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Chapter Text

The Fates of Themis always have a funny way of messing with someone’s life especially the life of one Perseus Jackson, however there are times when on occasion. That there’s a twist within one’s string of fate and is entwined with another, most of the time it’s a soulmate, other times it’s a family member, but this time. This twist in the string of fate involves two complete strangers, who walk amongst titans.  

The engine of the autobot hummed underneath Jack’s seated position on Arcee, this was the farthest they had ever driven from base without having to resort to using the ground bridge. Jack smiled under his helmet, it was times like this that he had held close to his heart. Times where he and Arcee could just relax a little bit. The raven haired teen looked down at the cluster of gauges with the autobot symbol prominent in the middle and asked. “Hey, do you wanna celebrate a little bit?” The pair of partners had ample reason to, they had just successfully scouted a location for an untouched energon mine.  

The gauges lit up as the femme autobot spoke. “We’re not going racing if that’s what you had in mind.” 

Jack leaned back a bit and shook his head, “What? No. I was thinking since we’re close to the Hoover Dam that we could stop by, take a load off and enjoy ourselves for a little bit. Just take a break and smell the roses.” 

“Jack-” Arcee started but was cut off by her human charge. 

“Yeah, I know we’re in the middle of a war and don’t have time to relax. Sorry.” Jack said dismissively and it had somewhat of a melancholy tone to it. He looked away briefly from the gauges and then focused back on the road. 

Arcee’s spark broke for the teen, despite all his responsibility and leadership capabilities. He was still just a kid, and could feel her attitude affecting his mental health a little bit. Just because they were at war doesn’t mean they couldn’t spare a little time to relax. “I was gonna say, before you interrupted me.” Jack mumbled an apology for the rudeness and Arcee dismissed it, “I get it, I know I’m not the most agreeable bot at times. But I was gonna say that I don’t have a nose. But we can enjoy ourselves a bit.” 

“R-Really?” Jack stuttered before Arcee started to accelerate a little bit more. 

“Hold on!” Arcee encouraged as Jack gripped her handlebars tighter and he smiled, as the pair sped to the Hoover Dam. The pair soon found a parking space to look out over the rush of water and feel the power of the hydroelectric dam. 

Jack slowly took off his helmet and let it rest in his lap, looking over the lake, taking a deep breath through his nose and letting it out through his mouth. He smiled a little bit, “Thanks Arcee. I appreciate it.” He thanked the autobot as he rubbed the side of her gas tank. 

“Watch your servos smooth operator.” Arcee teased her charge, knowing that he didn’t mean anything by it, Jack smirked and sarcastically held up his hands, “But, you’re welcome Jack. You were right.” 

“What was that?” Jack cupped his ear and tilted his head. “Couldn’t hear you.” 

“Couldn’t hear anything you can prove,” Arcee teased him back. Jack could almost feel the smirk on her faceplates. 

“Damn, I should have been recording.” Jack jerked slightly, though the pair could tell he was being playful. Jack got off Arcee, stretching his legs and back. Resting his helmet on her seat. “Sorry that you can’t enjoy it fully. It’s a pretty decent tourist destination.” 

“I’m just fine Jack, I appreciate your concern though. I’m just glad you get a moment to relax a bit.” Arcee thanked her charge, if there was one thing that Jack didn’t lack it was empathy. 

“I’m gonna go use the restroom, but on the way back. Can we talk about something?” Jack said as he felt his chest, the key to vector sigma between his sternum and undershirt. 

“Of course.” Arcee replied with a soothing undertone, she could tell that something was weighing on Jack’s mind and she would definitely lend an audial. “Don’t forget to wash your servos!”  

Jack’s lips quirked up slightly before he nodded, “Thanks.” He said before he went into the tourist center and started searching for a bathroom. Finally finding one that wasn’t closed for maintenance or cleaning, heading into the bathroom and relieving himself from the long trip. 

When he exited the bathroom as he was walking back someone grabbed his wrist, he was ready to haul off and punch the person before stopping and seeing that it was a goth girl around his age. “Good job Kelp Head, changing to throw them off our scent.” She dragged Jack off by his wrist. 

“K-Kelp head?” Jack questioned as the goth girl pulled him along, at a faster pace. 

“Do you still have the Nemean Lion Pelt?” The girl asked then stopped her talking, “What am I saying, of course you do.” Jack was too stunned to speak as other girls and a guy joined him and the goth girl. 

“Thalia, good thou hast found Percy.” A girl in what looked to be a silver parka and had braided hair, he looked to see that she was carrying a bow and quiver full of arrows? 

Wait hold on, why is she talking like that? Jack thought to himself before a hand grabbed his bicep, “Where’s the lion pelt?” Asked a guy with…hooves?! 

Jack opened his mouth to ask what was going on before they were interrupted by a gunshot, Jack instinctively grabbed the nearest people and pulled them out of the way. That being the girl in the silver parka and the goth Jack shouted,“Get down!” Getting them to duck behind a car as skeletons with guns approached. The goatman followed soon behind. Jack pulled out his cellphone and flipped it open, ready to call Arcee when it was slapped out of his hands and onto the ground, shattering it into several pieces.

 Jack stared at the goth girl who was apparently named Thalia as if she grew three heads. “Are you insane, kelp head? That’ll lead them right to us! ” She whispered. 

Jack who was fed up with these strange people and having his sarcasm flare up, “What do you suppose we do? Pray?! ” Jack whispered back. 

“I told you before that won’t work, dad doesn’t answer my prayers. ” Thalia replied. 

“Why the fuck not? Not like we have any other option, because I dunno if you noticed the fucking skeletons with guns! And we only have a bow and arrow!” Jack was now irritated as he whispered. 

“He has a point, Thals.” The goatman whispered as Thalia rolled her eyes and closed them. As the other girl in the parka notched an arrow. The giant metal guardians of the dam moved, as Thalia opened her eyes, finishing her prayer. Picking the four of them backhanding the skeletons before taking off into the sky. 

Jack’s heart nearly seized up, “Wait, wait, wait! No!” He shouted as he got further from the Hoover Dam. Jack reached out toward the dam as he was cupped in the hand of the guardian. Jack hir his face behind his hands, closing his eyes in frustration and confusion. This is just like the day I met Arcee. Arcee! 

Jack reached for his phone only to remember that the girl named Thalia destroyed it. He looked over at the other hand first to see the girl in question only to see her freaking out. Hyperventilating, Jack went from angry to empathetic right now the only thing on his mind was comforting the person who broke his phone. He’d get his due later. “H-Hey you alright?!” He shouted over the winds that displaced their clothing and hair. 

“I-I’m afraid of heights.” Thalia shouted back, her eyes still glued to the ground. “Don’t you dare even think about laughing, Kelp Head!” 

Jack rolled his eyes and shook his head. This girl was just like Miko; headstrong, brash, and Jack didn’t doubt for a second that she would punch him in the arm. Hell, if Jack introduced her to Slash Monkey they would be sisters. “Hey, look at me!” Jack shouted, “Don’t look at the ground. Look at me!” 

Thalia turned to look at Jack, who she thought was Percy, she smiled a bit as her breathing calmed. Looking at the kind face, the raven black hair, the reassuring smile, the cooling blue eyes. Thalia’s face scrunched in confusion as a rogue thought occurred to her. What color were Percy’s eyes again? The pair smiled at each other as they continued their journey through the sky westward. 

Percy Jackson burst out of the visitor’s center near the parking lot. It took him almost an hour to circle back around inside the dam; he looked around for Thalia, Grover, and Zoë, only to see no trace of them. He took a deep breath and noticed that the giant metal guardians dedicated to Zeus gifted from Athena were no longer there. “Where are they?” Percy looked westward and noticed in the distance two statues getting smaller and smaller. 

The demi-god’s jaw dropped, “They abandoned me?” He mumbled to himself. 

“About time, I was getting worried there after I heard the gunshots.” He heard a female’s voice come from seemingly nowhere. He whirled around to look at where the voice was coming from, his instincts kicking in as he dropped his waist. Lowering his center of gravity and shifting to the balls of his feet. He saw the motorcycle flash its headlights. Grabbing his attention, “Jeez did you stop off at the gift shop too?” Percy heard the voice coming from the motorcycle? The navy bike with shades of pink started itself, “C’mon, get on. Let’s get back before Ratchet blows a processor.” 

Percy shook his head and decided that this was another one of the gods tricks before he started to walk away. The motorcycle spoke up, “Jackson, you had better listen to your guardian!” The motorcycle scorned Percy and he froze. 

How does it know my name? Wait, guardian? Did Hephaestus send me a guardian as a way to apologize for the Junkyard? Percy thought to himself, as he eyed the motorcycle. He slowly approached the bike, seeing the helmet resting on the seat he grabbed it and put it on making adjustments to the chinstrap before settling in. 

Percy swung his leg over the motorcycle, settling his feet on the foot rests, holding onto the handlebars, the motorcycle turned down the road and took off. He smiled underneath the helmet, “Thanks.” Percy said aloud, not meaning for it to slip out of his mouth. 

“You’re welcome, Jack. Though I would appreciate it if you let me know you were hiding in the bathroom when the scrap hit the fan. Just send me a text next time, I thought M.E.C.H. were on our tailpipe” The motorcycle replied, much to Percy’s confusion. 

Jack? Percy thought to himself, Well it’s a lot better than Perseus at least. “Sorry, I couldn’t use a phone. You know how it is?” 

“You didn’t want them tracking you inside and getting innocent people hurt, smart thinking.” The motorcycle complimented Percy which made him feel…really warm inside. He smiled but before he could say anything another voice spoke up. 

“Autobot Outpost Omega One to Arcee. Come in Arcee.” A gruff voice cut through their peace. It reminded Percy of Mr. D at camp. 

“Go for Arcee.” The motorcycle replied, its name was apparently Arcee? 

“I just received a call from June asking for the whereabouts of Jack, she couldn’t get in touch with him. I informed her that he was with you at the Hoover Dam, and Rafael has informed me of the news of violence surrounding the monument. Are you two unharmed?” The voice informed and asked. 

“We’re fine Ratchet, Jack hid in the bathroom when the shooting started. It didn’t look related to the Decepticons or M.E.C.H. so we kept a low profile. Jack also decided to drop by the gift shop or the lost and found.” Arcee replied to the voice dubbed Ratchet. 

“That is good to hear.” Another voice replied. It was deeper, but with kinder undertones. It was the vocal version of safety, it reminded Percy a lot of his father. “Please escort Jack home safely as soon as possible. I will contact Agent Fowler to follow up with the local authorities.” The voice commanded with a stern but kind tone. 

“Will do Optimus, Arcee out.” Arce replied as she shut off the comm link. Turning her attention back to Percy, “So what did you want to talk about?” 

That snapped Percy out of his stupor, looking down at the glowing cluster of gauges with a weird symbol in the middle. “Sorry?” 

“I thought you said you wanted to talk about something on the way back?” Arcee asked sincerely. 

“I…forgot?” Percy offered innocently, realizing now that he was in much deeper trouble than a quest. He was being kidnapped, albeit politely kidnapped. Worst case scenario, a mistaken identity, which means that Thalia, Grover, and Zoë have a mortal alongside them. 

Arcee lightly huffed, “Alright, I won’t push…just know that you can talk to me, alright? I can’t promise to know everything about you humans, but I can listen.” The motorcycle offered. 

Percy felt a smile bloom on his face and tears pricked out of the corner of his eyes. Wait a minute, hold off on the waterworks son of Poseidon. She said ‘you humans’. His inner voice told him, his eyes slightly widened at that. “I…appreciate it.” Percy thanked the motorcycle. 

The pair continued to ride until they reached a small town, Percy noticed the sign said ‘Welcome to Jasper, Nevada! Entertainment Capital of the world.’ Percy’s inner New Yorker just chuckled. Which also accidentally slipped out of his mouth. “Agreed, but I mean I honestly prefer this over your cities. Don’t get me wrong, I love the city. Cybertron was practically a planet of cities. But not built for a femme like me, y’know?” Arcee replied with a teasing undertone. 

Percy was confused but nodded. He did his best to not be offended and to his advantage the motorcycle didn’t point it out, the helmet also helped hide his disdain. The motorcycle pulled up to a suburban house that opened the garage door and pulled in going around the cream white Crown Vic. 

Percy got off the motorcycle and took off the helmet. Putting the helmet on a side table as the door to the house opened and out popped the head of a woman who could honestly be mistaken for a gender bent version of his father, she wore casual clothing, had her raven black hair tied back into a low ponytail and a warm smile on her face. She looked at the motorcycle in the garage and hit the garage door button. Closing it, “Alright Arcee, you’re good.” 

“Oh thank Primus.” The motorcycle said before it began to change. 

Before Percy’s eyes the motorcycle turned into a woman, Percy’s jaw dropped as the motorcycle woman robot named Arcee stretched out like a cat. She got a smirk on her face that reminded Percy of whenever Annabeth was right about something. “Scraplet got your glossa, smooth operator?”

Percy’s jaw snapped shut with a slight click. “Sorry just…every time I see it I’m always impressed?” The son of Poseidon offered, hoping his lie had been convincing enough. 

Arcee chuckled and rolled her eyes, “You’re sure to rev a femme’s engines with that line Jack.” She lay on her stomach, folding her arms in front of her head and laying her head down on her arms. “I think I’m gonna get a nap before you head off to work, June.” 

June smiled at the giant robot woman, “Thanks Arcee, I hate the night shift but it pays better. Do you want the light on or off?” She asked as the robot closed her eyes. 

“Off please.” Arcee replied as the woman named June flicked a switch inside the house and the garage light turned off. “Thank you.” The robot thanked the woman as Percy hesitantly followed the woman inside. 

Percy’s guard was still up until he saw the pictures hanging on the wall and he could honestly see the confusion, because in the picture he was looking at he and this Jack person were spitting images of one another. It seemed to be a picture of him and his mom June camping, smiling in the great outdoors as they hugged. He rounded the corner and saw June setting a plate of lasagna on a kitchen island. She took a look at his clothing. “Camp Half-Blood? Why would they have that at the Hoover Dam?” 

“It was in the lost and found.” Percy lied while pulling open the coat slightly, “I figured if I change my clothes I wouldn’t be as easily recognizable, just in case.” 

“I’m just glad you’re okay.” June said as she hugged Percy, Percy felt a little guilty because he knew he wasn’t Jack but he still felt good for the mom hug. “By the way what happened to your phone? I tried calling and every time it went straight to voicemail.” June asked after she separated from Percy.

“Uh…it got smashed?” Percy lied again looking away, causing June to sigh, she brought a hand up to Percy’s cheek. 

“Ah well I think you were due for an upgrade anyways. There’s no need to be embarrassed.” She lightly patted his cheek with her hand, “Wash your hands and eat your supper. I gotta get ready for work.” June gestured to the lasagna sitting on a kitchen island with a glass of water and utensils next to it, as he dug into the homemade hot food he couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. Here he was sitting in someone else’s life, as Jack presumably is sitting in his. 

