"You think your mom is going to be happy?"

Percy turned to Annabeth, a smile across his lips. His hand reached across the car's center console as he squeezed her thigh over her jeans.

"She's going to be over the moon, Wise Girl," he assured her. "She loves you almost as much as I love you. Which is a lot in case you were unsure."

Annabeth grinned, brushing her princess curls behind her ear. With rosy cheeks, she set her gaze past the passenger window. The Atlantic Ocean crashed against the rocky cliffside below them as they drove the winding road up the coastline.

"I'm worried she'll think we are rushing things. I mean, we aren't even twenty."

"Trust me," he stressed, keeping the car between the yellow and white. "She's going to be more excited and overjoyed than you can ever imagine. I promise."

"I know. I know," she sighed, interlacing her fingers with his hand on her lap. She brought his knuckles up to her lips, leaving a lingering kiss. "I'm just overthinking things."

"Curse of being your mom's kid. Too many thoughts," Percy teased, taking their combined hands and poking her in the ribs. "You just gotta go with the flow. You'll see everything will be alright."

She rolled her eyes, feeling his gaze on her. He was so cheesy, and he wasn't afraid to admit it. Life was too fragile to worry about if the joke was lame or not.

"Just keep your eyes on the road, Fish Brains."

"Yeah, yeah," he brushed her off, but heeding her words all the same. The recent rains had made the roads slick, but hardly anything to worry about.

So, they moved onwards through the enchanting winding roads of the Northeast with ease. Around them, a symphony of colors unfolded with the likes of a Bob Ross painting. The late autumn leaves fell from their trees in the shifting winds, scattering a kaleidoscope of reds, oranges, and yellows across the road and down into the sea below. As the road continued to bend, the trees would break away to glimpses of the azure Atlantic below, glimmering in the sunlight as it crashed into the rocky shoreline below.

It was perfect.

It was a view to die for.

Percy grinned as the car came out of a turn and to a straightaway. To the right shoulder of the road, it opened up enough space to park a few cars. With a sudden idea, Percy quickly ditched the road to park there.

"What are you doing?" Annabeth asked as the car rumbled over the dirt and came to a stop. "We need to get to your Mom's before dinner."

"It's fine," Percy smiled, squeezing her hand gently before throwing the car into park. "We are ahead of schedule anyway. We can enjoy this beautiful canvas that the world has painted for us for twenty minutes."

Annabeth glanced out the front window. A sprinkle of pine and oak trees blocked their line of sight to the water below, but she had to admit, it was beautiful. All this little outcropping needed was a little bench to sit on.

"Five minutes. I don't want to be late," she negotiated, eyes lingering on the world.

"Fifteen," Percy countered, already getting out of his seat.

"Ten?"

"Deal!" Percy cheered as he quickly moved to the passenger side. "My lady." He said as he opened her door, offering his hand to help her out.

"Thank you. I didn't know this cliffside had such nice valet assistants."

"We don't," Percy continued the joke. "But we try our best for the pretty ladies."

"Pretty, am I?" Annabeth teased, swooning into him.

He caught her against his chest, meeting her smoldering grey eyes. "The most beautiful in the world." He kissed her as he began to slowly inch backward and closer to the guard railing.

Beyond the edge, the cliffside dropped only four feet. From there it slowly declined for more than a few yards before living up to its name as a cliff. The trees growing on the side of the cliff shot upwards just above Percy's own six-foot height on the flat terrain, creating a canopy that one could look up at the skies above.

"So, what's the plan?" Annabeth asked, clinging to his arm as she joined him gazing out at the world. A cool breeze swept upwards from below, carrying the smell of the sea with it.

Percy took a long drag of the air, feeling his skin tingle with goosebumps.

A moment passed in silence for the two lovers as they sat in the moment.

Percy let himself take another deep breath of pure, clean air. It soothed the distant aching burn in his lungs. The chill within the salty air was the exact opposite of the fire he and Annabeth had to drink. If only he could bottle this air, this view, and this moment and keep it forever.

He pulled Annabeth closer to him, resting his chin on her head, "I say we hop the rail, kick back on that area down there, and act like we are in our own little capsule. Let us exist in this moment for a small eternity."

