AN: Pinged for a new update? Sadly it is not this chapter if you are reading this around sept. 24th. Instead, I added a new chapter as ch4. And I revised every chapter I've written already. While the story remains the same, I would appreciate it if you re-read the content. No worries if not. updates will continue soon, I just HAD to improve the quality of work as I continue to learn more. Anyways, back to your reading. Hope you enjoy!

Percy's nostrils flared as he forced fresh air into his lungs. The forever scarred and ruined organs burned as he tried to catch his breath after sprinting across town towards whatever trouble the kids found themselves in.

Like a noose, an uneasy discomfort wormed its weight around Percy as he neared the active crime scene. Each heave of his lungs pulled the rope tighter, constricting his throat as he watched police sirens flash across the nearby buildings. He barely knew these kids… but they were his responsibility now. If they needed him, he was going to be there like Chiron was there for him.

So, as the son of Poseidon arrived at the address Cyborg had sent him, he pushed through the large crowd of onlookers and reporters. Some complained as he shouldered his way to the perimeter line that the local police force had established around the bank, which was bleeding smoke into the sky.

Percy narrowed his eyes as he read the name of the bank that was under siege. It really just had to be his bank. It wasn't hard enough these days to get a good bank, and now his was going up in smoke. A cruel world it was.

"This is the second attack in like a week," someone in the crowd said, looking entirely nonplussed by the destruction in front of them.

They were completely desensitized. If anything, they looked excited as more beams of green light escaped the shaking building, their color mingling with the strobing red-and-blue of the police cars.

FWOOM!

A wall of tar-black smoke and ash blasted out of the orifices of the pearly white building. Flaring swells of orange and red stabbed out from the windows, spitting smoke into the sky and staining the outside of the building black with its hunger.

As Percy finally began to steady his breath, he was treated to the taste of ash and dust. The smell of brimstone and gunpowder clung to the air, seeping past the rows of police cars that had ensnared the building. Not the worst things his lungs had been treated to, but he hated it all the same.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

An external wall blasted outwards, sending white rubble flying through the air and toward the police and crowd.

He raised his hand in front of his face, barely altering his body to water. Faint enough to not catch anyone's attention, but effective enough to avoid the debris cutting him up.

Around him, the police ducked behind their squad cars as civilians screamed but remained in place while debris rained down over the area. None of the large chunks of the building made it past the police, but instead, the crowd was treated to a pelting of small cuts. It rained down on them like rock from the heavens after a volcano erupted.

Yet, even as people cried out in pain, they did not move to flee from the man-made Pompeii. They nursed their wounds, eyes still locked on the danger before them. It was wrong…. Where was their survival instinct? The urge to flee from death?

Percy clenched his fists as he watched these people sit around like idiots. They had forgotten what fear was in the Second Age of Heroes. It was all just a show to them. Would they have cheered as his and Luke's blades clashed? Would they have booed him when his blood raised Gaia from the earth?

"Look! It's Starfire!" someone shouted, pointing frantically like a crazed fan.

Percy's eyes followed the man's finger. Between the smoke and flames of the exposed wall, he could see inside the bank just enough to watch as a giant man swung at Starfire, who quickly dodged out of sight.

Percy's knuckles turned white as he began to map the fastest way into the building. He wasn't going to sit here as a spectator. They needed help.

Someone roared from inside the bank, and Percy pushed his way to the metal barrier separating him from the action.

An officer quickly stood, hands rising to halt Percy, "Stay back, sir. This is an active scene."

Percy ignored the smaller man, not even bothering to look down at him. Instead, his eyes weaved back and forth, confirming the fastest route into the action. The police were not going to stop him from getting involved.

They'd be foolish to try.

"Sir! Stay back!" the officer once again shouted, hand landing on Percy's chest.

Percy swatted it away, his other hand reaching to move the metal fence out of his way.

A hand landed on the demigod's shoulder. Not just any hand, but one with enough strength to stop Percy in his place from a single firm grasp.

No mortal had that power….

Preparing for the worst, Percy readied himself as he turned to face the immortal who dared stop him. The demigod's eyes followed up the man's hairy arm and into his blue eyes behind square frames.

Well, he wasn't a god.