Chapter Text

Jack inwardly frowned at the trio he found himself with, as they conversed. He found out that their names were Thalia, Zoë, and Grover through their arguing. They reminded him of Bulkhead, Arcee, and Bee. While they presumed that he was named Percy, and right now he was really regretting going to the Hoover Dam. 

He didn’t even get the chance to talk to Arcee about what was bothering him, ever since he came back from Cybertron. Optimus had allowed him to keep the Key to Vector Sigma. Believing it to be in good hands, Optimus had told him that the key was more than just that. It had the ability to bring out the potential of any good leader. To give someone the ability to protect those they loved.

Jack hovered his hand over his chest where it hung over his sternum. He could feel it doing something to him, as far as what? He didn’t know, he was turning out the conversation between the three and thinking to himself. Jack closed his eyes, what would Optimus do? He opened his eyes and saw the three, they looked tired, and stressed. He’d help, no matter what. Jack put his hand over his sternum, pressing the key to his chest. Okay, Vector Sigma. Guide me. 

It was at that moment that his vision shifted, his eyes glowing bright blue. The scene before Jack showing him pointing to an older man sitting on a bench near the pier, and him wrapping the old man in a bear hug, before suplexing him. Jack blinked and the scene shifted, he could hear himself saying, “Where is the monster that Artemis is hunting?”

The scene shifted again as he stood before what looked like a cow serpent as Grover volunteered to bring it back, “Oh Poseidon, please help the Ophiotaurus and Grover back to camp safely.” Jack tossed a tan trench coat into the water.

Jack blinked as the guardians took off toward the city, busy chatting about a party. Jack didn’t pay them any mind. He sighed to himself as he shook his head, placing a hand on his temple. He felt a hand on his bicep, looking to see that it was Zoë Nightshade, “Perseus art thou even listening?” she asked the teen who was ignoring their conversation. 

“Sorry about that, the altitude got to me a bit.” Jack apologized sincerely, before shaking his head. 

Zoë raised an eyebrow at Jack before letting go of his bicep, “Understandable for a son of the sea.” 

“Anyways, I got a lead.” Jack informed Zoë, Thalia, and Grover as he jerked his head toward the ocean. 

“Lead the way bro.” Grover gestured ahead and chuckled to himself as Jack led the four to what appeared to be the evil twin of Santa, dressed in a white coat, yellow beard and black hair. He looked incredibly dirty, Jack walked up behind the man and wrapped him in a bear hug lifting him off the ground. “Percy what are you doing?” Grover asked Jack as he held the man up in his newfound strength.

 The man struggled for a bit before Jack fell onto his back giving the man German suplex that would make Miko proud, then he finished his maneuver by wrapping his legs around his torso and locking his ankles and sliding his arms around his throat and head, preparing for a blood choke just like Arcee and Agent Fowler had taught him.

“Ah damn it!” The homeless Santa replied, “You heroes are all the same, picking on me. Fine, you get one question.” 

“Is that-” Thalia started before Zoë cut her off. 

“Nereus, old man of the sea. Catch him and you get to ask a question, very effective for he knows everything.” Zoë answered with a bit of appreciation on her face. Jack caught that out of the corner of his eye but elected to ignore it for now. “ The surprising part is that you actually got him.”  

“Get aggressive enough quickly enough.” Jack mentioned, glacing from behind Nereus’ head. “Throws anyone off their game and they hardly have time to mount a defense.” He said, much to the surprise of Zoë. 

“Guerilla tactics. Can’t say I wholeheartedly approve but ‘tis effective to say the least.” Zoë murmured, nodding in approval. 

“Where’s the monster that Artemis is hunting?” Jack asked without a second thought, trying to ignore the smell emanating from Nereus. 

“Too easy, it’s been tracking you this entire time.” Nereus pointed to the water for Jack to see a cow just below the surface. 

“Alright, fair enough.” Jack said before he released the old man. 

“Why didn’t you just wrap the lion pelt around him?” Thalia asked Jack, confusion on her face, she started to piece things together. “What happened to the Nemean Lion pelt?”  

“Ditched it.” Jack lied coolly, he knew what she was talking about. He had passed his history class with a B+, it would have been an A but the final grade was a group project.

“Why would you do something like that?!” Grover shouted at Jack, “That thing was invincible!” 

“Except for the parts it doesn’t cover.” Jack replied to the satyr, catching him by surprise. Seeing out of the corner of his eye that Zoë was scrutinizing him. “Besides that, it makes people reckless. Gives them a false sense of security. Pain, as much as we avoid it, also teaches us. I’m not Hercules, and I don’t want to be anything like him.” He could barely see it but out of the corner of his eye, the Huntress gave him a small smile. “So, this is the creature that Artemis was hunting?” Jack gestured to the Ophiotaurus with a full hand. 

“The Ophiotaurus.” Zoë stated matter-of-factly, throwing off Jack.

“The Ophi-what now?” He asked her. 

 “It means serpent bull in greek.” Thalia explained, Jack knew that. It’s just that he’s only read those words, he had never heard them aloud. “What’s it doing here?” She asked. 

“Moooooo.” The Ophiotaurus said aloud and Grover translated it. 

“He says that Percy is his protector.” The satyr explained, “That Percy saved him and he’s running from the bad people, and that they’re close?” 

“Wait a moment, thou knowest this cow?” Zoë asked Jack, raising an eyebrow at him. 

“Okay I do,” Jack lied, “However, to be fair. Do you expect every animal you save to be the animal you’re looking for?” Jack deflected, then decided to be honest. “I’m just as surprised as you are.” He finished and held up his hands as Thalia, Zoë, and Grover looked at him. 

Grover shrugged, then agreed. “I mean he’s got a point, all we knew was that Lady Artemis was hunting a monster. But no details on which monster.” 

“And he doesn’t seem like a monster, just like any other animal. An innocent one at that.” Thalia pointed out, then made a knife hand gesture at the Ophiotaurus. “How is he going to bring about the destruction of Olympus?” 

Jack raised his hands, pointing his palms to the sky, both his pinkie and ring fingers curled a deep frown adorning his face. Telling the others that really he didn’t know. Right now I’m just winging it. He thought to himself.

Zoë closed her eyes, “I am a fool. I know this story!” She said with a shout as Jack reached down to pet the Ophiotaurus' snout and under his chin. 

“What story?” Jack asked Zoë, curiosity adorning his face as Zoë spoke. 

“It’s from the War of the Titans. My-” Zoë started and cut herself off. “My father told me of this tale. The Ophiotaurus will not bring the ruin personally, he must be sacrificed.” 

“MMMM.” The serpent bull mooed lowly. 

“Yeah I don’t think he likes the s-word.” Jack offered as he scratched behind the bull’s ears, calming him down. He trembled under Jack’s touch. Jack brought him closer, “Nature, nurture, heaven and home.” He started to sing to him. “Sum of all, and by them, driven.” Jack petting the bull’s snout. “To conquer every mountain shown.” He pressed his head against the Ophiotaurus’s head. “But I’ve never crossed the river.”  

The Ophiotaurus was much more calm now, and Zoë continued. “He may not cause destruction personally, but there is power in killing innocence. Terrible power. The Fates ordained a prophecy eons ago, when this creature was born that whoever killed the Ophiotaurus sacrificed its entrails to the fire would have the power to destroy gods.” 

Jack listened with concern on his face, as the Ophiotaurus lowly mooed again. “Um,” Grover started, “Maybe we don’t talk about entrails either.” Jack looked at the satyr and nodded. 

Thalia looked at the cow, an expression that Jack couldn’t quite read on her face. It was a mix between wonder and…hunger? Jack thought about it for a second. He knew that look well, when he encountered Megatron in the collapsed mine. She craves power. Jack thought to himself, before he remembered what Optimus told him about power and being a hero. 

“The power to destroy the gods…how?” Thalia asked, “I mean, what would happen?”    

“No one knows.” Zoë said and started her explanation, “The first time, during the Titan War. The Ophiotaurus was in fact slain by a giant ally of the titans, but thy father, the King, sent an eagle to snatch away the entrails before they could be tossed into the fire.” Zoë grimaced briefly before continuing. “It was a close call, but now after three thousand years. The Ophiotaurus is reborn.” 

Thalia sat down on the dock next to Jack, and outstretched her hand. The Ophiotaurus went right to her, she placed her hand on his head. He shivered, Jack looked over and slowly put his hand on her shoulder, wrapping the demigod in a half hug. “Y’know.” Jack started and Thalia nearly jumped out of her skin, but she turned to listen to Jack. “I’ve been hearing a lot about heroes, and people tend to think it’s all about gaining power and being the baddest person on the block.” Jack pet the serpent bull as well. “It’s not, someone told me once if I’m going to be a hero, then be a real hero.” 

“H-How?” Thalia asked. 

“Be strong enough to be gentle.” Jack stated, his thumb making small back and forth motions on the bull’s head. “Power is easy, but it destroys. Being gentle is hard, but rewarding. That’s why I pity guys like Hercules, all that strength and power. Never once was he strong enough to be gentle.” Jack didn’t look behind him, but he knew that Zoë had been looking at him with appreciation. 

A wave of realization hit Thalia’s face immediately, her eyes misted over and she placed her hand over Jack’s. “Thank you.” She whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder. “The power to overthrow Olympus, Luke wouldn’t hesitate. That’s…That’s huge.” 

“Yes, it is, my dear,” Said a man with a heavy French accent. Jack and Thalia looked up, and scrambled to their feet. To see a man with two color eyes that had mania and death behind them, it reminded Jack of Megatron. “And it is a power you shall unleash.” 

Jack squinted at the man, Vector Sigma. Please give me the power to defend my friends. He thought without hesitation. He felt the same throb of a headache, and then felt the key split into 6 pieces, detaching from his necklace and sliding down his arms. He felt a band wrap around both shoulders, both elbows, and both his wrists. 

As the man started to talk, Jack took notice of the people who looked out of place. They reminded him of M.E.C.H. “ Mercenaries. ” Jack whispered to himself. The disheveled man in the black trench coat continued his monologue. Jack just rolled his eyes and thought to himself, I need a blaster. 

He felt his right arm vibrate as the bands slowly whirred, extended, and pieced themselves together. Forming an entire armored arm, without even thinking he held his arm up and pointed his fist at the man before his hand turned into a gun like Arcee’s dual blasters. Feeling the trigger on his finger as the silver and blue blaster hummed to life, he wasted no time and pulled it. 

“I never got to fight any-” A superheated shot of energon tore through Dr. Thorn mid sentence, his hands gripped at the huge hole gaping in his chest.

“Fight’s over, first round knockout.” Jack quipped as the man began to fall to his knees. 

 Energon is hot enough to melt Cybermatter in a couple of concentrated blasts, flesh is nothing even the toughened flesh of the Manticore, it’s like pitting a paper target against a .50 BMG round, you’re gonna get a big hole. “Th-That's not fair.” He gasped before he collapsed into golden dust. 

Jack aimed at one of the mercenaries that stood beside him. “Think it over.” Jack said as the mercenary just put his hands up. 

“Man we do not get paid enough for that.” The guy said as he backed away, the other mercenaries followed suit. 

Grover just stared at Jack, as well as Zoë and Thalia. “Since when couldst thou do that?!” Zoë shouted in surprise. Her eyes were as wide as saucers. 

Jack looked at the blaster for a moment, admiring the fact that it was like Arcee’s. Completely ignoring the other three for a moment. “Hmm, I wonder…” He then thought of a sword. The blaster retracted back up his arm only for a long sword to form with the hilt in the palm of his hand, crossguard braced against his fist. It was silver and blue, lines of energon thrumming through it like a pulse. The key is alive. Vector Sigma is a computer of all the primes, it would make sense that it would have weapons, and armor schematics. But it’s useless without the knowledge of how to wield a sword. His arm suddenly moved on its own, with slashes, parries, reposts, and blocks. 

To the others it looked like Percy was showing off with his new toy. Still wondering where he obtained such a weapon. 

Jack stopped and looked at the others, “It was just something I had on me.” He answered, “Even I didn’t know it could do that.” He looked them in the eyes as he was honest. 

Grover, Thalia, and Zoë looked between themselves before looking back at Jack and shrugging in agreement. “Guess some of the kids in the Hephaestus cabin have been tinkering with lasers.” Grover suggested. 

“Glad they did.” Thalia muttered, “But, why did you shoot him when he was talking?” She asked Jack. 

The sword slid back into the armor, as Jack looked at Thalia. “Never give the bad guy a chance to monologue, also didn’t you say that we were on the clock?” He asked the group who nodded in agreement. 

“Still could’ve used that earlier Perce.” Grover said. 

“Sorry Grover, like I said. I didn’t know it could do that.” Jack apologized, and Grover closed his eyes and nodded, his goatee slightly swaying opposite of his head bobs. 

“Well now what do we do?” Thalia asked Jack.

Jack, who thought back to his vision, then looked to The Ophiotaurus. “We need to get him safe first.” He jerked his head at the serpent bull. He now knew what it felt like to be Arcee in this moment, and the first thing he was going to do was get her the most premium coat of wax and a good hand wash when he got back home. When he thought of home, he got another vision from the key, despite being in six separate pieces. It still had the mental connection. 

“It means I must return home.” The mental Zoë said.

“We need a car.” The vision of Thalia suggested, then it shifted to her rummaging through her backpack. “Professor Chase. Annabeth’s dad.” 

Jack saw himself, sliding a piece of the key onto Zoë's wrist in the middle of a garden, Jack turned his head to look at a dragon wrapped around an apple tree. “Here, for good luck.” He saw her smile and nod in appreciation, before that faded away.  

Jack blinked and found himself listening to Zoë before she looked at Jack, she was theorizing on how to proceed. Grover stopped and shouted, “Wait, I’ve got an idea! The Ophiotaurus can appear in different bodies of water right?” The satyr looked at Jack. 

“Yeah? And?” Jack said while rolling his flattened hand as if to prompt Grover to continue. 

“So maybe we can coax him back to the Long Island Sound.” Grover added. 

“Okay, but are you sure he’ll know where he’s going?” Jack asked. 

“I…I can show him.” Grover offered albeit nervously. “I’m the only one who can talk to him, it makes sense.” 

Jack looked at him, then looked down at his legs. He could tell that Grover was nervous but there was no time. Jack sighed and looked away, “Alright then.” He concluded, “But we need to guarantee safe passage.” He felt one of the bands on his left elbow pulling on him, he looked down the pier, and where he blasted the Manticore there was a pelt laying there. “Stay right here.” He said as he walked down the pier, his brisk pace turned into a jog, as he picked up the pelt. It transformed into a tan trench coat, after analyzing it he found that it had the image of a scorpion on the back. “How apropos.” Jack muttered to himself as he went back to the group.

Grover whispered something in the ear of the serpent bull, and he shivered. He looked at Jack and said, “The blessing of the Wild. That should help with safe passage. Percy, you should pray to your dad as well.” 