Her hand reached up above her head, caressing his cheek as he leaned into her hand, "I don't think I should be doing such adventure activities with all that is happening."

Percy frowned, glancing down at her, "Nothing can stop me once I've made up my mind, so I'll just carry you."

"And lift me back up?" she asked, raising a perfect eyebrow.

His hands fell to her hips, "I think I can handle the ninety pounds that you are, any day."

"We both know I don't weigh ninety pounds."

"And my mom always told me to lowball a woman's age and weight or never ask in the first place."

"If only you got her brains," Annabeth teased, leaning up on her tippy toes to kiss him. "Don't worry. I still love you."

A goofy lopsided grin marred his face, "Well, her brains wouldn't have stopped for us to have this little moment, so let's hurry up and hop the railing."

"I thought you were carrying me?"

"My apologies." He hooked his arm under her legs and around her back as he swept her off her feet. "Oh geez," he fake-groaned.

"Oh, shut it." She smacked his shoulder as she leaned into him.

"Ouch," he monotoned.

"Baby," she jabbed back.

"Yes, dear?"

She rolled her eyes, "You are burning through your ten minutes holding me here."

"As long as I am with you, it's worth it. Besides, I'll just make up for any lost time later when I'm driving. Maybe we will even have time to run by a store to get a cheap Halloween costume for tonight."

Percy woke, eyes reluctantly opening to the world as blinding reality streamed through the window.

Blinds. Percy groaned. Gotta buy some blinds.

The aged son of Poseidon rolled over, eyes lingering on the vacant portion of his king-size bed. There, the pillow rested untouched and undisturbed as it had been for years now.

Percy didn't know why he kept a bed too large for one person, but he did. It used to be their bed, and well, it was still his bed. There was no point throwing something out that he had held onto for this long.

Percy blinked, shifting his focus from the untouched pillow to the shadow of himself on the wall. He had slept in longer than he intended. Perhaps he was just getting old and using his powers had taken more out of him than he thought.

I need to get up, or else I'll spend my morning chasing dreams. He groaned internally.

Huffing, he forced himself awake and out of bed. He had things to do, places to be, and people to meet. After all, today was the day he met the Titans properly. If you don't count his scuffle where he stepped in.

With lead for feet, he mosied his way to the kitchen, blinking away the sleep from his eyes and the dreams of the past. While no stranger to nightmares, he hadn't dreamt of that day in some months now.

His first stop for the morning was the coffee maker. It was going to be an extra sugar day for sure. In his books, an unhealthy amount of sugar was always a great way to kickstart the day or offset the night. More often than not, it was the latter.

In no time, he was moving onto his small balcony, a cup of sugar with a side of coffee in hand. Apollo was already casting long shadows across the city, reaching toward the coast. In the distance, he could see the iconic Titan Tower reflecting the morning rays back at him, reminding him of what he had to do today.

Getting there wouldn't be too bad of a walk or bike ride. It was a bit longer than the walk from the coffee shop back to his old apartment in Metropolis, but he could manage. He was a demigod at the end of the day. If a walk across town was too much for him, he had more significant problems to deal with than getting to work.

Percy took a long draw from his mug. As he tilted the World's Okayest Brother mug back down, he caught sight of a distant glimmer of green light shooting out from the T-shaped tower. That would be one of the superheroes he was now supposed to get to know and help…. Too bad he couldn't remember who it was. Maybe if he had read the dossier Batman gave him, he would've known. It was even in Ancient Greek. He really had no excuse but his own laziness on that front.

He retreated into his apartment and made his way to the shower.

The lukewarm water cascaded down his back as he dragged his razor around the edges of his beard, shaping it to be its best. First impressions were important, after all, ignoring his intervention earlier in the week.

Gods, what were those kids even thinking? Looking back on it, he just appeared, bailed them out of a sticky situation, and then dipped, saying he'd see them later. At least the robed girl dipped as well, so he wasn't the only one.

In Percy's defense, others have made worse impressions. Zeus sure didn't make a good one, but using the guy who hates your existence is a pretty low bar to pass…. Countless people had no civility when ordering coffee, which sure didn't make a good impression, so there was that, at least.

Percy would like to think he did better than that and would do way better than that when he spoke the Titans properly.