The demigod raised his brow, "Long way from Kansas."

"Perseus, leave this to the Titans," Clark Kent whispered, softly squeezing his shoulder. And while Percy knew the man wouldn't hurt him, he knew the Kryptonian wasn't suggesting.

Percy shrugged the Man of Steel's hand off of him before turning to give the cop who tried to stop him a look.

"Look, man," the cop raised both his hands in surrender at the two much larger men. "We can't let civilians get anywhere close to the scene. Please just take a few steps back."

"It's fine, officer," Kent nodded. "I'll make sure he doesn't try to play hero and run in there. We'd be a fool to do so when the Titans are at work."

The officer, unsure what to say to the two of them, returned the nod.

Kent turned to Percy, "Follow me so we can talk."

Percy spared the hole in the bank one more glance, seeing a green rhino charge a man in purple with a shield. He should have been helping them, but instead, he turned back to Superman in disguise.

Did this make him the same as the crowd?

"Why are you here?" Percy asked, following the man to a less crowded area of watchers.

The citizens around them pointed and snapped photos of the burning bank. They acted as if it was a concert and not a crime scene. That the police lights were merely fancy light shows to accompany the thumping bass of the explosions.

The trumpet of an elephant rang out from inside the ruined building, and Percy couldn't help but glance over to where it came from.

"They are fine," Clark assured Percy. The alien's eyes glowed white as he joined Percy in staring at the bank. "They have two of them down already."

"Right. You can see through walls," Percy mumbled. This was his life now. Shapeshifters, aliens, and whatever else Nyx had set him down the path to encounter. "Any of the kids hurt?"

"They're fine. Young Beast Boy has a small fracture in his fist, but overall, I see no issues."

Percy turned to Clark, frowning, "That's kind of creepy how much you can see."

"And even more shocking how much I cannot see at times."

Percy's expression melted. He stared at the pinnacle of superheroes, watching as he watched everything that was happening inside the bank. "So, why are you here in Jump City and not Metropolis?"

"Perry gave me a blank page on what I could write for my next story, and I wanted to do a story about you."

Percy blinked, "Me? Usually, men like Perry who take their coffee black have a plan for everything."

Clark shrugged, "Sometimes people try a different way to make their coffee. But this encroaches on the reason we offered you the job." Clark paused, taking a breath as he looked at the crowd around them. "Public appearances and relations. We mentioned that the people were not big on the idea of the group of kids running around with powers and not an adult in sight. Add the Cinderblock struggle…."

Percy nodded, seeing the pieces line up. "So, this is a write-up to handle PR?"

"That is one way to put it," Kent chuckled, holding his chin. "I see it more as a way to keep trust and clarity with the public so that they can continue to have faith in us. Even if the Titans and the League are separate entities, the public sees them as an extension of the League. Especially after so many of the first generation were the prodigies of Leaguers."

"Right," Percy nodded, eyeing up the people around them. Not a single one was giving the two powerhouses a second look as they were too enthralled with their bread and circus. "So, an interview with me, huh?"

"Ideally with the team as well after this stunt before us ends." His eyes peered through the walls of smoke again. "Should be soon. They only have Mammoth left to handle. He's more muscle than brain."

Percy nodded, gazing back to the hole in the wall in time to see a flash of green bathe the inside of the bank.

A thudding boom rumbled through the ground as the world shook from the shockwave. The marble steps in front of the bank fractured as a fault line ruptured them right down the middle.

The people around Percy awed at the damage, and he couldn't help but frown at that. Metropolis and Gotham had fallout shelters prepared for the mayhem…. Jump City… was it all just light shows to hypnotize the mind?

"Well, then," Clark turned to Percy, the white glow in his eyes fading. "That's that."

"And they are fine?"

The man of steel nodded, pushing his frames snug onto his nose. "Raven is healing Beast Boy as we speak."

Percy made a note to check on the kid. "Good, and that's another thing we need to speak about, off the record."

"And what is that?" Clark raised an eyebrow.

"What is the real reason you came to me? And does it have to do with Raven?"

Clark smiled, a small exhale leaving his nose, "Batman was right, once again."

"Huh?"