My dad? I haven’t met my fucking dad. He took off when I was two. Jack thought to himself before he remembered the vision and what Zoë said earlier. The son of Poseidon, this Percy guy must be the son of Poseidon. Jack looked to the ocean and concentrated. Here goes nothing. “Oh Poseidon, please help the Ophiotaurus and Grover get back to camp safely.” 

 “A prayer like that needs a sacrifice.” Zoë said, “Something big.” 

Jack held up the tan trench coat. “Something like this?” Zoë nodded and Jack tossed the coat into the water. It briefly turned back into the Manticore’s pelt before disappearing entirely. “Get home safe.” Jack told Grover and the satyr pulled him into a hug. Jack doing his best to play the part hugged the satyr back. For once it felt nice to have friends his age, not that he didn’t appreciate Miko and Raf, but he was tired of playing guard the ground bridge from the Japanese punk and not being able to understand Raf’s technobabble. 

Grover took a deep breath, “Well no time to lose.” He jumped in the water and immediately began to sink. The serpent bull glided next to him and let Grover take hold of his neck.

“Be careful,” Jack told them.

“We will,” Grover said. "Okay, um. We’re going to Long Island. It’s east. Over that way.”

“Moooo?” Ophiotaurus said.

“Yes,” Grover answered. “Long Island. It’s this island. And… it’s long. Oh, let’s just start.”

“Mooo!”

The serpent bull lurched forward. He started to submerge and Grover said, “I can’t breathe underwater! Just thought I’d mention –” Glub!

Jack hoped this protection extended to breathing underwater as well. He turned to Thalia and Zoë, the latter of whom had a concentrated look on her face. “Something the matter?” Thalia asked. 

“Something thine friend hast said. Gave me an epiphany.” Zoë mentioned, “With The Ophiotaurus taken care of. We must track down the whereabouts of Lady Artemis, I know how we must proceed.” 

“No one says thine anymore.” Thalia teased Zoë. 

“Something yerr friend hast said.” Zoë snarked back at Thalia. 

Jack put his arms in front of both of them, “Enough, bickering gets us nowhere and we’re wasting time.” He looked at Zoë, “You said you know how we must proceed, what does that mean?” He asked sincerely. 

“It means I must return home.” Zoë explained, “The Garden of Hesperides, the Nymphs of the sunset. But we can only enter the garden at sunset.” 

Jack looked at the position of the sun, putting a hand over his eyes and squinting. “That seems to be in about 2 hours.” 

“Which means we need a car.” Thalia dropped her arms, “Unless…” 

Jack looked at Thalia, “We’re not stealing a car.” I’ve already had WAY too much trouble with taking vehicles that don’t belong to you on joyrides. But without it, I would’ve never met Arcee and the others… huh. Still, Optimus would be disappointed in me and I can’t let him down. Jack’s pause gave them time to think. 

“No, wait. There’s someone that can help!” Thalia started rummaging through her backpack, pulling out a piece of crumpled notebook paper. “Professor Chase. Annabeth’s dad.” 

Percy felt good after the hot shower, and hot meal. It felt so good to slow down for a moment before rushing off again, he looked at himself in the mirror he looked so tired. He took a deep breath and said, “Thanks Jack, for letting me borrow your life for a day.” 

He took a drachma out of his pocket and prepared to Iris Message his mom when he was interrupted by a knock on the bathroom door. “Jack? Are you almost out? You need to get going.” 

Percy looked at the bathroom door before squeaking out a response. “Y-Yes ma’am!” He turned off the lights, opening the door he was met with the warm smile of June. 

“There you are.” She handed him a backpack with a sleeping back attached to the top. “Here you go, all packed for your sleepover.” 

“S-Sleepover?” Percy stuttered with a questioning look on his face as he took the bag. 

“The winter sleepover with the Autobots?” June asked, putting her hands on her hips. “Miko begged and begged to have a sleepover before she had to go back home to Japan for winter break. And don’t forget the Christmas presents, either.” June said as she walked off down the hall. Toward the kitchen and garage. 

“Christmas presents?” Percy asked while his head followed her path, his feet decided to carry him down the same path. 

June sighed as she reached the door to enter the garage, “They’re under the tree. The ones for Miko and Raf?” She asked rhetorically, before she approached Percy and gave him a loving kiss on the cheek. Causing him to blush furiously. “Behave for the bots. Not every day I allow my son to have a sleepover with aliens.” Percy’s mind ran at a million miles a minute, but he was mostly stuck on the word aliens. 

As June left the home she looked at Arcee, “Hey, Arcee. Garage.” She said to the femme bot. 

“Hmm, five more minutes.” Arcee mumbled as she rolled her head over, June gave the bot a flat look before the bot chuckled and turned into her alt form. The motorcycle sitting in the garage, waiting. 

Percy looked at the presents under the tree. One label said ikMo, another said fRa. The letters switched around and morphed, Percy closed his eyes, took a deep breath and released it before looking at them again and seeing Miko and Raf. He grabbed the presents and put them in the backpack before turning off the lights and heading to the garage. Arcee waiting, her engine idling. He closed the door behind him, grabbed the motorcycle helmet again and got on while putting it on. He tightened the straps on the backpack and settled in. 

Arcee began to take off as the garage door closed behind them. Percy could help but feel awkward, he had to thank Jack if he ever got the chance to meet him. He couldn’t help but feel a little out of place in the small town of Jasper, he was used to so many stories being side by side. Being able to see so many felt natural to him. This small town doesn’t even have a McDonald’s in sight, instead it’s a…K.O. Burger? 

Percy scoffed as he held onto Arcee, she decided to speak up. “Just be glad you don’t have a shift today. I swear, I can’t keep listening to teens gossip about romance and lust. Ugh I’d rather be offlined.” 

Percy chuckled and agreed, “Yeah. I’d hate to be in your position.” 

“I dunno, after hearing you complain about people pranking you in the drive thru, I’m pretty sure you got the worst of it.” Arcee said as they hit the stretch of road out of the small town. 

That’s when Percy realized Jack had a job. He had a motorcycle that was apparently an alien and that this alien had alien friends, and he wasn’t the only human friends with aliens. The pair raced down the road until Arcee turned off and started treading a dirt path driving directly at a mesa. Percy’s heart hammered in his chest until he saw the rock wall open up and a curved path downward lead into an open area. The camouflaged door closed behind them and they stopped right before a symbol put in the ground. It looked like a crying robot, Percy saw several giant robots that would put the Talos in the Junkyard to shame. 

Percy steeled himself, this was supposed to be normal for Jack so it was normal for him. He took off the helmet and got off Arcee. She transformed into her root mode and stretched, the first thing Percy thought was. Robots need to stretch, who knew? He saw an amber and white robot muttering at a console something about parties, and a mostly yellow robot with black accents watching TV. 

“Jack’s here!” Percy heard an energetic voice call from above catching his attention. She had a grin on her face. If Percy had to describe her, it would be as if someone took Thalia and dipped her in pink and punk for fun. She had pink highlights everywhere on her hair and looked of Japanese descent. This has to be Miko . Percy thought to himself and she waved him up. “C’mon Jackrabbit! Get up here we got the boss bot to agree to tell one of his stories of Cybertron before we go to bed!” 

Percy shuffled toward the stairs and saw a little area for the other humans. Raf was a bit younger than him but reminded him of Annabeth, he was sitting behind a laptop scrolling through websites. In the corner was a small Christmas tree in a potted plant, the one used for desks and decoration. With a few presents scattered around them, Percy opened the backpack gifted to him and put the presents under the tree. 

The yellow bot started beeping at Percy. Which caught his attention, he didn’t speak that so his mouth gaped. “Bee wants to know if you brought a present for him too.” Raf said without looking up from his laptop. 

Percy looked at Raf with confusion, “Nooo…” Percy trailed off. 

The bot, effectively dubbed Bee, made a low beep sound. Percy looked at him and noticed that the doors looked like wings. He’s like a bumblebee. His name is Bumblebee! Hence Bee. “Sorry Bee, I only brought presents for Raf and Miko.” 

“It’s okay Bee.” Raf said, getting up and stretching. “Jack lives nearby, he can deliver your presents on Christmas.” 

“Raf’s got a point, he’s going to Mexico for the holidays and I’m gonna be in Japan tomorrow.” Miko pointed out while sitting on the couch, craning her neck back so she could look at the bot upside down. 

“I still don’t think it’s a good idea.” Another voice caught Percy’s attention. He was big, green with some hints of silver. 

“Bulkhead…” Miko sighed, “I already have my biological parents and my host parents. I don’t need a Cybertronian parent too.” She trailed off, the big guy looked a little hurt. 

“Hey, he’s just worried.” Percy told Miko. “There’s nothing wrong with that.” Bulkhead thanked Percy using the name Jack. Percy just gave the big bot a smile, because the last thing he wanted to do is piss off another giant robot right now. 

Miko gave a defeated sigh and apologized to her guardian before her attention was drawn to Percy.  Miko looked at Percy and her eyebrows scrunched together. “Dude, what are you wearing? I thought we agreed that your colors were dark blues and grays. And what’s Camp Half-Blood?” 

“I found it in the lost and found at the dam?” Percy lied again, hoping that they would accept that. 

“Changing your appearance in case someone were to recognize you?” The amber and white bot spoke up from his position behind some computers. “Very commendable, someone was thinking like an Autobot.” Percy recognized the voice from earlier, but the compliment made Percy feel warm inside. He realized that no one ever really compliments him and within the span of a couple of hours, these robots already complimented him twice.

“Whoa, Ratchet can give compliments!?” Miko was shocked at the resident Chief Medical Officer. 

“I do when it is appropriate to do so. Jack’s instincts were correct, and he doesn’t throw himself into danger on a whim, unlike someone we know.” Ratchet turned and squinted at the Japanese teen. She stuck her tongue out at him.  

If only you knew. Percy thought to himself but the blush was still evident on his face. “T-Thanks Ratchet.” He looked away from the bot. 

“You’re welcome Jack.” Ratchet said before turning back to his monitors. 

Percy heard something approaching, his hand went to his pocket out of instinct. When he turned to see a giant. He towered over the others, scanning the room his eyes fell on Percy. The face of the giant had a look of confusion on it when he stared at Percy. “Arcee.” The leader of the autobots leaned over to his SIC. 

Arcee looked up from her data pad, “What is it Optimus?” She asked as she looked up at the last Prime. 

“Who did you bring with you?” Optimus asked the scout, as he scrutinized Percy.

“Do you have a glitch in your processor Prime?” Bulkhead asked, “It’s Jack! I mean sure he’s wearing different clothes but he’s still the same guy. Black hair, desert tan, lanky frame.” 

“Blue eyes.” Optimus as he looked at Percy. 

“Yeah? So?” Arcee asked, folding her arms as she held the data pad in one hand. 

“His is green.” Optimus said as he pointed to Percy, “So I ask again, who are you?” 

Percy swallowed as he felt fear grip his heart. Everyone turned to look at him, Miko and Raf took a step back, Percy felt his eyes water a bit. “I-I-” He started to talk, but couldn’t get the words out. He had stood in defiance of the gods themselves but something about the underlying suspicion of the giant robot’s tone made him afraid. 

“Optimus, he’s still just a kid.” Arcee spoke up and the Prime looked at the scout. 

Optimus closed his optics and vented, he opened his optics once again and looked at Percy, “I apologize young one I did not mean to frighten you, I understand the circumstances which brought you here. You look incredibly similar to one of our allies.” Optimus approached the platform and rested his hands on the railing. “Rest assured I hold no ill will toward you. Could you please tell us your name?” 

The fear Percy felt dissipated quickly, the tears however remained, someone apologized? To him? He sighed and took a step closer. “My name is Percy Jackson.” Percy admitted to Optimus. “I think I know what happened to Jack, I was out with my friends at the Hoover Dam and he must have been mistaken for me. Something really bad might happen if I don’t catch up to them.” 

The bots all looked at one another, sharing a nonverbal conversation. “Then there is no time to waste.” Optimus ordered, “Tell us. Where were you headed?” 

“We were headed to San Francisco, we were on a-” Percy cut himself off. Should I tell them about the quest? He looked around doubting himself. 

“Percy.” Optimus said, startling him out of his stupor. “Any information you can spare will be integral to the retrieval of our ally.” 

“Retrieval?” Percy asked. 

“You think we’re gonna let you go off on your own?” Bulkhead asked, “If Jack’s in trouble then we’re gonna help.” 

“Jack once told me that partners don’t abandon partners.” Arcee spoke up, grabbing Percy’s attention. “The fact that you and Jack switched places is nobody’s fault. But I’m not going to let him go off alone.” 

Percy told them everything, about demigods, gods, monsters, how he was on a quest for the gods. Which earned a scoff from Ratchet until he uncapped Riptide. Ratchet sputtered and mumbled before he continued his explanation. Optimus nodded in acknowledgement, but held a look on his face that Percy couldn’t quite place. “It doesn’t matter anyway, we’re not going to get there in time.” Percy mumbled. 

“Says who?” Arcee asked, with a smirk on her faceplates. 

“Rafael, find us a discrete location.” Optimus gently ordered the tween who was already on it. “Ratchet prepare the ground bridge.” Both the human and cybertronian nodded. 

“Ground bridge?” Percy asked as he walked down the steps and stood at the feet of the metal titans. 

“Got it, you got the coordinates Ratchet?” Raf said as he looked at the CMO. Ratchet nodded and started to type.  

“Whoa.” Percy mumbled, “I- thank you.” 

“No one should have to undertake such burdens at such a young age.” Optimus said, “Especially alone.” 

“I don’t know where to even start.” Percy stated. 

“I’ve got traffic cam footage, security cameras, social media posts, and I’m running facial recognition.” Raf said as he brought his laptop over to the larger computers and plugged it in. Bringing up multiple pictures showing both him and Percy at the Hoover Dam. Jack being led away by Thalia, “Seems like this girl is the one who dragged Jack off.” 

“That’s Thalia Grace, she’s…she’s my cousin.” Percy admitted, “I don’t think she did it on purpose, we were on the run from skeletons and probably grabbed him by accident.” 

“Percy.” Arcee started and kneeled down to his level, and rested a large hand on his shoulder. “No one here is blaming you or Thalia. It was an honest mistake, I mean pits. I thought you were Jack, we all did.” She looked at Optimus briefly and then back to Percy, “Well, almost all of us. What matters is that you’re doing the right thing.” Percy looked up at Arcee. 

“Jack’s lucky to have you as a friend.” Percy muttered, looking away from the femme. 

“Well, I didn’t make it easy for him. I was…really rough around the edges when we first met. Still am in some cases.” Arcee acknowledged, “You and I are going to find him. Together.” 

“I got him!” Raf shouted from the platform. “They were in a yellow convertible VW beetle, headed into Marin County.” 

Ratchet nodded and adjusted the coordinates, he pulled a lever the dark tunnel behind the bots hummed to life and became a swirling green and blue portal. “This should drop the three of you near their last known location. Find Jack, and bring them both home.” 

“Three?” Percy asked and looked at the bots. “Wait, both?”  

