Chapter Text
“The time has come” a voice old as time itself calls.
Three sisters sit side by side, they have gone by many names over the years, daughters of the night, the spinners, the relentless ones but their more well known and their most feared name ‘the moirai.’ Known for centuries, their names are feared and whispered by anyone who dares to tell their story.
“A new thread is to be woven.” Clotho says. “A thread who will defy our very existence.”
“A thread who we will have no control over until their decision is made.” Lachesis continued. “A decision to leave all that is good behind or guide all existence.”
“A thread that has been destined to be woven since the beginning of time.” Atropos finished, her voice carrying all the heaviness and wisdom you would expect from the oldest and most feared of the sisters. “It has been decided.”
All three sisters called out in haunting unity, their voices carrying something ancient and un-touched.
“A thread to be woven,
Of a boy born of sea,
Raised by hurt and tears,
Held on to by the happiness in memories,
His name Perseus, born to destroy, made with Achilles made to give grief.
The name balances itself out, Perseus Achilles. The destroyer who brings grief to the enemy.
We give you a mark to remember,
The mark of the Moirai.”
Down below in a run down hospital, a piercing wail cried out marking the birth of Perseus Achilles Jackson.
“It has begun.” The sisters finished. A promise made for all time, a promise of pain and destruction but also of hope and new beginnings.
8 years later.
Gotham city
A boy, eight years old, all alone sits almost silently, except for his raged breathing from running. He looks over the edge of the bridge he's on, his gaze constantly moving over the waves that lap over the shore of unswimmable waters. Gotham Harbor. The most polluted waters in the world, swimming in the water would most likely cause disease which would cause almost one hundred percent course death. But the boy's mind wasn't thinking about the dangers of Gotham harbor. But instead something far worse. Memories.
Memories of when his mom would talk him for walks along the shore of long island sound whispering gently to him, “No matter what happens Percy, go to the ocean you'll be safe there.” Memories of what happened over the past 6 months. Six months sound so short but he swears they were the longest 6 months of his life.
~flash back~
Gotham city
6 months ago.
Percy stood outside of the old, rundown apartment that always smelled of stale smoke and old beer that never seemed to change. There were voices echoing from inside. He breathed in a sharp breath and clenched on the letter in his hand. Slowly he opened the door, coming face to face with the owners of the voices. There were four men crowded around a small table, playing cards in hand. They stopped speaking to each other when they noticed he was there.
“Your home early brain boy.” That was Gabe, or what Percy called him Smelly Gabe. He was a short stocky man who constantly wore a tight, white wife beater that was always stained with something. He had thin, oily hair that was sleeked back showing off his forehead. He smells rotten like he never showered a day in his life. Percy kept his head down hoping he would be able to go to his room. “Well what have you got there?” Gabe gestured to the letter he held in his hand.
“It's from the school, for mom. When will she be home?” Percy asked in a small voice.
“What, did you get expelled again?” laughed Gabe. Percy didn't answer but his silence was an answer enough. Gabe looked at him for a second before he burst out laughing like he has never laughed before. “You really did, didn't you? What, you lasted seven months in a school made for delinquents? That's now what? 6 schools in 4 years that are impressive even for you brain boy.” as Gabe continued to laugh, the rest of the smelly men around him joined in.
Pexy's face burned red in embarrassment, feeling ashamed and embarrassed he ignored the men laughing at him and ran to his room slamming the door behind him, barely hearing Gabe shout at him to respect his home and not slam doors. Percy dropped his bag in the corner of the room. It wasn't Percy's room, not really. It's what Gabe claimed as his office, it was small only having space for a single bed, a small desk and a wardrobe. The only good part of the room was the window that led to a fire escape. Percy stayed in that room alone still holding his expulsion letter in hand waiting for his mom to return home.
His mom didn't return home that night instead at 10pm two police officers arrived at the door of the apartment. Sally Jackson was reported dead earlier that day, a hit and run they said but judging by the fear on Gabe's face Percy knew it was more than that. And from that day Percy's home became hell, and he was trapped in it with a monster.
