever had due to your trip to Tartarus and now being in a different universe. Your powers are going to fluctuate due to this increase in magic, therefore you aren't safe for this planet or its people. Come back with me to Olympus, be amongst your family, and enjoy your new life. You owe this planet and its people nothing; they are not your own."

Percy felt his mind toss back and forth, the waves of decisions flooding it from all directions. He was truly alone here. He had no one: his mom, Paul, Grover, Chiron, and Annabeth. He felt the emotions overwhelm him once more; he was truly utterly alone. His "dad," if he could even call him that, had never been his favorite person, and that is not considering the fact that this dad wasn't his dad.

He felt a hand placed upon him once more. The sheer act alone shocked him back to land. A tether holding him amongst the thrashing waves of doubt. He looked at Diana as she displayed pure empathy once more. He felt a calming nature through her touch.

Percy understood right there that the gods were not his family. He'd always partially loved/hated his dad, but here he stood without a hint of remorse. He was so detached from the universe and from humanity. He couldn't be near the gods; he couldn't be like that. He cares, and everyone should. Diana cared, and he could tell—-People cared, Gods didn't.

"No, I can't go to Olympus."

Poseidon's eyes gained a dangerous glint. He seemed to tighten his grip on his trident.

" You deny us? You deny me? You choose unknown people of earth over your own blood?"

"I don't wish to live on Olympus. I'd rather stay on earth."

"Zeus won't take kindly to another rejection. All of Olympus won't. Especially for that reason. You tread in dangerous waters, Perseus."

"I wish to live on earth, even if it isn't my own."

Poseidon's sea-green eyes met Percy's. The battle of wills raged on, yet Man refused to bend to God. Percy refused to back down on this, and he saw Poseidon yield as he sighed. Poseidon seemed hurt but indifferent. Not unlike a god to not truly care about the outcome, maybe in some other universe, he got his way. In this one, he wouldn't.

" I haven't had a demigod in this universe in many centuries. It is great to see that they are still stubborn. I have wasted too much time on earth. I shall inform the council, but don't be idle. The Olympians will take this as disrespect. Acclimate to this earth, but you shall be hearing from us. Take care, Perseus. Good luck, I know you don't believe it, but I wish you the best."

Percy nodded, and then Poseidon was gone. The water wall around them dissipated as well; what was left was the smell of the ocean's breeze and an oddly familiar, comforting weight in his pocket. That and the rest of the Justice League.

A/N: I want yall to know this has been done for like months, but I can't write chapter 3 and I was trying to have that chapter done before I posted this one. I think chapter 3 is going to make me *. But yea thanks for reading. Let me know if it is fire or if you hate it. Also my update schedule on this story will be mad inconsistent since I am inconsistent. Apologies. (P.S. Also, thank you for the comic recommendations, I bought a subscription to start reading it. Lowkey kinda bangs.)