“It would be dangerous for us to remain out in the open lest our enemies hone in on our location.” Optimus stated, “It would also be wise to keep us from being in a heavily populated area for long. To minimize the risk of casualties, for that reason Arcee and I will be accompanying you to help you complete this quest. Then, I shall have words with these…gods.” The leader of the autobots squinted then transformed into a red and blue semi truck. 

“Welcome to Team Prime, Percy.” Arcee patted his shoulder and transformed into her motorcycle form. Percy ran over and grabbed Jack’s helmet and slipped it on his head. He looked at Miko and Raf who both waved at him. Percy waved back, then got on Arcee. “This part is going to feel a bit funny.” Arcee said as the pair of them took off into the ground bridge. Optimus followed behind the motorcycle and demigod into the bright light of the ground bridge. 

The trio found themselves on a mountainous back road. Arcee coming to a stop with Optimus stopping behind her as well, “I can detect a faint trace of energon.” 

“You think it’s the key?” Arcee asked Optimus, the cluster of gauges lighting up with each word. 

“There is no doubt in my mind. Jack has been here.” Optimus stated. 

Percy pulled off the helmet and could smell a faint trace of ozone. It was a familiar smell that Percy unfortunately knew the source of. “So what’s this energon thing?” Percy asked. 

“Energon is our lifeblood, and food source, what we run on.” Arcee started to explain as Percy looked at the glowing dash. “It’s mined from the earth and then processed into a liquid.” 

“So this energon stuff is on Earth?” Percy asked, “How?” 

“Because Cybertronians have been on Earth, we have been here before. It was a long time ago.” Optimus explained. “Before Earth was capable of supporting organic life, we used to use Earth as an outpost and then, it was used as a battlefield.” The truck said solemnly. 

“You guys are older than the human race? Older than the gods?” Percy asked, confusion now evident on his face.  

“Percy, your perception of time and ours are different. One day here is not even an hour on my planet.” Optimus explained, “In your Earth years, I am Nine Million.” 

Percy’s eyes were almost popping out of his head. These bots were ancient, and here he was having a regular conversation with them. He looked back at the dash of Arcee, “How- wait no. My mom told me to never ask a woman that question.” 

Arcee chuckled, as the pair started to move forward at a leisurely pace. “Smart woman. Let’s just say I’m younger than Prime, but older than human life and leave it at that.” 

 “Prime?” Percy asked, his ADHD riddled mind not being able to contain his curiosity. 

“That would be me, Percy.” Optimus spoke up from behind the pair, following along. “My full name is Optimus Prime. It was a title granted to me, I am the leader of all of the Cybertronians.” 

“So then why aren’t you on your planet?” Percy asked as he slipped the helmet back on. 

“There are some of my people that do not believe I should hold this position, one of which was someone who I once called brother. He heavily disagreed, and he rebelled. The result of which caused war to break out, and as a result. We lost our planet.” Optimus explained.

Percy stopped and his thoughts caught up to him. They're in the middle of a civil war, and they took the time out of their day to help me get back to my life and save their friend. 

“Hey, you okay?” Arcee asked the son of Poseidon to stir him out of his thoughts. 

“Hmm? Yeah I’m fine.” Percy replied, “I’m just not used to people so willing to help out.” 

“Well get used to it kid, because we’re not leaving you to fight monsters alone.” Arcee stated firmly, her tone serious. 

“Thank you.” Percy mumbled. 

“You are welcome, Percy.” Optimus replied with sincerity. 

Chapter Text

Jack sat in the backseat of a yellow convertible Volkswagen Beetle. They procured the car from Professor Chase, who is apparently the father of one of the people we’re trying to rescue, Annabeth. 

Jack also discovered that despite looking his age Zoë was a lot older than she looked. She’d been around since at least World War 1, and that Zoë didn’t trust Jack or Thalia to drive, so here he sat as they weaved in and out of traffic on the Golden Gate bridge. Jack was also supposed to tell Annabeth that she always has a home with her father, granted her father thought that he was Percy. 

He didn’t question it though, Jack learned a while ago that sometimes it’s better to hold on tight for the ride. He did wonder though, how he would fare in combat. Vector Sigma is a giant supercomputer and it was underneath the decepticon capital of Kaon. For it to sit there and not learn anything would be antithetical to the purpose of a computer, and right now he was connected to it. 

Jack had learned a few CQC moves from Arcee, mostly because he begged her to do so in exchange for him not abusing the power. He could only defend his friends and himself, or to protect those in danger. Right now, he needs to learn more. His eyelids started to flutter closed for a brief moment before he opened them again. “Great, I now know robot kung-fu.” Jack whispered to himself. 

“Can’t this thing go any faster?” Thalia asked impatiently. 

“I cannot control traffic.” Zoë replied. 

“You both sound like my mom.” Jack said, and that got him a sharp reply from the both of them. 

“Shut up!” They said in unison. 

“Do you really want to piss off the guy who punched a hole through the Manticore with a laser gun?” Jack asked rhetorically, “The same guy, who might I add is sitting right behind you?” 

“I apologize for my outburst.” Zoë replied. 

“Ditto.” Thalia echoed. 

“Listen, I don’t like threatening people.” Jack started, “So let’s make a deal. Instead of being at each other’s throats how about we actually work together. Because the only I in team is in the a-hole. We’re on a time crunch, and I’d really like to not die. Sound fair?” He finished by leaning forward placing both forearms next to the headrests and looking between the two girls.

Thalia and Zoë looked at one another, then at Jack before agreeing. Jack nodded and sat back as they exited to Marin county. Jack saw the sign and with nothing to do. He read it, the roads got narrower, they were going through winding roads and forests. Jack looked up at the mountain, his nose started to pick up the scent of…menthol? “Why’s it smell like menthol?” 

“Eucalyptus.” Zoë explained. 

“The poisonous plant that koalas eat because they’re mentally inefficient?” Jack asked as Thalia and Zoë slowly turned to look at him. 

“I didn’t think you knew all those words Kelp Head.” Thalia chuckled. 

“Could you please not call me that?” Jack asked, “I’m not stupid, and I don’t insult you for the things you do or don’t know.” 

Thalia’s chuckles died immediately in her throat, she looked at Jack who carried a no nonsense look on his face. “Oh.” Thalia grimaced, “Percy you know I really don’t think that about you, right?” 

“How was I supposed to know?” Jack asked, “It’s not like I can read your mind.” He finished and now Thalia looked really guilty. 

“A-Annabeth started it.” She lazily defended her voice on the verge of breaking. 

“You condoned it. Just, please stop?” He asked Thalia who just nodded. “Thank you.” He turned back to Zoë, now changing the subject. “Okay, so why is there so much eucalyptus?” 

“Monsters eat it, as well as dragons.” Zoë explained glancing at Jack briefly who prompted her to continue his explanation the same way he did to Grover previously. “Believe me, if you had to smell the breath of a dragon, you would eat eucalyptus too.” 

“Monstrous breath mints. Got it. And look at that, you used ‘you’ instead of ‘thou’.” Jack mentioned giving Zoë’s shoulder a friendly tap as he leaned back in his seat, that got a chuckle out of Thalia before he started staring out of the car. Looking up at the mountain. 

Thalia looked at the looming mountain as well when she spoke up, “So, that’s the mountain of despair?” 

“Yes.” Zoë replied tersely. 

“Why do they call it that?” Jack asked Zoë as he looked at her, concern bloomed on his face. 

There was a stretch of silence as Zoë refused to answer before she finally spoke up, “After the war between the Titans and the gods, many of the Titans were punished and imprisoned. Kronos was sliced to pieces and thrown into Tartarus. Kronos’s right-hand man, the general of his forces, was imprisoned up there, on the summit, just beyond the Garden of the Hesperides.”

“The General? Hmm.” Jack nodded and looked up, the storm clouds swirling near the top as Zoë continued to drive, we were out of the forest at this point and now reached rolling cliffsides, “Looks like there’s a storm brewing at the top. What’s that about?” 

Zoë didn’t say anything but Jack knew she knew more than she was letting on. “We have to concentrate. The Mist is getting really strong here.” Thalia mentioned while looking around. 

“Both the natural and magical kind.” Zoë said as Jack draped himself across the back of the seats. 

“Noted.” He said as he looked out of the side of the car, the top was down and noticed something as they rounded a corner, a little headache as he saw something. “Hey, slow down.” 

“We need to-” Zoë started but Jack cut her off. 

“White cruise ship docked nearby.” Jack pointed at it before it disappeared. “That’s not supposed to be there, right?” 

“The Princess Andromeda, Luke’s ship.” Thalia said and nodded, “Good catch Ke-” Thalia cut herself off. “Good job Percy.” Jack pat her shoulder after she corrected herself, he smiled and nodded. 

“Then we best prepare for company, Kronos’ army.” Zoë said. 

Jack felt an intense headache and the hairs on his arm raise, “STOP THE CAR NOW!” 

The beetle jerked to a stop spinning twice and rest on the edge of a cliff with Zoë staring at Jack as he unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up placing his right foot on the center console between the two and standing on the seat with his left foot, there was a whirring noise as Jack held his longsword to the sky just as they were about to be struck by lightning. The lightning went directly into the sword, spreading across the armored arm.

 Arcs of electricity bounced across the sword before the lightning stopped, the sword now glowing brighter. Jack sat back down and Thalia and Zoë looked at him, “You said his name, twice.” He stated as he looked at Zoë, “Names have power, correct?” 

Zoë looked at Jack as she realized that she said Kronos’ name twice. “He threw a lightning bolt to make us think that Ze- The king of gods did it.” Jack tapped his nose with a finger. 

“So it would make me doubt myself, with me being his daughter.” Thalia said. 

“Which doesn’t make sense considering he saved you at the dam.” Jack said.  

“How’d you know that the sword would absorb the lightning?” Zoë asked with a look of concern flashing across her face. 

“I didn’t, I just knew you weren’t lightning proof.” Jack offhandedly mentioned, “You alright?” 

“Yeah, but you don’t seem to be.” Thalia pointed at Jack’s right sleeve, which was now smoldering and had holes across it. 

Jack sighed and rolled his eyes, the sword retracted back into the armored arm then becoming the three bands again. Sliding out of his undershirt without taking the gray overshirt off as well. He hated exposing his arms, wearing long sleeves helps him at work to avoid grease burns, but mostly because of the multiple scars marking his forearms. He tossed the white long sleeve undershirt out of the car and buckled back up. He crossed his arms, “Can we continue?” 

Zoë nodded and put the car into drive, as we pushed on through the fog. When the fog cleared, they were still on the side of the mountain, but the road had changed from asphalt to dirt. The grass was thicker. The sunset made a blood-red slash across the sea. The summit of the mountain seemed closer now, swirling with storm clouds and raw power. There was only one path to the top, directly in front of us. And it led through a lush meadow of shadows and flowers: the garden of twilight, just like what Jack had seen in his vision. Zoë parked the car, “We have to proceed on foot from here.” 

The trio agreed and got out. If it wasn’t for the dragon, this place would have been the most beautiful place on earth, but Jack. Jack had been amongst the stars, and he knew traps when he saw them. He jogged up to Zoë, “Hold on.” He grabbed the band around his left wrist and slid it over Zoë’s wrist. “Here for good luck.” Zoë smiled and nodded in appreciation. 

Jack shook his left arm and the remaining two bands slid into place on his wrist and elbow. Protect her, please. Was all Jack could think, and the band on Zoë’s wrist slid up her arm. She shivered slightly. “I will not be used to that.” 

The grass shimmered with silvery evening light, and the flowers were such brilliant colours they almost glowed in the dark. Stepping stones of polished black marble led round either side of a five-story tall apple tree, every bough glittering with golden apples. The apple looked as if they were made of gold itself. The fragrance they gave off was otherworldly, Jack knew that if he were to pluck one that it would be the most amazing thing he had ever tasted. 

The only thing stopping him was the dragon. The serpent’s body was as thick as a booster rocket, glinting with coppery scales. It had more heads than Jack could count, as if a hundred deadly pythons had been fused together. It appeared to be asleep. The heads lay curled in a big spaghetti-like mound on the grass, all the eyes closed. 

Then the shadows in front of us began to move. There was a beautiful, eerie singing, like voices from the bottom of a well. Jack raised his arm but was stopped by Zoë, he looked at her and she shook her head. Four figures shimmered into existence, four young women who looked very much like Zoë. They all wore white Greek chitons. Their skin was like caramel. Silky black hair tumbled loose around their shoulders. “Family?” Jack asked Zoë and she nodded. 

“Sisters.” Zoë confirmed. 

“We see no sisters. We see two half-bloods and a hunter. All of whom are about to die.” One of the sisters replied coldly. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on, just because she’s with Artemis doesn’t make her any less your sister.” Jack said, “Hell, I’d be over the moon if I had a sister.” 

The girls studied Jack, their eyes like obsidian. Glassy, and completely black. It was as if he were staring into the void, it wasn’t his first time doing so either. He remembered the encounter in the mine with Megatron. This time, the void blinked first. One of the girls stepped back, “It’s not possible, You’re not. But, you are. But- you are a paradox.” 

“Whatever it is that you have against Zoë, isn’t worth it. You need to forgive her.” Jack replied to the girls. 

“What has she done to earn our forgiveness?” One of the other girls asked, and Jack looked at her. 

“Forgiveness has nothing to do with earning it,” Jack said. “It’s about having peace. Otherwise, holding a grudge makes you no better than the gods. That’s what makes us better than them, we have the capacity to change within such a short amount of time. Even if you never see each other again, is the last thing you want to say to someone you held dearly that they were going to die?” He asked and the sisters hesitated. 

Zoë stepped forward, “I do not regret following Artemis, but I do regret how we parted ways. Hercules was no hero, because despite all his strength he was not strong enough to be gentle.” 

“The question is now, can you prove yourselves to be better than the gods?” Jack asked the sisters.

The sisters moved aside, one speaking up. “This doesn’t mean you won’t perish.” 

“I’ve been told that before.” Jack replied as the trio moved past the slumbering dragon. Jack reached out his hand to Zoë, who looked forlornly at the dragon. “Hey, it’s okay to regret. But it’s not okay to remain stuck.” 

She slowly put her hand in Jack’s “How dost thou know so much?” She asked. Jack just gave her a knowing smile, “Not yerr first time dealing with someone like I, is it?” 

Jack chuckled and nodded before looking at the both of them, “So, you two ready to face death and spit in its eye?” 

“I don’t think Thanatos would appreciate that.” Thalia commented, “Percy, when they looked at you, why did they call you a paradox?” 

Jack looked at Thalia, “I don’t know.” He was honest with that part. He released Zoë’s hand and armored his arms. The left arm only had covered his forearm. While his right arm was completely covered.  

Zoë looked at Jack, and nodded. “Let us go save Artemis and Annabeth.” Thalia nodded, Jack’s face transformed into one of determination. 