~end flash back~
The waves continued to lap over the shore. It was unusually quiet that night. Gotham is always filled with noises, either someone screaming, gunshots or bombs going off, Gotham wasn't a quiet city but tonight it was. The only sound around was the soft splats of rain water hitting the ground and almost silent sobs that took over the boy's body. Percy wasn't sure when he started to cry, he wasn't sure why any of this was happening, why did his mom leave, why did he have to say. Percy's breathing picked up. His chest started to hurt along with all the other injuries old and new. Before Percy could work himself up again his mind started to become cloudy and his mind drifted away.
~flash back~
4 hours ago
Gotham city
“You idiot.” Gabe screamed at him. “Do you have any idea how much I work to feed you to keep this roof over your head. Now you disrespect me by throwing my drink?!”
Percy shrank back from Gabe's voice, his head down staring at the glass pieces on the ground from where he dropped the drink. “I…Im s…sorry, I d..dropped it.” Lighting struck outside causing Percy to flinch.
Gabe stared at Percy disgust crossing his face. His hand shot out towards Percy and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling Percy closer to Gabe's face. His feet were dangling off the ground, he held Gabe's hand not wanting to fall. Percy was so close to Gabe that he could smell the deer in his breath almost making Percy gag. “First.” Gabe spat, “First you break my last drink, then you try and lie to me saying it was a mistake. You really think I would believe anything that comes out of the mouth of a delinquent?” Gabe's breathing heavily into Percy's face.
Percy remained in Gabe's hold for a few seconds longer. “So now you want to answer me? You think you are above me, don't you.” Suddenly Gabe's hand lets go of Percy's shirt making him drop to the floor, straight on the beer on the ground causing Percy's feet to slip out from under him. He screamed out in pain feeling the glass imbed itself in his arms. Tears were flowing from his eyes. Distantally Percy could hear Gabe shouting at him but he couldn't make out the words, not like he was trying to. The only thing Percy could focus on was the blood dripping down his arms and the glass shards embedded in them.
The rain began to pound louder against the window almost like it was trying to get in. Percy wished this could all stop, he wanted to go back to new york, back to when his mom would make blue pancakes for him before she left for work. Gabe was still yelling but it was like his head was in a cloud, he didn't know what was happening but he felt calmer and almost peaceful. Percy wished he could stay like this forever. He didn't know how long he was like that. Just sitting there his head in a cloud, Gabe yelling distantly, pain still trembling in his arms but it felt far away.
He finally came out of it when breathing became harder to do. All his senses came back fast, sounds of rain outside, the pain in his arms, and Gabe's hand tightening around his neck. He couldn't breathe. Percy thrashed and clawed at Gabe's arms, his vision darkened around the edges of his eyes. His struggles became weak and he felt light headed. Distantally he registered something breaking before the hands let go and he plummeted to the floor. It was wet. Why was the floor wet? He still couldn't breathe properly. He took a quick look around, Gabe wasn't in the room with him and the windows were shattered, rainwater spilled everywhere. In the midst of his observation a voice, not his own, whispered in his head. Run.
So he ran as fast as he could, his feet pounding on the floor, he didn't know where to go, he just ran.
End flash back
There was someone sitting next to him, how long had the person been there. Percy didn't know, he didn't want to know, his eyes stayed locked onto the bay, hoping they would just go away. Hoping that he could just go away. His moms voice filled his head. ‘No matter what happens Percy, go to the ocean you'll be safe there’ he was by the ocean now. But why didn't he feel safe? A cold draft made Percy's body shiver, he moved his arms to cover his stomach to try and keep warm, but as soon as his arms lifted, pain shot through him as a sob burst from his lips. He forgot about the glass, how could he forget?
”k..
”kid can…
“Kid can you hear me.”
Percy looked up startled by the voice. There was someone sitting next to him, wait he knew that, right? He didn't know, why didn't he know. His gaze shifted back to the sea. There was a feeling in him, he felt like if he was in the water he'd be safe, but that… that couldn't be right. But it felt right. Percy shifted forward to get a better look at the water. What if he did. What if he was in the water? Would he be safe? Someone next to him was talking, they sounded panicked, why would they panic? The water was safe. He moved forward again, he was barely sitting on the bridge now. The someone was almost shouting now. Percy didn't know anything anymore other than the water felt safe. Something was on his shoulder, pulling him away from the water. His vision was blurry and his body went slack, he felt like he was floating but something, someone was holding him. Percy didn't know any more, he was hurt and so, so tired…
”You're safe now kid” was the last thing he heard before everything went dark.