"We'll talk more in the Tower. First, let's join the crowd in congratulating the kids." Clark turned away and began to politely clap just as Beast Boy swaggered out of the bank, flexing his arms for the cheering crowd.

Behind him, Starfire lugged out a giant of a man who looked as if he could bench a skyscraper as a warm-up. His muscles bulged out underneath the tattered remains of his shirt, and boulders of sinewy flesh hung limply as Starfire effortlessly pulled him behind her, flashing smiles at the crowd.

Then came Cassie, who was carrying out the man in purple and gold armor. He rested limply over one shoulder while she sported a shiny gold shield in the other arm with a purple "H" emblazed on the shield like a badge of honor. Spoils of war.

Cyborg followed after, man-handling an unconscious bald-looking kid with a pair of goofy goggles over his eyes. The black teen grinned and held up a peace sign as he passed by some of the reporters, who were being held back by a swarm of police. That didn't stop them from shouting over each other, frantically extending their mics to the teen. Cyborg continued walking.

Then, lastly, came Raven. Percy watched as she hid in Cyborg's shadow. Her hood was pulled over her head, leaving only darkness to be seen in the morning's light. Behind her, encased in her black tendril-like powers, were two people bound together. One sported a peculiarly large mask of a singular eye instead of a face, and the other was a female who looked as if Barbie had met deathcore metal.

Percy frowned. Beast Boy could've at least pulled his weight in bringing out the criminals instead of showing off to the crowd. Even now, the boy was morphing into a monkey as he cartwheeled forward and into a bow. Percy would've never known his hand had been broken a minute before if it wasn't for Superman's X-ray vision.

Maybe change starts with them, Percy wondered, continuing to watch Beast Boy showboat. After all, playing hero was not meant to be a gladiatorial game.

Percy glanced at Clark, who had already disappeared somewhere into the crowd. For such a figure as Superman was, Clark Kent really vanished in a crowd. Brushing it off, Percy instead pulled his phone out and called Cyborg back.

He watched as the machine teen tapped the side of his half-cybernetic face, still sporting a smile for the crowd.

"Cyborg speaking."

"You all good?" Percy asked, watching as the teen glanced around at the crowd.

"Yessir. Not a scratch on the hardware."

"Good, good," Percy nodded to himself. "I want to give you a heads up that I'm bringing company to the tower."

"Company?" the teen's brow furrowed. "You trust them that much?"

"Yeah, it's Clark Kent. I'm sure you know who that is, Kid-NSA."

The cyborg laughed, "That's really going to stick to me, isn't it?"

"Just don't go selling my data, or I might start adding more names to the list."

The teen laughed, drawing the eyes of the other Titans. "No promises, Gramps. Money is money these days and these upgrades aren't cheap."

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. I know a friend who can probably whip me up an EMP with a fork and a rubber band."

"I don't think you understand how that works, old man."

"And I don't think you understand who my friend is."

"Alright, alright. I'll take your word for it. Anyway, we got to process these punks. I'll send Raven to get you." Percy watched the girl perk up from Cyborg's shadow at her name. "Paparazzi will have their cameras on the front door of the Tower after a bust like this. Unless you want your face plastered all over Tweeter?"

No, he really didn't.

"Works for me. See you soon, kid."

Percy pocketed his phone, watching as Cyborg turned to the robed girl. They exchanged words, and immediately, the hooded girl turned and met Percy's gaze in the crowd.

He stared into the void of her face and felt her stare back. He didn't know how she knew exactly where he was, but he was willing to bet she knew he was there the whole time.

Percy nodded at her before tilting his head across the street where an alley waited. She gave the barest of nods before turning back to Cyborg, who had also found Percy in the crowd.

Raven handed Goth Barbie and the All-Seeing Eye off to Cyborg. Then she sunk into a black portal that spontaneously formed below her.

The demigod spared one last glance at the crowd around him, who were all too enthralled in the moment to see him slip away to the alley.

She stood there, waiting. Her hood was still up, casting darkness across her face, not letting a single feature of her face be seen. The darkness swirled like magic as Percy looked closer. It even seemed to suck up the light of everything around it, just like Nico's little trick.

What were the odds of overlap between demons and demigods of the underworld?

"Hello," Percy opened, further into the shadows of the alley.