Percy, Arcee, and Optimus were following the faint trail of energon up the mountain. They had since decided to go on foot since there was no one around for a while, the bot selecting to be in their main form. Percy was depending on Optimus’ and Arcee’s ability to track the so-called Key to Vector Sigma.

 “Optimus, why did you let Jack keep the key? The way Ratchet spoke of it it seems too important to just let go.” Arcee asked the last Prime. 

“Jack has shown great maturity during his short amount of time within knowing us. I found no reason for him to not hold onto the relic.” Optimus explained, “The key is now connected to Vector Sigma at all times since his journey to Cybertron.” 

Percy stopped, “Wait, hold on. You’re telling me he went to space?! And you tasked him with it? Doesn’t that make you a little hypocritical, since you hate the gods for doing so?” 

“The circumstances surrounding the journey of Jack were one of desperation, and not my first option. It was in case I had lost my memories and could not recall who I was.” Optimus explained as he stopped as well, looking down at Percy. “I do not send children out to do work that I can handle myself routinely. My first priority is to always spare innocent life whenever possible.” 

Percy continued walking as he caught up to Arcee. “Listen Percy,” Arcee started and got the demigod’s attention. “Optimus didn’t make such a decision lightly, he thought he wasn’t going to make it back. And while he was gone, we were pulling ourselves apart, Jack stepped up when we needed a leader. That was an absolute last resort, we never use humans as shields from our problems.” Arcee looked ahead and saw something on the side of the road. “Optimus I got something.” 

Arcee increased her pace and picked up a slightly burnt white long sleeve t-shirt. “Jack’s undershirt. He wears this to…” She trailed off. 

“Wears it to what?” Percy asked. 

“He wears it to cover up scars.” Arcee finally got out, closing her fist around it. “Something must’ve happened to him here.” 

Percy looked down for a minute until something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He ran up the grass and saw The Princess Andromeda, Luke’s demon cruise ship, he got a crazy idea. “Hey, Arcee, Optimus. You see that ship down there?” 

“Yeah, what about it?” Arcee asked. 

“That’s The Princess Andromeda, it’s Luke’s ship. Basically he’s trying to bring about the end of the world and there’s no one good on that ship. It’s chock full of monsters.” Percy explained, “Monsters that hunt and eat innocent kids.” 

Optimus and Arcee glanced at one another, before glancing at Percy. “We are not sinking the ship from here if there is even the slightest chance that Jack could be on it.” 

“Well, you have that energy detection thing.” Percy said. 

“Energon detection. Energon, Percy.” Arcee corrected gently. “However, you’re right. Do you detect any traces of Energon on the ship Optimus?” The scout looked up to the Prime. 

“No, in fact the trail continues down the road. It seems to be much stronger from this point onward.” Optimus pointed up the road and into the fog. 

“So what should we do?” Arcee asked. 

“This is an opportunity to heavily cripple Luke’s forces before he can make a break for it.” Percy pointed out, “I know you have no stake in the fight bu-” He was cut off by Optimus holding up his hand. 

“I will always protect the innocent.” Optimus transformed his hand into a giant gun, his battle mask slipping over his face, and aimed at the ship. “But only if you are certain that there are no innocent lives on that ship. The decision is yours Percy.” 

Percy stopped his train of thought, then realized something. There may be disgruntled campers on the ship. People who are fed up with the gods pushing them around. But they don’t deserve to die. “Wait. Don’t.” He held up his hand. “You’re right, there could be innocent people on there. They’re just kids that are frustrated, they don’t deserve to have anything bad happen to them.” 

Optimus lowered his arm, transforming it back into a hand. “A wise choice.” He commended. His mask retracting, he had a smile on his faceplates as Percy looked up at him. 

“You weren’t going to shoot the ship at all, were you?” Percy asked Optimus. 

“In my many years of existence, I have had many opportunities to vanquish my enemies once and for all.” Optimus kneeled down to look at the demigod. “However, if I were to take them. I would prove myself to be no better than them. Especially not when there is another way.” 

Percy felt warmth in his heart, someone who understood his plight. He took a moment to smile up at Optimus before he looked down the road. “Let’s keep going.” Percy said as he led the autobots forward into the fog. Optimus and Arcee followed him, their lights illuminating the way but they found themselves at the top with nothing around. “Th-The trail ends here…” Percy muttered, looking around there was nothing but the decayed remains of a city. “The gods move with the center of civilization, Olympus moves. If this is here then this must be.” 

“Mount Othrys.” A voice that Percy recognized caused his head to whip around.

 Percy witnessed a man that Percy knew as the General kneeling as he held up the sky. “You.” He said with a large amount of venom in his voice.

“Percy, who is this?” Optimus asked, causing Atlas to strain as he looked up at Optimus and Arcee, a look of shock on his face as he witnessed the automatons. 

“I am the skybearer, I was imprisoned here after taking place in the First Titan War and losing.” The General said, “I am Atlas, and it seems you haven’t finished humiliating me. Or my forces for that matter. You have a lot of nerve to return here.” 

Percy smirked, “Well you’re gonna be more embarrassed when you discover that, it wasn’t me. It was in fact a clear sighted mortal.” 

“You lie.” Atlas replied, the strain of the sky causing a bead of sweat to fall down his forehead and on the bridge of his nose. 

“Trust me, Jack is a mortal. Percy’s friends here confused him with Percy and dragged him along on their quest.” Arcee replied. 

“Do not take me for a fool automaton, I know the aura of a demigod when I see one.” Atlas retorted. 

Optimus and Arcee looked at one another, then to Percy. “Percy,” Optimus started, “If they are not here then, where is it that you believe they would be?” 

“They’ve gotta be on Olympus.” Percy stated, “That’s even more dangerous than being here.” 

“Why’s that?” Arcee asked Percy who looked away. 

“Because Zeus is always debating on whether or not to kill me.” Percy admitted, “Trying to avoid the Great Prophecy. But if he finds out that Jack isn’t me, he might kill him for knowing about our world.” 

Chapter Text

Jack, Thalia, and Zoë came to the top of the mountain. There were ruins, blocks of black granite and marble as big as houses almost everywhere. Broken and shattered remains of columns. Statues of bronze that looked as though they’d been half melted. “The ruins of Mount Othrys.” Thalia gaped. 

“Yes, it wasn’t here previously. This is bad.” Zoë stated, as Jack turned his head toward her. 

“What’s Mount Othrys?” Jack asked Zoë. She turned her attention to Jack and began her explanation. 

“The mountain fortress of the Titans, In the first war, Olympus and Othrys were the two rival capitals of the world. Othrys was blasted to pieces.” Zoë concluded. 

“Okay, that has yet to explain why it’s here.” Jack pointed out. 

Thalia looked around cautiously as they picked their way through the rubble, past blocks of marble and broken archways. “It moves in the same way that Olympus moves. It always exists on the edges of civilization. But the fact that it is here, on this mountain, is not good.” 

“This is At-” Zoë cut herself off, remembering what Jack had said earlier, “This is the where the Bearer of the Heavens holds the sky, or at least. He used to.” She concluded as the trio had reached the summit. 

Just a few feet ahead, grey clouds swirled in a heavy vortex, making a funnel cloud that almost touched the mountaintop, but instead rested on the shoulders of a twelve-year-old girl with auburn hair and a tattered silvery dress: Artemis, her legs bound to the rock with celestial bronze chains. 

Zoë rushed forward, “My lady!” 

“Stop!” Artemis gasped out, “It is a trap, you must leave now!” Her voice was strained. She was drenched in sweat. It was obvious that the weight of the sky was too much for her. 

“No fucking way.” Jack said as he stepped forward, Zoë was crying. She ran forward despite Artemis’s protests, and tugged at the chains. 

A booming voice spoke up behind the trio. “Ah, how touching.” 

The three turned to see The General was standing there in his brown silk suit. At his side were Luke and half a dozen dracaenae bearing a golden sarcophagus. Annabeth stood at Luke’s side. She had her hands cuffed behind her back, a gag in her mouth and Luke was holding the point of his sword to her throat.  

Thalia was sneering to the point of growling. “Luke, let her go.” 

Jack stared at Luke, his smile weak and pale. “That is the General’s decision, Thalia. But it’s good to see you again, and Percy. You look like you went through a growth spurt. Gotta say, love the new jewelry.” The blonde boy taunted. 

“You look as fucked up as a football bat.” Jack replied having picked that from Agent Fowler when Fowler thought Jack wasn’t listening. That wiped Luke’s smirk off his face pretty quickly. Thalia just spat at him. 

“So much for old friends. And you, Zoë. It’s been a long time. How is my little traitor? I will enjoy killing you.” The General responded. 

“Do not respond,” Artemis groaned, “Do not challenge him.” 

Jack looked at The General and squinted he knew exactly who this man was, “Still can’t believe they named a book after you. You look like you’ve never read one in your entire life.” 

The General sneered, deciding to return the jab. “So, even the stupidest of heroes can finally figure something out. Yes, I am Atlas, the general of the Titans and terror of the gods. Congratulations. I will kill you presently, as soon as I deal with this wretched girl.” 

“I don’t think so.” Jack replied. “I’m not going to let you hurt her.” 

Atlas’ sneer grew into a scowl, “You have no right to interfere, little hero. This is a-” 

“Family matter.” Jack cut him off, Jack himself was now angry. “Yeah I figured, thing is. I find myself lacking the ability to give a shit.” 

“How did you know?” Zoë asked Jack. 

“It’s your eyes, you have the same cold, proud look.” Jack concluded, “I’m going to give you the choice. Walk away from this war, or you won’t like what happens next.” 

“Is that a challenge?” Atlas asked. 

“No it isn’t, if you aren’t all muscles for brains then you know what I’m implying.” Jack said coldly to the titan. 

“Let Artemis go.” Zoë demanded. 

Atlas walked closer to the chained goddess. “Perhaps you’d like to take the sky for her, then? Be my guest.” 

Zoë opened her mouth to speak, Artemis cut her off commanding, “No! Do not offer, Zoë! I forbid you.”

Atlas smirked, he knelt next to Artemis and tried to touch her face, but the goddess bit at him, almost taking off his fingers. “Hoo-Hoo,” Atlas chuckled. “You see, daughter? Lady Artemis likes her new job. I think I will have all the Olympians take turns carrying my burden, once Lord Kronos rules again, and this is the centre of our palace. It will teach those weaklings some humility.” 

Jack looked at who he presumed to be Annabeth, She was desperately trying to tell Jack something. She motioned her head towards Luke. But all Jack could do was stare at her. Her blonde hair was streaked with grey. Jack’s brow furrowed, he made eye contact with Annabeth.

“It’s from holding up the sky.” Thalia muttered standing at Jack’s side, “The weight should have killed her.” 

“Here’s what I don’t get. Why can’t Artemis just let go of the sky?” Jack asked. 

Atlas laughed, “‘How little you understand, young one. This is the point where the sky and the earth first met, where Ouranos and Gaia first brought forth their mighty children, the Titans. The sky still yearns to embrace the earth. Someone must hold it at bay, or else it would crush down upon this place, instantly flattening the mountain and everything within a hundred leagues. Once you have taken the burden, there is no escape.” He approached Jack and Thalia. “So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge.” 

“So, you made your choice.” Jack said, “Just remember. I gave you a chance to walk away from the war.” 

“I would rather see my enemies brought to my feet as corpses, perhaps you shall be the first.” Atlas replied. 

“As you wish.” Jack retorted tersely. 

Atlas now bristling with hatred turned his attention to Thalia, though he had difficulty turning away from Jack. “As for you, daughter of Zeus, it seems Luke was wrong about you.” 

“I wasn’t wrong,” Luke started, he looked like he had seen better days. As if he were forcing himself to breathe. “Thalia, you still can join us. Call the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you. Look!” He waved his hand, and next to us a pool of water appeared: a pond ringed in black marble, big enough for the Ophiotaurus. 

Thalia looked at Jack, and remembered his words about being a true hero. She puffed her chest out, “I don’t know what happened to you, but the Luke I know. Wouldn’t have done this, You lured Annabeth here, and tortured her. Now I’m giving you a choice, let her go. Come home with us. It’s not too late.” 

“No, it is.” Luke muttered, “This was my last chance.” Behind Luke, the golden sarcophagus began to glow. As it did, they saw images in the mist all around them: black marble walls rising, the ruins becoming whole, a terrible and beautiful palace rising around us, made of fear and shadow. 

He pointed towards the ocean. Marching up the side of the mountain, from the beach where the Princess Andromeda was docked, was a great army. Dracaenae and Laestrygonians, monsters and half-bloods, hellhounds, harpies and other things they couldn’t even name. The whole ship must’ve been emptied, because there were hundreds, and they were marching towards the trio. In a few minutes, they would be on them. 

Thalia summoned her spear and aegis. Zoë pulled her bow and notched an arrow. Jack’s armbands connected into the completely armored right arm and left forearm. Which grabbed the attention of Luke, “New toys Percy?” 

“Oh you have no idea.” Jack said as his right arm formed the blaster and shot through three of the dracaenae with no issue, turning them into gold dust. He then shot at Luke’s chest, and to Jack’s surprise it didn’t punch a hole through him. But it did knock him back a dozen feet, causing him to release Annabeth. “Help Annabeth! Hurry!” Jack ordered Thalia, who charged to the blonde girl without another prompt. 

Zoë engaged the remaining dracaenae with a miniature storm of silver arrows, sending them fleeing. 

Jack turned to face Atlas, who had now changed his brown silk suit for Greek Armor and a javelin. Jack was prepared to level his blaster at the Titan but the Titan was already upon him. 

With one thought his blaster changed into a long sword, and his left arm formed a shield. Jack batted the javelin away with his shield and swung at Atlas’ throat with the sword. Atlas having to back away from the arc of the blade. 

Jack, lacking the experience to know when to stop his swing, exposed his side which Atlas kicked, sending him tumbling down. Jack skittered to a stop in front of Artemis, who was still straining under the weight of the sky. He looked up at her, his blue eyes locking with her silver ones. “Run boy.” She told Jack. “You must run!” 

Atlas taking his time to approach Jack, the longsword was gone, so was the shield retracted back into the arms of Vector Sigma. It didn’t matter if he could summon it again or not. Jack would be dead soon anyways. Thalia was struggling to help free Annabeth. “Die little hero.” Atlas said as he raised his javelin. 

“NO!” Zoë yelled, and a volley of silver arrows sprouted from the armpit chink in Atlas’s armour. Atlas screamed in pain as he engaged his daughter. 

Jack looked at the scene, the approaching army. The friends were distracted with one another. The father engaged in battle with his daughter. Jack didn’t have the practical experience, but there was someone who did. “The sky.” Jack said as he held his hands out to the goddess. “Give it to me.” 

“No boy,” Artemis replied, her forehead beaded with metallic sweat like mercury or quicksilver. “You don’t know what you’re asking. It’ll crush you.” 

“Annabeth held it.” Jack responded. 

“She barely survived. She has the spirit of a true huntress, you will not last long.” Artemis gasped out. 