"Why am I overthinking this?" Percy slumped his head against the shower wall, staring down his bar of soap. "They are kids. I'm the adult. It's just like the old days at camp."

"Oi!" someone shouted outside the bathroom. Percy's hand slapped the wet skin on his thigh where his pocket and pen should've been.

Right, I'm in a shower, he thought to himself. Instead, he peeked through his shower curtain to see that the door remained closed.

"Hurry up in there, Perce!" a male voice continued. "I'm on a tight schedule as always."

Percy frowned. He knew his apartment was locked, and not just anyone would walk in and ask for him. So, realistically, it was a friend or an immortal.

Just in case it was an immortal, he closed his right hand around a pommel of scalding hot water. The heat was barely noticeable to him, but if he swung on anyone with this makeshift whip of boiling water, well, it was going to leave a mark.

"Seriously, Perce. Stop playing the skin flute and sign off on your delivery. I don't have all day."

Percy frowned, looking down as he thought of who was on the other side of the door. Well, really, it became apparent once he actually connected two dots: in a rush and a delivery.

"Hermes?" Percy called through the door.

"No, it's Hera," the male voice patronized. "Of course, it's me. I delivered the car like you asked, and now it is your turn to sign off."

Right, Percy realized. The car.

"Well, I'm a bit naked, so just hold the pen and paper to the door, and I'll sign it through the crack."

"As long as it's signed, I don't care how you do it or how you look doing it."

Percy cracked the door open, dispelling the watery whip and the water on his body so it wouldn't stain the paper. He met Herme's sky-blue eyes before taking the offered pen from the god.

One-half attempt later of a signature, he handed the pen back.

"Well, that's done. Thanks again for using Hermes Express blah blah blah. Speedy deliveries and all that. You take care, Perce."

The god didn't even wait for a response before tipping his winged hat and blurring out existence. The only truth to him being gone was the sound of the front door closing.

"Yeah, you too, Hermes," Percy muttered, opening the bathroom door to step out to his empty apartment.

In the silence, the weight of Hermes' words settled.

The car had been delivered. Which meant he would have to get back to fixing it in his spare time. Gods, if his friends still knew he had kept the hunk of metal, he'd never hear the end of it. Thank the gods Hermes Express existed, so he didn't have to reveal to Nico that he was still trying to fix that piece of junk. Though it was his piece of junk. It held a lot of memories and moments of his life that he wasn't ready to let go of just yet.

So, if that meant waiting a few more days and keeping the car a secret so he didn't have to hear about his friends saying he needed to get rid of it, then it was worth being interrupted while in the shower. At least Hermes didn't appear in the bathroom itself.

Percy grabbed a fresh pair of clothes and quickly dressed, combing his fingers back through his hair and calling it good. He gave himself a once over in the foggy mirror and nodded, approving of his own style. He grabbed his wallet and apartment key and went to the door to leave toward the tower on the horizon.

As he swung open the door, he paused.

"Hello!" a tall orange woman smiled, her hand raised, waving, as she tilted her head to the side.

She looked familiar.

"Hi," Percy responded, unsure, closing the gap between the open door and the doorframe.

"May I come in?"

Percy bit his tongue. Who was this again? She looked really familiar. Was she one of the Titans from the other day? She was orange, and ordinary people were not orange, so she was very likely a superhero…. He didn't recall seeing her though.

"I'm going to sound stupid here, maybe, but should I know you?" Percy responded.

The woman tilted her head to the other side, reminding him of a cat or maybe a dog.

"You did not read the files the Batman gave you?" she, in turn, asked.

Percy glanced back at his coffee table. The manilla folder stared back, laughing at him.

"No, but I assume you are a Teen Titan."

"You may know me as Starfire, and while the team are teens, I am not. I am the oldest current Titan."

"Right, so not a teen, but a Titan nonetheless." He repeated. He was hoping for at least a walk to get his mind gathered before this. "I guess this is the part where I welcome you inside my place so we can talk privately since you found me first?"

Starfire hesitated, glancing behind him before meeting his eye, "My appearance here makes you uncomfortable. We can shorten this conversation in the hallway if you wish."

Percy winced, was he being a dick?

"It's fine. I'd rather you come inside." He swung the door open wider, hoping the smile on his face was disarming. "I don't know how any of my neighbors will react to having the city's superheroine roaming their halls."