"Morning," she mumbled, extending her left arm towards the wall.

Black something whirlpooled as a shimmering purple pulse spiraled inward. Her portal didn't appear to look like the gut-turning method of shadow traveling that Nico could do. However, the eerieness of its void-like appearance didn't make him any more eager to jump through and find any more differences.

Perhaps the overlap only went so far.

It all just looked like a massive nope, and his gut instinct wasn't really ever wrong with these things.

However, Raven was a proven teen hero, and just like he had to learn with Nico, he'd have to trust her powers…. What happened to him making coffee every day?

Percy side-eyed the swirling portal as he turned his focus to Raven. He had a strict no-jumping-in-portals-without-a-tutorial rule. "Do I just step through, or do you pull me through?"

She looked up to him, "Most can step through on their own, but I can take you through."

He nodded at that, "For my safety, I think it's best if I hold onto something. I don't want to get lost in the shadow realm again. I have a tendency for crazy things happening."

"Again?" With the way her voice dipped, he imagined she frowned under that hood with confusion. Totally understandable as well.

"Long story," he winced. "Hellhounds can see a lot more than I can in the dark, and when she saw a shadow squirrel or something, she changed directions. Add in some inertia or whatever, and I fell off her back. She eventually got me again, but it took a few minutes."

"I see." She extended a pale hand outwards to him. "Take my hand."

And he did, feeling her soft, cold touch. While not as frigid as Nyx, it still was unnaturally cold, like the depths of the ocean and not the brimstone of hell he expected from a half-demon.

Without any more preamble, she flicked her other hand. His gut clenched, and the portal rushed forward, swallowing the two whole.

His heart raced as darkness enveloped his vision, and he was pulled into the swirling abyss. It smothered his senses briefly, and Percy was reminded of those corny action movies where the good guy was captured and gagged. However, this burlap sack was seemingly the existence of the nothingness of the void. He couldn't even feel his breath leave his lips.

It felt wrong….

He at least expected to feel a chill or heat, but there was nothing. It was as if he was in a void, removed from physical space and time. A place that he was beginning to grow familiar with.

"And who are you?" a heavy voice spoke from the nothing.

That wasn't Nyx. So that must mean it was the stereotypical bad guy. Next, he'd ask who sent Percy and how he managed to get past all his guardians of the nothing-verse, or perhaps taunt him for being captured so easily.

"What being dares to approach my realm?"

Or that… that was also something that could've been said. Where did Raven drop him off? She better not be chasing squirrels.

Six burning eyes emerged from the absence of existence. The pupils of the eyes raged red like miniature suns, yet provided no light to the realm. Immediately, Percy's gut was screaming at him to flee at the sight.

He couldn't help but try to facepalm despite the lack of a body existing in this dimension or wherever he was. He should've never gone through the portal. He should've just walked and risked the pictures. What was wrong with walking? There were no floating six-eyed beings on a walk. Why did this always happen to him?

Percy sighed.

Putting aside his stupidity and stupid luck, he lifted his gaze back to whatever monster was before him that made his skin fester with wrongness. He was probably going to have to find some way to slash his way out of this until Raven found him.

As he continued to neglect to respond to the thing before him, he couldn't help but look at its golden eyes, which reminded him of Kronos of all things. Which was weird, as Percy had not given his Gramps a thought in some years. Yet, as he had a staring contest with three pairs of eyes, Percy knew he had seen them before….

"You do not quiver and piss yourself at the sight of me. Have you come begging for power?" the voice rumbled, shifting from its threatening tone to a more predatory hum, like a salesman who has the last bottle of water while standing in the desert.

Chills burned down Percy's spine as his gut completely inverted itself, screaming and begging for him to listen. With that, Percy figured it was about time to try and do something, seeing as he hadn't been rescued yet. Instinctively, he reached for his trusty blade and uncapped it in the abyss. Not even the celestial bronze produced a glow. Or was it even existing? He really wasn't sure.

Where in the Hades was he? What was this limbo he found himself in?

Never mind the fact he couldn't even feel himself as he pulled the blade out. It was as if he existed as nothing and something at the same time. It just didn't make sense to him, and he really didn't want to have the time to sit around and figure it out. Because he was already starting to form conclusions elsewhere, like the fact that this may be worse than Mrs. O'Leary losing him in the shadow realm.