“Obviously you’ve never met a Prime before.” Jack said, which she grew confused at. “I’m gonna die anyways!” Jack summoned his blaster again and shot the celestial bronze chains into oblivion, before turning it back. “Now give me the weight of the sky!” Jack slid next to her, and for a moment they both bore the burden. He braced himself on one knee beside her, his eyes aglow with the blue light of the Cybertronians, they illuminated the goddess’ face. 

Jack felt like he was lifting the Decepticon flagship, the Nemesis itself as he looked at Artemis, took a deep breath, and nodded. I can do this. Jack thought to himself as Artemis slipped out and Jack felt as if every muscle in his body were set on fire. Closing his eyes in concentration as he strained under the weight. 

Gritting his teeth as the sky bore down on him he remembered the first time he met Arcee. Don’t let go! She said to him when she took off, popping a wheelie as they ran from the Vehicons. Maybe Optimus thinks there’s more to Jack than meets the eye. Jack heard as they debated what to do with the key to Vector Sigma. Jack opened his eyes, he breathed hard. Gritting his teeth he pulled up his knee slightly and got his foot underneath him. His vision was fuzzy. Everything was tinged with red, still he pressed forward. I never wanted you to see my home like this. Arcee wanted to bring him Cybertron. 

Jack caught glimpses of the battle, not sure what he was seeing. There was Atlas in full battle armour, jabbing with his javelin, laughing insanely as he fought. And Artemis, a blur of silver. She had two wicked hunting knives, each as long as her arm, and she slashed wildly at the Titan, dodging and leaping with unbelievable grace. I couldn’t have my partner get injured on his first field mission. Jack heard Arcee’s voice again. 

Jack breathed harder finally getting his full foot underneath him as Luke and Thalia engaged each other in battle. Then Jack decided he was going to do something insane, he started to push against the sky. His eyes now awash with blue light as the earth below began to shake. The mountain quaked alongside his legs as sweat poured down his face, dipping off his nose, chin, forehead, and ears. Artemis seemed to change form as she maneuvered. She was a tiger, a gazelle, a bear, a falcon. Jack wasn’t concerned as he continued to lift the weight of the sky, every muscle burning as he thought of his friends. 

The ground underneath Jack’s feet spiderwebbed in cracks as Zoë shot arrows at her father, aiming for the chinks in his armour. He roared in pain each time one found its mark, but they affected him like bee stings. He just got madder and kept fighting.

 Jack could think of one thing when he saw this. Vector Sigma, give her a breastplate. He continued as he pushed against the sky. Thalia and Luke went spear on sword after Luke recovered from his close up experience with an energon blast to the chest, lightning flashing around them. Thalia pressed Luke back with the aura of her shield. Even he was not immune to it. He retreated, wincing and growling in frustration.

“Yield!” Thalia yelled. “You never could beat me, Luke.”

He bared his teeth. “We’ll see…” Luke trailed off as he caught a glimpse of Jack out of the corner of his eye. “It’s not possible…” Jack was lifting the sky. 

Annabeth’s eyes were wide as she saw Jack, slowly becoming vertical. He wasn’t just bearing the heavens, he was lifting them. Something that no one thought possible until she had witnessed it. 

Sweat poured down his face as he now stood his muscles screaming in agony damn near tearing themselves apart, Atlas with his back to him. Atlas advanced, pressing Artemis. She was fast, but his strength was unstoppable. His javelin slammed into the earth where Artemis had been a split second before, and a fissure opened in the rocks. He leaped over it and kept pursuing her. She was leading him back towards Jack, when she paused for a moment noting that Jack stood straight up as he bore the weight of the heavens. Her voice rang out in Jack’s head, Get ready. 

Jack could only think back, K. 

“You fight well for a girl.” Atlas laughed. “But you are no match for me…” He fainted with the tip of his javelin and Artemis dodged. Jack saw the trick coming. Atlas’s javelin swept round and knocked Artemis’s legs off the ground. She fell, and Atlas brought up his javelin tip for the kill.  

“No!” Zoë screamed. She leaped between her father and Artemis and shot an arrow straight into the Titan’s forehead, where it lodged like a unicorn’s horn. Atlas bellowed in rage. He swept aside his daughter with the back of his hand, sending her flying into the black marble boulders.

Jack followed as Zoë impacted into the ruined marble, however he couldn’t scream he could only breathe as he continued to lift the sky. Then Atlas turned on Artemis with a look of triumph in his face. Artemis seemed to be wounded. She didn’t get up. “The first blood in a new war,” Atlas gloated. He lifted his Javelin only to be distracted by the fact that Jack was standing. 

This demigod had glowing blue eyes and was standing in defiance of what he couldn’t do, what Artemis couldn’t do, of what others before him couldn’t do. Absent-mindedly Atlas stabbed downward. Jack stared down Atlas, his face one of pure grit and determination, Atlas stared back in disbelief. 

Faster than thought, Artemis grabbed his javelin shaft. It hit the earth right next to her and she pulled backwards, using the javelin like a lever, kicking the Titan Lord and sending him flying over her. Jack loosened his grip on the sky as Atlas came sailing over to him, his body crashing into Jack and sending him flying backwards and Jack rolled as much as possible. 

The weight of the sky dropped onto Atlas’s back, almost smashing him flat until he managed to get to his knees, struggling to get out from under the crushing weight of the sky. But it was too late. “NOOOOOO!” He bellowed so hard it shook the mountain. “NOT AGAIN!” Atlas was trapped under his old burden.

Jack pressed his fist into the ground and slowly stood up, gasping for air between his teeth as he got up he wobbled, slowly making his way over to Artemis who was cradling Zoë after scrambling to her. 

Thalia backed Luke to the edge of a cliff, but still they fought on, next to the golden coffin. Thalia had tears in her eyes. Luke had a bloody slash across his chest and his pale face glistened with sweat. He lunged at Thalia and she slammed him with her shield. Luke’s sword spun out of his hands and clattered to the rocks. Thalia put her spear point to his throat. For a moment, there was silence. “Well?” Luke asked, as much as he could hide his fear he couldn’t. 

Thalia looked to Jack for a brief moment, Be strong enough to be gentle. “Just come back with us Luke.” She had tears in her eyes. 

“Heh, I’m already too far gone.” Luke said as he leaned back and started to fall. Thalia reached out for him. Annabeth reached out for him but it was already too late. He fell off the cliff onto the cliff face below. 

Annabeth screamed as she peeked over the edge not being able to see his body. Which captured the attention of one of the giants. Who looked up and growled, “Kill them!” 

Thalia pulled Annabeth back from the ledge. “Annie, Annie!” She shouted which caused Annabeth to stare at Thalia, “I tried I gave him a choice, but he made his. He’s not the Luke we know anymore. We have to go.” Annabeth had tears streaming down her bruised and dirt caked face. But she reluctantly nodded, Thalia grabbed her hand. The pair ran over to Artemis, Zoë, and Jack. Despite the Titan of Endurance swearing and threatening them. 

“Lady Artemis, Luke’s army is coming. Even with you by our side, we won’t survive.” Annabeth finally spoke up. 

Zoë’s eyes fluttered open as she finally took a deep breath. “H-How?” Artemis asked as Zoë pulled open her shirt, exposing the silver and blue metal breastplate. 

“Weapons, guns, shields…and armor.” Jack explained to the goddess as he looked at his arm bands, “Still knocked you on your ass though.” He chuckled as he and Artemis helped Zoë to her feet, Jack’s legs gave out on him as he fell back to his hands and knees, his arms trembling as he could barely lift himself. The drain of lifting the sky was taking its toll on him now as the adrenaline wore off. “Sorry, my lady.” Jack muttered, remembering what Zoë had called her. 

“You are right, Daughter of Athena, even if I could help. I am in no condition to fight. Please grab Perseus and help him to his feet.” Artemis said as a buzzing noise overtook their current thoughts. Just as the army of monsters came over the hill, a Sopwith Camel swooped down out of the sky. 

“Get away from my daughter!” Dr Chase called down, and his machine guns burst into life, peppering the ground with bullet holes and startling the whole group of monsters into scattering.

“Dad?!” yelled Annabeth in disbelief.

“Run!” He called back, his voice growing fainter as the biplane swooped by. 

This shook Artemis out of her thoughts. She stared up at the antique plane, which was now banking round for another strafe, “A brave man.”  Artemis said with grudging approval. “Come. We must get Zoë and Perseus away from here.” She raised her hunting horn to her lips, and its clear sound echoed down the valleys of Marin. 

The Sopwith Camel swooped down again. A few giants threw javelins, and one flew straight between the wings of the plane, but the machine guns blazed. The group realized with amazement that somehow Dr Chase must’ve got hold of celestial bronze to fashion his bullets. The first row of snake women wailed as the machine gun’s volley blew them into sulphurous yellow powder. Annabeth stared in amazement, “T-That’s my dad!” She shouted, a smile blooming across her face. 

Thalia got on the other side of Jack and slid his arm around her shoulders, helping him to his feet. “C’mon Annie, help me with Glowy EyesMcGee over here.” 

“Remind me never to go into powerlifting.” Jack said exhaustedly as Thalia chuckled and Annabeth got on his other side to support him. 

The group of demigods didn’t have time to admire the flying as the giants and snake women were already recovering from their surprise, Dr. Chase would be in trouble soon. 

Just then, the moonlight brightened, and a silver chariot appeared from the sky, drawn by the most beautiful deer Jack had ever seen. It landed right next to them, Jack looked incredulously at the chariot. “Why does this remind me of Santa’s sleigh?” 

Artemis smiled as she got in the ‘driver’s’ seat. “Where do you think that legend originated?” She said as she took the reins, after gently seating Zoë in the chariot and wrapped her in a blanket. 

“Well Merry Fuckin’ Christmas I guess.” Jack muttered as Thalia and Annabeth set him in the backseat as they sat next to him. The chariot took off with Dr. Chase escorting them in his biplane like an honor guard. 

“Percy,” Annabeth turned to Jack. “Why did you say that there was a book named after Atlas?” 

Jack’s tired expression met Annabeth’s, “Oh…uh, the Road Atlas.” Jack said, “That’s why.” 

Zoë broke out into chuckles, then a full on belly laugh. With the others joining her, Jack didn’t laugh as much because he did get kicked in the ribs by Atlas and it was hard to breathe, Artemis cracked a smile, as she saw her lieutenant laughing. Jack looked up at the sky, remembering something that Arcee taught him. “There it is.” Jack whispered to himself as he saw tucked in a random part of the sky, a small orange star. The star that Cybertron revolved around. 

Jack smiled to himself knowing that he had walked amongst those stars, and that no one here could ever know. “So is no one going to mention how Percy lifted the sky?” Annabeth asked as Jack groaned. 

“Maybe after I can breathe normally again.” Jack winced as covered his ribs with his left hand. “I did take a size ‘oh hell no’ boot to the ribs.”  

Thalia dug around in her bag and pulled out some ambrosia. “Here, this should help.” 

Jack looked at the square of godly food and took a bite. It tasted like his mom’s brownies, he then nearly inhaled it. It also made him feel a lot better. He sighed in relief. “Thanks Thals.” Jack thanked her and she nodded. “As far as lifting the sky, I dunno how I did that if I’m being honest.” He explained, “Let’s just say there’s more to people than meets the eye.” 

Zoë smiled at what Jack had said, “That is…very wise Perseus.” 

“Agreed.” Artemis said as the group touched down at Crissy Field at nightfall. 

The Sopwith Camel landed as well, Annabeth breaking out into a sprint as soon as her dad landed and climbed out of his biplane. Annabeth wrapped Dr. Chase in a hug after shouting “Dad!” Dr. Chase embraced his daughter. Annabeth continued as she looked up at her father. “Dad you flew- you shot- oh my gods! That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen!” 

Fredrick Chase flushed crimson at the compliments from his daughter. “Not bad for a middle-aged mortal, I suppose.” 

“But how did you get the celestial bronze to make the bullets?” Annabeth asked her father. 

Fredrick rubbed the back of his neck, “They’re bronze jacket bullets. I made them after you left behind some weapons the last time you…left…” The professor of history trailed off. Careful not to say ran away. “Just a little experiment.” He smirked briefly before dropping his hand onto Annabeth’s back again. 

“Dad…” Annabeth buried her head in her dad’s chest. Tears now freely flowing from her eyes. 

“You’re my little girl Annie, I’ll always be there for you when you need me. Even if that doesn’t mean you always want me to be.” Dr. Chase told his daughter which caused her to cry a little louder. 

Jack smiled as he slid out of the chariot, still clutching his ribs despite the food from earlier helping. Zoë looked at Jack, “Art thou alright?” 

“It hurts to breathe and I dunno how I’m walking, but I’ll live.” Jack said, “Just…envious of Annabeth.” 

“Why’s that Perce?” Thalia asked from over his shoulder, as she still sat in the chariot. 

“She’s got a dad willing to fight for her, be there for her, and is just…there.” Jack mumbled looking down at the tarmac. 

Zoë looked at Jack sympathy in her eyes, She looked at her patron goddess who also stared at Jack for a moment before turning to Zoë and nodded. Zoë leaned against Jack putting her head on his shoulder, Thalia just patted his other shoulder. “Thanks.” Jack whispered not wanting to step on Annabeth’s moment with her father. 

“It is okay to feel envy over another’s situation, just do not let it consume you.” Artemis advised. 

“Thank you, Lady Artemis.” Jack glanced over at her with a small smile and a nod. 

“We found the animal you were hunting.” Thalia said to the goddess. “We should get back to Olympus before anything happens to it.” 

“The Ophiotaurus? How?” Artemis asked, looking at her half sister. 

“Percy saved it, its been following him the entire time.” Thalia pointed out. 

Artemis looked at Jack, “Hmm. Twice in one day have you managed to surprise me Perseus. Come, we must be off.” The goddess of the hunt got back in her chariot. 

Zoë tapped Jack on his shoulder. “Is the breastplate permanent?” She asked him.

“Oh sorry.” Jack replied as the cybermatter retracted back into a band with a single thought.

 Zoë slid the band off her arm and handed it back to Jack as he slid it back onto his arm she spoke up, “‘Tis strange. It almost felt. Alive.” 

“Can you keep a secret?” Jack asked Zoë. Before Zoë could respond he whispered in her ear, “It is alive.” He smirked and winked at Zoë, pressing a finger to his lips as Annabeth bid farewell to her father and climbed in. 

The demigods climbed in with the huntress and the goddess, “Just so you all are aware. I am not supposed to assist you with your quest.” 

“Well technically we completed the quest. 

Five shall go west to the goddess in chains, 

One shall be lost in the land without rain, 

The bane of Olympus shows the trail, 

Campers and Hunters combined prevail, 

The Titan's Curse must one withstand, 

And one shall perish by a parent's hand.” Thalia quoted the Oracle of Delphi. “That was the prophecy given to us.” 

Jack thought about that, and looked to Artemis. Jack sat back, thinking about those words, “You could always drop us off before you get to Olympus.” Jack pointed out, “After all you were just doing as the stars were.” 