Starfire stepped into his apartment, looking around at his spartan walls, "I have found many want my name written on various things they own."

"An autograph," Percy chuckled. "They probably turn around and sell it online."

Her smile faltered, "Nightwing said something similar…. I still do not see the point of the selling of the auto-graph."

"Nightwing?" Percy frowned. Another superhero name that sounded familiar-ish, but in his defense, he never cared for learning the names of people he had not met. It wasn't like he ever planned on joining the superhero world anyway.

"The person who was the leader of the Titans before you and I. He is the Batman's oldest prodigy."

Wasn't that Robin, though?

"Interesting," he mumbled. "Want coffee or anything?"

Starfire shook her head, "I am not in need of a drink, but gratitude to the offering."

"Yeah, no problem." He shrugged, crossing into his living room. He gestured to the couch. "Have a seat. I imagine you showing up here is important, and my only real business today is dropping by your place anyway."

Starfire hummed what sounded like a positive noise before sitting at the edge of his couch. Her long legs, covered in the purple armor that protected most of her figure, crossed over each other as she met his gaze. There was no challenge behind her lime-green lion-like eyes, yet he felt uneasy all the same beneath her gaze.

"I read your file last night while I concluded my recovery from the fight with Cinderblock. I thank you for your interventions," she opened, her pupils flickering to his own collection of files on the table before them before meeting his eye once again. "I thought it prudent to greet you properly and as soon as possible."

"Well, we are now greeted. Though, I will admit to not reading your file."

"Did you read any of them?"

Percy shrugged and leaned forward, snatching the manilla folder. He quickly opened it, seeing various dividers tabbed with different words.

Raven. Cyborg. Wonder Girl. Beast Boy. Starfire.

He glanced at the woman across from him. Her face betrayed nothing as she simply watched him. He looked back to her write-up.

She was an alien from a planet that did not translate to Greek. That or it was called amTaran. It would be pretty weird to capitalize a letter in the middle of the word, though.

Additionally, despite her youthful appearance, she was technically older than him by more than a few years. Earth apparently had a faster orbit than her home. And among other things about her home world, it was a planet full of warriors capable of flight. Good for them.

"You can ask me anything you may have questions about," she added. "I bear no secrets to those I seek trust."

He nodded passively. His eyes were already jumping to the following line marred with black ink, blotting out over most of the following paragraphs. Yet, the uncovered words painted enough of a picture.

Starfire was capable of absorbing and harnessing UV radiation and light to further enhance her being, achieving feats similar to Superman and other Kryptonians. Good for her.

"You absorb the sunlight?" he probed for a starting point for the conversation she awaited for.

"Indeed."

"That's cool," he tried again.

"It is actually quite warm," she countered offhandedly.

Percy paused…. Did she try to make a joke or not understand what I meant?

He tossed the folder back down. Most of what was left was commentary about her relationships with various other heroes. He didn't really care to know. That was her life, not his.

"Right." He clasped his hands to prevent them from jittering. "Uh, let's get to the point of things. I'm Percy Jackson. The Justice League approached me the other day to help train and care for the others and, technically, you. I forget their exact words."

"I understand." Her eyes dipped away, looking past him to where he knew the balcony was, "I had a feeling this was going to happen."

Percy winced at the downtrodden look that crossed her face. She looked like a cat that had just been yelled at. "Don't take it personally, please. I'm sure you and the others are all great in your own ways. I think they just want me as an assurance and such."

Starfire gave him a small smile, "I do not blame you. I knew this was to happen. I was never the leader as Nightwing was. In his absence, it is only natural to fill it. Especially after our performance in recent weeks."

"Right," Percy stretched the word. "I just…. I don't know you or the others, and I don't know who Nightwing was to all of you. Nor do I know the size of the shoes I am stepping in, but I hope we can all get along. After reading my file, I'm sure you know enough about me that I don't need to tell you what I've done, but admittedly, I haven't done this 'hero' schtick in a while, so I might need a little time to adjust to all of this."

"I understand," Starfire nodded her head. "He wore a size eleven shoe, but I do not think he left any at the tower."

What? Did she take his words literally?