Percy shook his head clear and brought the blade before him, still unable to see anything but the glowing yellow and red eyes. They watched him, though, clearly able to see in the absence of conventional reality.

"You come to try and kill me, have you?" it laughed. "Many have tried only to find their minds torn asunder and their dimension crushed by my will."

Percy didn't even know how to respond to that, so he settled for readjusting his grip on Anaklusmos as he probed the space around him with his powers for some aid. However, he came up dry and confused. There wasn't even a drop of water in the air to pull from.

Just where in the hell did Raven's portal drop him off….

"I don't even know where I am, you shmuck," Percy finally spoke. "But I sure as hell am not going to stand here waiting for the sun to rise and us to call each other friends."

Then, in a stroke of absurdity, there was light!

The sun blazed alive—well, rather, millions of distant suns did. Stars, galaxies, and nebulas that made up the vastness of space scattered outwards from around Percy. Yet, even as the abyss began to become something definite, Percy's eyes trailed to the length of his blade, where a frost settled upon his now glowing sword.

"Nyx…." The demigod mumbled. What in the world was happening?

"Meet Trigon, The Demon, Perseus." Nyx manifested just in front of Percy, standing between him and the golden eyes, shielding him from their gaze.

Percy's eyes widened as he looked upon Trigon, Raven's father. Her father really was just six eyes floating in the vastness of whatever form of existence this was?

Did Raven drop him off here on purpose? No, that didn't seem right…. She was supposed to be a hero. Percy glanced at the goddess that had begun to consume his life. Did she?

Nyx stepped forward, consuming Percy's view. Her midnight black mist of wings obscured Trigon as she smiled at Percy. Her hand gently cupped his face as her thumb caressed his cheek. He wanted to pull away, but he couldn't find it in him to resist the sensation of something after the void of moments before. Well, that's what he told himself, at least.

"The Mother of the Night herself," Trigon chuckled. "Since when did you cavort with lesser beings?"

Nyx's perfect face stretched into a wide smile, and she cocked her head to the side, letting her hair fall over her star-like freckles. Her words were clipped, each syllable reinforced with power as they echoed themselves, "Silence, beast. If I didn't need you later down the road, I would have Perseus impale you with your own horns now."

"You would think I would help you?" the eyes barked with laughter. "Much less this impure divine could even stand to see my face? Perhaps you have spent too much time in your dimension to recall just who I am."

"I care little for your words, demon. I only came to make introductions between you and Perseus." She stepped behind the demigod, possessively wrapping her slender arms around him. "After all, he is the one who is going to be raising your daughter," she cackled, resting her chin on Percy's shoulder.

The six eyes narrowed at Percy, and he could feel his grave being dug as he was thrown into the middle of whatever Nyx had planned. She had for sure thrown him into this plane.

Percy groaned, ignoring the way Nyx's hands held him entirely still. Her grasp was as strong as Superman's. He wouldn't even be able to lift his blade if Raven's father tried to smite him with Nyx cocooning herself around him.

"I could kill you now," Trigon growled.

There it was….

Nyx giggled, a tantalizing and teasing sound, "Nuh-uh, little demon."

"And what do you know of what I can or cannot do, fiend?" Trigon growled.

For a moment Percy would later swear he saw teeth form beneath those eyes, but just as quick as that notion came to be it passed. A flicker of reality.

"Because you are trapped here. Stuck in this broken dimension by your own fault."

"A problem soon corrected," Trigon dismissed, eyes lifting upwards as if he had stuck his nose into the air.

Nyx shrugged, "You will journey from one cell to another."

"I will rampage once more." The eyes narrowed, growing larger and closer. "And when I am free, you will see as I strip reality from existence. Then I will come for you, Mother of the Night. I will mount your children's heads upon my horns as I laugh upon the rubble of your house."

"Please," she waved him off before pulling her miasmic wings around Percy. "You do not see as I do. You do not know my Perseus and what he will make of you."

The eyes roared with laughter, "Then I will feed you his heart, and you will see the weight of your words upon this day."