“And what, pray tell. Would that be Perseus Jackson?” Artemis asked, turning her head as her silver eyes pierced his blue ones. 

“Guiding us home.” Jack pointed out, “You were being a guide, and protecting children by guiding them. After all, we are minors.” He said which caused the goddess to tilt her head. 

Annabeth slapped Jack on the shoulder, “Don’t do that Seaweed Brain.” She smiled at the teasing nickname however after looking at Jack all she saw was how Jack looked hurt he opened his mouth, then closed it. 

He just shut down, crossing his arms and looking down at his feet. “I’ll just shut up now.” 

Annabeth felt a pang of guilt radiate through her core and settle at the back of her neck. Zoë decided to break the silence, “Percy is not wrong my lady.” She acknowledged. 

“I suppose that since the quest is technically over, and since Perseus is correct about one of my domains being the protection of children. I could overlook this for once.” Artemis concluded. “I shall let you off near the Empire State Building.” 

As the group approached Manhattan, high above the Empire State Building. Olympus was its own island of light, a floating mountain ablaze with torches and braziers, white marble palaces gleaming in the early morning air. “The winter solstice.” Thalia pointed out, “The council of the gods.”  

Jack swallowed the saliva in his throat as they approached. 

Percy sat on Arcee as they rounded the block and snuck into the back alley, Percy living in Manhattan all his life, he knew which alleys that Arcee could transform into her root mode without causing a stir. He got off Arcee and peeked around the corner, there were people but they paid no attention. The demigod nodded at the Autobot who transformed. “You sure about this Percy?” She asked him as she barely peeked around the corner as well. 

“New Yorkers tend to mind their business.” Percy explained, “And if all else fails I can probably use the mist to help.” 

“You have yet to explain what that is.” She stated as she ducked back into the alley. 

“It basically is a magical force that twists a mortal’s sight into something they can comprehend, so instead of seeing a bunch of children running around with swords and daggers and spears, you get them running around with a bunch of regular objects like Tennis rackets, baseball bats, and sticks.” Percy explained as he ducked back into the alley as well. 

“That’s all well and good, but I’m not magical in nature. I’m an alien.” Arcee cocked her hips and placed her hands on them while giving the demigod a scrutinizing look. 

“True, but Hephaestus also makes automatons. So it’s really up in the air.” Percy pointed out, “I wouldn’t go out into the open, if I were you. If you’re so intent on staying hidden, I’m just saying it might help.” 

“Well this ain’t Griffin Rock, so yeah I’m pretty sure I’m intent on sticking to the shadows.” Arcee pointed out. 

“G-Griffin Rock?” Percy asked the scout. 

“Griffin Rock, Maine. It’s the location of the Rescue Bots. Rescue Force Sigma-17.” Arcee explained, “You haven’t heard of it?” 

“No, I’ve heard of it. I just thought those were experimental and made by demigods and mortals.” Percy said. 

“That’s the cover story, aquaboy.” Arcee said, “Humans will take credit for anything so long as it feeds their egos. Wonder where they got that from.” 

“Yeah, I can see- aquaboy?” Percy looked at Arcee. 

“You said you’re the son of Poseidon, god of the seas. You’re not yet an adult. Aquaboy.” Arcee stated, “What did I get that wrong?” 

“N-No, its just that Annabeth tends to call me Seaweed Head.” Percy stated slightly stuttering. 

“Why?” Arcee asked Percy. 

“Because I tend not to do well in school, or I hardly think things through before I do something.” Percy told Arcee, scratching the back of his head. “She’s a daughter of Athena so she’s pretty smart compared to me.” 

“There’s different types of intelligence Percy. Just because you’re not good at academics or planning ahead doesn’t mean you’re not smart. I mean pits, you were wise enough to hold back on sinking Luke’s ship, because there were innocent people on board.” Arcee held her hand out, next to her head, palm facing the sky. “Let me put it to you like this,” She kneeled looking the demigod in the eye, placing her wrists behind her knee spike. “I’m a scout, compared to other bots I’m small, nimble, and quick. It’s intelligent of me to use that to my advantage. It would be stupid of me to think that I could outmuscle Bulkhead or Optimus, so I use what I am good at to my advantage. You get what I mean?” 

Percy looked down and thought about it, “Well the academics stuff isn’t even fully my fault either. I’m dyslexic and have ADHD, all demigods are.” 

“So your friend, who has the same disadvantages you have. Is calling you a demeaning nickname because you’re not as good at handling it as she is?” Arcee questioned, “Sounds to me like she’s demeaning you because she can.”

Percy’s brow furrowed, “I dunno…” The teen rubbed his arm with his off hand. 

“How about this, how about you ask why she’s calling you such a nickname and see if you can come up with something less demeaning. Because that’s not fair to you.” Arcee lightly pressed the tips of her fingers against the demigod’s sternum. “Because from what I can see, you’re a pretty sweet, smart, strong kid.” 

Percy took a deep breath and let it out, “Thanks Arcee.” He blushed, “Can you do me a favor?” 

“What’s up?” Arcee asked as Percy took off his coat. 

“Do you mind holding onto this for me?” He held the Nemean Lion pelt out to her. “Jack wouldn’t have this and well, I don’t need it.” 

Arcee took the coat from him, she put it in her subspace. “Alright, now we wait for Optimus to spot them.” Percy rubbed his arms, as it was still cold in New York during December. Breathing hot air into his hands. Arcee patted him on the back, “Go on,” She said, “Wait with Optimus, he’s got heat.” 

Percy nodded and made his way over to the red and blue semi truck. The door opened for him automatically as he climbed in. “S-Sorry.” Percy apologized as the heat turned on and he started to warm up. 

“You have nothing to apologize for, Percy.” Optimus spoke up as Percy settled into the passenger seat, the Autobot and demigod sitting down the street from the empire state building. 

With a direct line of sight on the main entrance, Percy decided to pass the time by asking Optimus questions about the autobots and cybertronians. All of which he answered patiently, Percy apologized multiple times, the last Prime assured him that it was no issue and that he was glad to answer any and all questions Percy had. Until he had one question sticking out in his mind. “Optimus, what are you going to say to the gods?” 

“Percy, the fact that the gods are using young ones to accomplish tasks that they could do themselves is reprehensible. The role of the parent is to protect their child.” Optimus explained to the demigod. 

“Tell that to Zeus.” Percy mumbled, crossing his arms and leaning back in the passenger seat. 

“I fully intend to.” Optimus curtly said, that kinda scared Percy. His heartbeat quickened before Optimus spoke up again. “I apologize Percy, I did not mean to make you nervous.” 

“H-How could you tell?” Percy asked the leader of the autobots. 

“Your heartbeat started to beat faster.” Optimus pointed out, “You are sitting inside of me, I am able to monitor your vitals just from where you are sitting.” The glove box opened and a box of breakfast bars sat inside alongside a few bottles of water. “Here, eat something.” 

Percy slowly grabbed a s’mores flavored breakfast bar and a bottle of water, as he ate he felt a lot better. “Thanks, Optimus.” He said between mouthfuls of breakfast bar and water. “Not a lot of people are willing to stick up for us demigods. Nor do they have the power to do so.” 

“The thing about power Percy, is that oftentimes the ones who are the most powerful. Are the ones who restrain themselves from abusing it.” Optimus advised. 

“Look alive, I’m detecting a trace of energon going through the streets.” Arcee said over comms, “Seems to be street level.” 

“Is it Jack?” Percy asked. 

“We’ll have to wait and see.” Arcee stated over the comms. 

“Wait, can’t we have Raf look through the cameras?” Percy asked recalling his technical prowess. 

“Already on it.” Raf answered over the comms. 

“Oh. Were you guys listening the entire time?” Percy asked the 12 year old genius over the comms. 

“No. Only when the comms are opened up. Why do you ask?” Raf inquired. 

“Did you say some embarrassing things Sakana?” Miko asked. 

“Miko! Stay off the comms!” Ratchet admonished, “To answer your question Percy, it seems that Jack, Thalia, and a blonde girl are approaching the building as we speak. They are not alone however.” 

“What do you mean?” Arcee asked. 

“There’s another energon signature following them.” Raf said, “It’s a red Aston Martin.” 

“Knockout.” Optimus said. 

“Do you think he’d risk trying to abduct Jack in broad daylight?” Arcee asked. 

“It is a risk we can not afford to take.” Optimus stated, “Arcee, do what you must. Discreetly.” 

Arcee transformed into her bike form and activated her holographic rider. Taking off around the block, coming up behind the red Aston Martin. “Don’t even think about it.” She warned Knockout. “The best thing you can do is to go away right now. Or I swear to primus that I’ll personally snuff out your spark.” 

“Big talk.” Knockout replied as he parked over a manhole cover. “Too bad you didn’t bring backup.” 

“What makes you think I didn’t?” Arcee replied, “We’ve got you on several different cameras, do you really want to be on front page news? With a tarnished paint job?” 

“Tarnished?” Knockout asked, “I’m as pristine as ever!” 

The manhole cover underneath Knockout burst with human waste as it flooded his undercarriage, Arcee backed up. Letting Knockout get bathed in filth, the Aston Martin then took off down the street rounding the corner as he moaned in disgust. “Good job Percy.” Arcee complimented the demigod. “Now, what are we going to do about Jack and the others?” 

“We’ve gotta get up to Olympus.” Percy said. 

“I’ve got an idea.” Raf said over the comms. “Is the Empire State Building the ONLY way to get to Mount Olympus?”

Chapter Text

Jack hummed to himself as they rode the elevator up to the secret 600th floor to Mount Olympus. Zoë had elected to help guide them to Mount Olympus. Now Jack was in an elevator with a goth girl, an immortal teen, and someone else who held the sky. Annabeth and Jack now shared the same gray streak in their hair. “So on a scale of one to ten. One being we walk away with our lives, ten being we get vaporized. How fucked are we?” Jack asked three ladies in the elevator with him. 

Annabeth nodded for a bit, looked up at her brow with her eyes then back at the elevator doors, “Probably a seven.” She concluded. 

“Oh great, love a seven. Seven makes me optimistic.” Jack replied. 

“They’re probably going to vote on whether or not to kill you.” Thalia pointed out. 

“At least it’s democratic. And hey, we’ve got the Goddess of the hunt on our side. Well, your side. I don’t know about me.” Jack said as he swayed back and forth on his feet. 

“Do you think my lady would not recognize your deeds?” Zoë looked at Jack. 

“I’m not going to speak for a goddess. Or god for that matter, I’m gonna just do my best and hope for the rest.” Jack replied to Zoë as the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Jack did his best not to be impressed by Olympus, and instead he focused on following Annabeth, Zoë, and Thalia. 

The four stood before twelve thrones assembled in a U formation around the central hearth, the ceiling made of the constellations themselves, Jack could see the orange star of Cybertron’s sun tucked way in the back behind Artemis. Everyone else seemed to be nervous except for Jack. Jack had stared down Megatron, who could easily one hand these gods if he saw fit to do so. In fact they all stood at around 16 feet tall. Which was Arcee’s height, Jack fought back a smirk. 

Artemis sat on her throne, “Welcome heroes.” She greeted the trio of demigods and her lieutenant. 

Jack looked around, taking in all the gods and noting who they were. They looked nothing like they did in his history textbooks, figuring out that they must update with the times in order to keep their abilities. Jack was roused out of his thoughts by a “Mooo!” He looked to see the Ophiotaurus suspended in a sphere of water that hovered in the center of the room. The serpent bull was having the time of his life poking his head out of the sphere of floating water. Jack smiled and waved at him. 

He noticed Grover at the throne of Zeus, appearing to be giving a report. Grover turned around and shouted. “You made it!”

 Grover took a few steps before stopping and turning toward Zeus, who just gave an absentminded wave. “Go on.” Zeus said, giving the satyr permission before he broke out into a run and slammed into Jack with a hug. 

Jack just gave him a hug back, before they broke up and he went over to Thalia and Annabeth to give them hugs as well. He went back over to Jack and started to speak up, “Percy, we made it. But you gotta convince them they can’t do it!” 

“Do what, exactly?” Jack asked before Artemis stood from her throne, transforming into her younger self whilst approaching the demigods. 

  A young auburn haired girl at ease amongst the gods, her silver robes shimmering. There was no emotion in her face. She seemed to walk in a column of moonlight. She looked at Jack, noting his relaxed demeanor. “Usually one would typically be more nervous to face the council of gods, Perseus.” 

“Ma’am, when you’ve lived the life I have. It’s typically better to just hold on tight and go along for the ride.” Jack replied, his blue eyes looking into her silver ones. 

Artemis searched his eyes for hesitation only to find truth and compassion, she slightly nodded in acknowledgement the whisper of a smirk tugging at her lips. “Heroes,” the goddess started, addressing the rest of the group. “The council has been informed of your deeds.” She gestured to the other gods before continuing, “We know Mount Orthys is rising in the west. We know of Atlas’s attempt for freedom, and the gathering of armies for Kronos’ forces. We have voted to act.” 

There was some mumbling and shuffling but none of the other gods protested, Jack noticed that they all didn’t seem on board with this plan. Artemis continued, “At my Lord Zeus’s command my brother Apollo and I shall hunt the most powerful monsters, seeking to strike them down before they can join the Titans’ cause. Lady Athena shall personally check on the other Titans to make sure they do not escape their various prisons. Lord Poseidon has been given permission to unleash his full fury on the cruise ship Princess Andromeda and send it to the bottom of the sea. And as for you, my heroes…” 

She turned to the other Olympians, “These half-bloods have done Olympus a great service. Would any here deny that?” 

Artemis looked around at the Pantheon meeting their eyes individually. Zeus in his dark pinstriped suit, his black beard neatly trimmed, and his eyes sparking with energy. Next to him sat a beautiful woman with silver hair braided over one shoulder and a dress that shimmered with colours like peacock feathers. The Lady Hera, to the right of Zeus. Poseidon, who gathered the attention of Jack, Poseidon just smiled and nodded at Jack. Next to Poseidon, a huge lump of a man with a leg in a steel brace, a misshapen head and a wild brown beard, fire flickering through his whiskers. The Lord of the Forges, Hephaestus. 

Hermes dressed in a suit, he winked at Jack as he was busy checking messages through his caduceus cellphone. Apollo leaned back in his golden throne with his shades on. He had iPod headphones on, Jack doubted he was even listening however those fears were put to rest when he stuck a thumb up. Dionysus looked bored, twirling a grapevine between his fingers. And Ares, well, he sat on his chrome-and-leather throne, glowering at Jack while he sharpened a knife. 

Jack didn’t care, he stared down Megatron in a collapsed mine, blew up Airachnid’s ship with her on it, and used Scraplets to kill a feral Insecticon, as well as lifting the sky. Sharpening a knife and staring at him didn’t even cross the boundary of threatening in his mind. 

It probably should have been right then and there that Jack should’ve realized that he needed therapy, but honestly? Therapy could wait when the intergalactic civil war that threatened the safety of everyone on earth was done and over with. 