She continued, "And I have read that you have not done much in over a decade since your crash with your former fiance. I will not press you into actions you do not feel comfortable doing."

Percy blinked, restraining himself from wincing at the reminder of his life.

Wow, they really have everything in here, huh? Do they have his favorite candy as well?

"Yeah," he responded dryly. "That about sums that up, then."

Starfire's smile fell away as she gave him a once-over. A chill went down his spine, and he felt uneasy again. But this time, it was like he was before the eyes of a lion, sizing up another animal on the savannah. Her alien eyes didn't help, either.

"I sense my comments have made you uncomfortable. I apologize."

"It's fine. I-I just…. I've buried that part of my life."

"But have you laid it to rest?" she followed up, and he felt his throat constrict into silence. "I see." She stood from her seat and offered her arm to him. "You'll find with the Titans that many of us carry similar stories. We, Titans, were, or rather, are a family. This is only the newest generation of us who have yet to find ourselves. Maybe X'hal or your gods have put you on this path not just to help us but to help yourself."

Percy let her words wash over him, soak into him, as he stared at her offered hand. Maybe she was right. It isn't like he was getting any younger, wasting away his years serving coffee. If the Mother of the Night wanted him back in the game, maybe he could play some of his own plays, too, and not just the coach's call.

Percy took Starfire's hand, and she effortlessly pulled him to his feet.

Strong. Real strong.

Their hands lingered for a moment, entwined with another as he felt the pure warmth and heat that extended from her touch. It was almost similar to that of Hestia's hearth or even the bonfires back when he was younger at camp.

Then, the cold of the Alaskan glaciers quickly kissed his hand as he let go.

"You know these kids aren't going to trust me or want to listen to a word I say when I meet them, right?"

Starfire nodded, "You do not consume an apple in a single go. You take a bite. Then another bite, and then another."

"She's right, my sweet," the black-winged woman whispered in his ears. Her arms slithered around his neck as she clung to his back. His heart dropped into his stomach as he felt the raw presence of the woman who held his existence in her whims.

Percy glanced at Starfire, but her features remained unchanged, unseeing of the deity that was all but devouring Percy's frame. If anything, Starfire seemed frozen, unaware of the reality around her.

Percy turned his head to the right. His lips almost touched the space-skinned woman's own.

"Nyx," he breathed gently upon the growing smile that revealed teeth that looked more akin to diamonds than bone, and she physically shivered at her name as if it brought pleasure to her very existence. Her miasmic wings fluttered momentarily before cocooning around him, blocking him from the outside world and the daylight.

Under her might, the darkness of night consumed his vision, leaving him only to stare at her and her glowing features surrounded by the void.

"I'm beautiful, aren't I?" she purred, staring into his soul.

Every star and speck that littered her body shined brighter, dancing for his attention, trying to bring his eyes to notice. The vast endlessness of space that created the night sky called to him from the domain of night she made with the fog she enshrouded him in, pulling him under its spell. He watched as her miasmic wings hardened into feathers, a physical prison to entrap him within as they slowly closed in around him, cocooning him in her wings. Yet, he couldn't help but watch, entranced, as exploded stars turned into nebulas before his eyes.

Before he could even think, words tumbled from his lips, "You are."

Her smile somehow grew broader and brighter, and her left hand snaked its way up his spine, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake before it stopped upon his bearded cheek. Like the tide under the moon's gravity, he felt himself be pulled into her touch, leaning into her hand.

"You are as well," she whispered against his skin. "You are perfection." Her right hand trailed down over his shirt, down his chest, and hovered over the blackened scar. "You are mine."

Percy suppressed the shiver from the chill that raged from the long-since-healed gash across his midsection. It was her touch, her marking, that stole his soul before it could be reaped by her child, Thanatos. Her dominion gave him life.

"What do you want from me?" he forced out, trying to hold onto his self-control.

"In time, my sweet. In time." Her left hand stroked his cheek still as her right pulled away from his body, but as she brought the hand upwards, a black apple speckled with galaxies, quasars, and distant stars was in her hand. It called to him, and he couldn't help but lick his lips. "For now, do as your new lady-friend said, Percy."

She touched the apple to his lips.

"Take a bite."

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

(Revised Sept. 24th, 2024)

Hope all is well.

-Manke