"His heart?" Nyx laughed once more, and Percy couldn't help but feel his heart flutter at the whimsical sound. "Please, I already will have it."

"What?" Percy mumbled, turning to face the winged woman.

"We must be off Perseus. The daughter of Trigon is already worrying enough about your absence, my sweet." She turned to Trigon's floating eyes, "More emotions for a man she has just met than for her own father."

Trigon roared. His crimson-blood-red pupils expanded, erasing the yellow.

At the same time, the stars collapsed into a line, the far distant expanse of space becoming a singular event horizon before they crashed inwards, colliding with Percy.

Percy stumbled, falling to his hands and knees on a tiled floor. Light stabbed his eyes as he quickly closed them. Someone kneeled beside them, hands bracing his shoulders. Once again today, his nostrils flared, drawing in quick breaths of real air.

"Are you okay?"

He forced open his eyes, blinking away the collapsing light of a million stars. As his reality formed from the blurs of blinding light, he found himself face to face with Raven. She finally had her hood down, showing off her black and purple hair. Despite the resting blank face she had going on, he could see a thousand thoughts and worries swirling behind her azure eyes.

"Are you okay?" she asked, breathlessly. "You shouldn't have disappeared."

Percy gave her a thumbs-up and forced himself to sit on his heels, lifting his head up. He couldn't help but continue to take breaths of fresh air, hoping it would make his brain put two and two together and make sense of the argument he bore witness to.

"I'm fine," he managed out, side-eyeing the girl.

Instantly, she deflated, looking like she had just gone nine rounds with her own demons. He could see her retreating back into the safety of herself. Her posture shrank as she bowed her head and brought her hands to rest on her thighs as she kneeled beside him.

Was she feeling guilty for what happened? It wasn't her fault, though, right? This was clearly a case of Nyx being ever-present and controlling….

Then it all hit him. The reality of what had just happened settled upon his mind, and Percy couldn't help but chuckle at the craziness of his life. He really went from serving coffee every morning to being a witness to a dimension-destroying demon and the night sky bickering.

"What are you laughing about?" she hissed, emotion tainting her words.

"I met your father. Real nice guy," he continued to let out another chuckle.

Raven's head shot up, alarmed, "How? He is supposed to be sealed."

"Otherworldly powers and whatnot. The usual when dealing with these things." He shrugged. "He wanted to kill me and whatnot."

"Definitely my father," she mumbled, looking away embarrassed.

"It's chill," he tried to assure the girl. "We can't choose our parents. Though, he really didn't like the fact you are supposed to be under my care."

Raven frowned, struggling to meet his eye, "Why? How does he even know of you?"

"He didn't until just now," Percy shrugged, scratching his chin. Nyx's embrace flashed across his mind, and her cold phantom touch lingered around him. "A mutual acquaintance between your father and I hijacked your portal or something and made the introductions, I think. I'm really hoping she doesn't do that again. I was already nervous enough the first time."

"The woman you sensed yesterday? You think she tampered with my powers?"

"Yeah…." Percy said slowly and raised a brow at the girl. "How'd you know about her, by the way? You see her as well?"

"No," Raven muttered, shaking her head. "I can sense things from other people's minds. It's mostly surface-level, but you and Beast Boy are louder than most people."

Right, her file said she was an empath.

"Oh… sorry? That's got to be annoying. Sometimes my thoughts are even too much for me."

"It's okay. I'm growing used to it." She turned away before slowly forcing herself to look back at him. "You are fine, truly? One usually ends up in an asylum after meeting my father or worse."

Percy shrugged, "You know what Tartarus is?" Raven nodded. "I'm pretty sure I lost my mind somewhere down there when I was a kid. Your father was just eyes staring at me."

She quirked her head to the side, the whites of her eyes turning black. It was very similar to the way Trigon's red overtook the yellow. Yet, despite the parallel, Percy didn't feel as if he needed to draw his blade. His gut didn't fear the daughter so much as the father.

"You do not feel insane to me, but your lungs…. There is a taint of magic there."

Percy looked down at his chest as if he was going to magically be able to see his lungs, "Tartarus didn't have a great bar. They were only serving liquid fire to drink. I don't recommend it."

"The Phlegethon? You drank from the river of fire?"

"You know your stuff, huh?" he complimented her, causing a rosy blush to form on her cheeks. "I wasn't the only one, but yeah. I had to live off of it for a while there. I still do."

"I could try and heal it?" she offered, averting her eyes just enough not to meet his gaze.

Percy forced a smile, "That's kind of you, Raven. However, I think it's more of a curse than a wound, or else a dip in the sea would've done me some good by now."

"I might be able to break it," she tried again, now looking down and balling her fist. "I'm good at magic."

Percy's heart clenched. He had seen this before in the children of Apollo, who could only look on as someone was too far gone to save. They'd look away, wanting to help but knowing they could not. Yet, with Raven, he got the impression that she was turning away more out of fear of being rejected than of being helpless.

"You'd be my hero if you did, but I don't think it's something breakable unless I start making deals with the river that gave it to me." He looked around the room, where he was still sitting on the kitchen floor. "I think I need a glass of water after all this. Do you want one?" he asked, standing.

Raven stood with him. Well, rather, her body seemingly floated upwards as her feet landed back on the ground.

"Yes, please."

Percy nodded, finding two glasses from the cabinets, recalling where Beast Boy had grabbed them yesterday after their many basketball games. After filling the glasses from the tap, he handed the girl hers.

He greedily gulped down the cold water, feeling it send a jolt through his body. It wasn't as strong as a mouthful of seawater, but it perked him up all the same. A definite need after whatever dimensional morning meeting thing he just had.

"Whew. What a morning I'm having," he laughed. "If you aren't too offended, I think I'm going to skip out on the next portal you offer me. I'd rather not end up chatting with another demon or even the Devil."

She blushed, "Sorry."

"Hey, it's not your fault, Raven. I just have a meddling goddess who wants to parade me around like a trophy."

Raven cocked her head to the side, "And are you a trophy?"

Percy paused. Was he? Nyx definitely put value into him….

He shrugged, "I don't know. I'd like to think of myself as a fancy sword you'd hang on the wall instead of a trophy you'd hand out to a third grader for participating in gym class."

The daughter of Trigon smiled, a small thing but one all the same.

Filling his glass again, Percy gulped down more water.

"I have a personal question," he started, watching Raven as she gently set down her cup after taking a small sip. "Six red and yellow eyes, you have that too?"

"Four when his side takes over."

"Huh. Well, do any other things have the same eyes as you or your dad? I've seen them before, but I just cannot place where."

Her eyes fell into the depths of her glass as she thought, "Many demons have multiple eyes or even red ones, like my father and I. It is hard to say."

"Right…." he mumbled. "I just can't recall where I saw them. I think it was underwater, maybe?"

"If you really wish to know, I could dive into your mind and find out."

No!

"Um, neat, but I say this nicely, I'm going to have to pass."

She nodded just as the elevator dinged down the hall. Quickly, she turned to the hall and then back to Percy.

"Please don't mention me losing you," she panicked. "Beast Boy would never let me hear the end of it. He already pesters me enough."

Percy raised his hands, "All good, but don't be surprised if I go sit in the corner and spend the next hour wrapping my mind around what I saw."

She nodded, "Perhaps I can make it all clear from what I glimpse from you. If that is okay?"

"Ayo, Raven! Gramps!" Cyborg hollered, entering the kitchen. "I gave the others the rundown about the interview."

Percy nodded to the girl, who gave a nod in return before retreating under her hood.

"I'm going to be in another newspaper!" Beast Boy cheered, catapulting into the room. "This time in Metropolis as well!"

"I thought it was going to be about Perseus?" Starfire asked, moving towards the fridge and giving Percy a dazzling smile as she neared him.

Percy smiled back at her, and shrugged to the others, "You can ask him once he gets here."

"Ah, speaking of." Cyborg pulled up one of his cybernetic arms. A video display projected upwards from his wrist of a broad-shoulder journalist with glasses waiting at the front door.

"Don't forget to hack his phone," Percy teased.

"Already did," Cyborg laughed, walking back towards the elevator. "I'll be back."

AN: Join Discord link in bio! Follow, Favorite, Review!

(Revised Sept. 24th, 2024)

Hope all is well.

-Manke