On the ladies’ side of the throne room, a dark-haired goddess in green robes sat next to Hera on a throne woven of apple-tree branches. Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest. Next to her sat a beautiful grey-eyed woman in an elegant white dress. She could only be Annabeth’s mother, Athena. Jack had recalled that Artemis had called Annabeth a ‘Daughter of Athena’ and he could definitely see the resemblance. Then there was Aphrodite, she smiled at Jack, causing him to blush a little bit. 

“I gotta say.” Apollo broke the silence, pulling off his headphones, “These kids did okay.” He cleared his throat and began to recite: “ Heroes win laurels- ”

“Um, yes, first class,” Hermes interrupted, like he was anxious to avoid Apollo’s poetry. “All in favour of not disintegrating them?” The god of messengers asked as a few hands went up, Demeter, Aphrodite being amongst them. 

“Wait just a minute.” Ares growled as he pointed at Jack and Thalia with his knife. “These two are dangerous, it’d be much safer now that we’ve got them here-” The god of war was cut off by the god of the seas. 

“Ares, they are worthy heroes. We will not blast my son to bits.” Poseidon said, pounding his fist into the armrest of his throne. 

“Nor my daughter.” Zeus agreed albeit reluctantly. “She has done well.” 

Thalia studied the floor, Jack noticed this out of the corner of his eye. The goddess Athena cleared her throat and sat forward. “I am proud of my daughter as well. But there is a security risk here, with the other two.” 

“Mother!” Annabeth gaped at her mother. “How can you-” 

Athena cut her off with a calm but firm look. “It is unfortunate that my father, Zeus, and my uncle, Poseidon, chose to break their oath not to have more children. Only Hades kept his word, a fact that I find ironic. As we know from the Great Prophecy, children of the three elder gods… such as Thalia and Percy… are dangerous. As thickheaded as he is, Ares has a point.” 

“Right!” Ares agreed before he realized what Athena had said, “Hey wait a minute who are you callin’-” He was cut off by Jack laughing, the god of war sat back down with a sneer still on his face. 

“Ho-lee shit, this is hilarious and ironic.” Jack said as he wiped a tear from his eye, “The gods of Olympus are debating whether to kill their children or not because they’re too powerful, despite the fact that that’s exactly what Kronos attempted and it did not work out for him.” That silenced all the Olympians in the room. 

“The funniest thing is, those who take roads to avoid their fate often meet it.” Jack said before he looked at Athena for a brief moment, he turned his attention back to the entire pantheon. “Here’s a good example: Oedipus. You want to know how that entire tragedy could have been avoided? Had King Polybus and Queen Merope told Oedipus, ‘Hey, by the way. You’re adopted, your real parents are King Lanius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes, don’t go to Thebes. We still love you, just don’t go near Thebes.’ I mean seriously, when it comes to prophecies does common sense take a vacation?” Jack asked the Pantheon of Greek gods. 

The pantheon found themselves lacking the ability to form words. Jack looked at Annabeth, “Hey, Annabeth. Remind me, what’s the Great Prophecy?” 

Annabeth looked back and forth quickly between the gods and Jack. “You should know it by heart now Percy.” 

“Humor me.” Jack said whilst rolling his eyes. 

 “A half-blood of the eldest gods. Shall reach sixteen against all odds. And see the world in endless sleep. The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap. A single choice shall end his days. Olympus to preserve or raze.” Annabeth said to Jack, who put his hand to his chin, his eyes darting back and forth. 

“Okay…so obviously its a male that’s gonna die.” Jack said, and the Olympians looked at him. 

“How could you possibly know that?” Athena asked and Jack looked up at the goddess. 

“The fifth line.” He replied, “A single choice shall end his days. Also Thalia’s out already because of the second line.” Jack gestured to Thalia with his thumb. 

“What do you mean Percy?” Thalia asked nervously. 

“Didn’t you say you were a tree for a while?” Jack asked, “That’s a pretty big ODD to be against and not succeed. And that would technically make you older than you actually are, you were in a magical coma, technically speaking you should be around 20.” Thalia’s mouth gaped open like a fish before she closed it and nodded as Jack continued. “And that’s not even counting the fact that the first line is too vague. Just because there aren’t currently any more children of the big three doesn’t mean more won’t be discovered. ” 

“That’s enough.” Zeus commanded, obviously becoming more and more frustrated at Jack’s defiance. Lightning sparking in his eyes, Jack looked back at Zeus, his gaze just as defiant as ever. 

“Just remember, those often meet their fates on the roads they take to avoid it.” Jack replied coolly.

 Zeus’ anger flared before he stopped altogether, his tightened fist relaxing. “Your words will be taken into consideration Jackson. But first, we must discuss what to do with the Ophiotaurus; it must be destroyed.” 

“Okay, why?” Jack asked, his eyebrow raised. 

“Kronos knows full well that if you were to sacrifice the beast’s entrails to the fire, you would have the power to destroy Olympus.” Zeus stated, “Do you think we can let that possibility remain?” 

“Okay, here’s a crazy idea. Keep it alive.” Jack stated, “It’s an innocent creature. That obviously doesn’t want to die. Just because something might be dangerous doesn’t mean it will be dangerous. He’s just like a knife, it’s only dangerous if someone uses it that way. Again it’s just like Kronos eating you, just because the Ophiotaurus has the potential to give someone the power to destroy Olympus means absolutely nothing. I have the potential to throw myself into a fire, it means nothing if I never do it.” 

Zeus looked like he was mulling over Jack’s words. “I will agree, only if the Ophiotaurus is kept here on Olympus. That kind of power is too great of a bargaining chip for the sea.” Zeus side eyed his brother Poseidon. 

Poseidon looked at Jack who tilted his head at the serpent bull. Poseidon closed his eyes and sighed. “Fine, I will build an aquarium for the creature here. Hephaestus can help me.” 

“All in favor?” Zeus asked the other Olympians and a lot of hands went up, Dionysus, Ares, and Athena abstained.  “We have a majority, and so since we will not be destroying these heroes. I imagine we should honor them, let the celebration begin!” Zeus said as most of the other Olympians flashed away to the banquet hall, with the Ophiotaurus joining them. Leaving only Artemis behind with the others. 

Jack let out a huge sigh of relief, “Oh thank fuck.” He wiped his brow with his forearm. “I did not think that was going to work.” 

“I’m sorry, did you just bluff?!” Annabeth yelled. 

“Technically, no I didn’t.” Jack replied to the angry blonde girl. “Everything I said was true, and prophecies tend to care about details.” 

“What do you mean?” Grover asked. 

“Okay, the second line Shall Reach Sixteen against all odds. Thalia didn’t reach 16, she blew past it.” Jack gestured to the goth. 

“So instead of turning 16 tomorrow, I’d be…21.” Thalia put it together. 

“Exactly, but if you’re scared that might not be the case.” Jack looked at Zoë, “It seems you might want to talk to her and Lady Artemis.” 

Zoë looked to Jack with tears in her eyes, Artemis turned to her lieutenant. “What is he saying Zoë?” The goddess of the moon asked. 

Zoë looked down, “My lady, before freeing you. Perseus here, he spoke to my sisters. His words alone, they have afforded me a chance to reconnect. A chance I do not wish to squander.” Zoë looked at the auburn haired goddess, tears streaming down her cheeks from both sides of her eyes. 

Artemis looked between Zoë and Jack, the goddess of the hunt approached Jack with a scrutinizing look on her face. “Is this true?” She asked him. 

“I only said that her sisters should forgive her, not because there was anything done to earn it. But because they deserve peace.” Jack stated, his blue eyes looking into her silver ones. 

“How?” Artemis asked before turning away from Jack, shouting at the ceiling of the glowing stars and constellations. “How is this possible! Of all the men in the thousands of years of my existence, how are you able to do these things?!” She clutched the sides of her head for a moment before turning and pointing at Jack poking him in the chest repeatedly out of frustration. “You. You. You. You are an enigma! A paradox! You should not be the way that you are. Men are patronizing, chauvinistic, they are pigs, deceivers!” She continued as Jack looked down at his arms, she followed his line of sight. 

Seeing the scars, she recognized scars like these before. “More than meets the eye.” The goddess whispered, the finger jabbed into Jack’s chest slowly turned into a hand spread across his heart. She breathed in through her nose and released it, “Perhaps, women are not the only victims when it comes to men. And perhaps men can be more than what I listed. They can be more than meets the eye.” Artemis’ silver eyes darted back and forth briefly before she looked up at him again, “Bend down Perseus.” 

Jack’s eyes darted to the others who simply offered him a shrug before he bent down to her level. “If you don’t mind me ask-” 

“I do mind.” Artemis cut him off, “You are my skybearer, lifting it in defiance of Atlas, and you have given one of my closest friends a chance to reunite with her sisters. Two things I never could conceive of. I do not give this gift lightly, you should be appreciative.” Her hand slid from Jack’s chest to his face cradling his cheek as she pressed a kiss into the opposite cheek.

Jack’s eyes widened as she did so his face awash with a blush, Zoë sputtered. “M-M-My lady?! I thought-” The huntress started but Artemis held up a hand, silencing her. 

“My vow is still intact, I swore a vow of maidenhood. However, a reward is not outside the realm of possibility. Especially to ones who earn it.” Artemis explained as she looked at Zoë, before turning back to Jack. 

“Y-You didn’t have to do that.” Jack mumbled, “I wasn’t doing it for a reward.” 

“All the more reason why you earned it.” Artemis acknowledged. 

“T-Thank you Lady Artemis.” Jack thanked the goddess, who smiled and nodded. 

“You are incredibly noble, something that does not go unnoticed. Despite what you may believe.” Artemis said, before turning to Zoë and approaching her. “You wish to retire from the hunt.” 

Zoë closed her eyes and nodded, “I wish to rebuild the connection with my sisters. The hunt will always be my family, my lady but-” Artemis held up her hand again. 

“No words need to be spoken, Zoë. I understand.” The goddess said, before wiping Zoë’s eyes. “Dry your tears my lieutenant, for this is a moment to celebrate. There are very few who retire from the hunt after thousands of years of faithful service.” Artemis held out her hands as Zoë kneeled. “Zoë Nightshade, daughter of the titan Atlas and Pleione of Arcadia. For over 2000 years you have faithfully served The Hunt, your circlet.” Zoë took the circlet off her head and placed it in her patron goddess’ hands. “Your bow.” She did the same with her bow, placing it in Artemis’ hands, before Artemis reached down and undid the braid in her hair. “I decree your watch complete. Rise, and rejoice.” 

Zoë stood up and Artemis embraced her, “Thank you my lady.” Zoë cried as she hugged Artemis back. “No matter what, you will always be my goddess.” She said before breaking the hug, wiping her eyes and walking over to Jack. She slid her arms under his and pulled him close, “Thank you Percy, I will not waste the opportunity that you have given me.” 

Jack hugged her back, “No more thou’s?” He joked as they separated. 

“Perhaps, it is time to ‘update my vocabulary’ as they say.” Zoë replied looking Jack in the eye, “Rest assured, thou wilt not hear the end of this.” She said with a smile, lightly brushing her knuckles against his chest. 

“It seems I am in need of a new lieutenant.” Artemis looked over to Thalia. 

“I…I don’t know.” Thalia admitted rubbing the back of her neck, “Can I have time to think about it?” 

Artemis nodded, “I do believe Perseus’ words about your age, prophecies are fickle things. Think of my offer as…shelter, should you need it.” The goddess flashed away, to the banquet hall. 

Thalia looked to the others, “What are we waiting for, we have a party to get to!” 

Jack smirked as the others ran ahead of him, he followed behind to the banquet hall along the way, the bands around his arms slowly reforming into the Key. The other kids erupted in cheers when he arrived, all wearing orange shirts that said Camp Half-Blood on them. Jack followed Annabeth over to the food the tables piled high with all sorts of snack foods. He grabbed what he could, Annabeth smiling next to him until she noticed what he had piled on his plate. 

Annabeth saw that none of the foods were blue, confusion grew on her face before she was cut off by the sight of Grover with a plate stacked high with tin cans and enchiladas, chanting. “Pan, Pan.” He said as he toted a goblet full of double espresso coffee in his other hand almost like he was chanting an incantation. Jack smirked and shook his head, turning to see that Annabeth had departed, finding the company of Thalia and speaking to her. 

The gods had since become human sized, to avoid stepping on the children. Jack grabbed a goblet, seeing how it was empty he looked at it. “Pepsi?” He asked and the cup filled to the brim with the carbonated drink. “Nice.” 

“Your father takes a great risk, you know.” A familiar voice spoke up. 

Jack turned his attention to the source of the voice. “Lady Athena.” Jack bowed his head slightly, his reply was terse. 

“Do not judge me so harshly. Wise council is not always popular, but I spoke the truth. You are dangerous.” Athena replied before she fully comprehended what Jack had said. 

“You never take risks yourself?” Jack asked the goddess of wisdom. 

“I…concede the point.” Athena looked down at Jack, her gray eyes meeting his blue. She paused for a moment before continuing, “You may perhaps be useful, your fatal flaw may destroy us as well as yourself.” 

Jack nodded before he took a drink of his goblet, “If you don’t mind my asking, what precisely is my fatal flaw?” 

Athena tilted her head back and looked down at Jack for a moment, with a raised eyebrow she continued. “Kronos knows your fatal flaw, even if you do not. He knows how to study his enemies. Think Percy. How has he manipulated you? First, your mother was taken from you. Then your best friend Grover. Now my daughter, Annabeth.” She paused for a moment, disapproving, “In each case, your loved ones have been used to lure you into Kronos’s traps. Your fatal flaw is personal loyalty, Percy. You do not know when it is time to cut your losses. To save a friend, you would sacrifice the world. In a hero of the prophecy, that is very, very dangerous.” 

Jack swallowed the soda in his mouth after taking another drink. “Then I pity those who would stand in my way, and those who don’t have a friend like me. Because they can’t comprehend what I would unleash upon them.” Athena was taken aback if slightly. “Make no mistake, your words have been taken into consideration. But allow me to propose this to you, would you rather have such a person as an ally or enemy? A loyal friend who would say…cross the stars themselves for you in order to help you?” Jack smiled at the goddess of wisdom. 

“You seem to be wiser than our first meeting.” Athena commented. 

“The capacity for growth and change in mortals is…unmatched by any other on earth.” Jack replied with a smile. 

“The most dangerous flaws are those which are good in moderation.” Athena stated, as she looked Jack up and down. “Evil is easy to fight. Lack of wisdom…is hard indeed.” 

“And good wisdom comes seldom cheap.” Jack replied and tilted his goblet at her. 

“I would hope the Council’s decisions prove wise,” Athena stated, “But I will be watching, Percy Jackson. I do not approve of your friendship with my daughter. I do not think it wise for either of you. And should you begin to waver in your loyalties…” She leveled a stare into Jack’s eyes. Her cold gray eyes looking into Jack’s ocean blue, she searched for a fire of defiance only to see one of compassion. Her eyebrow raised before she backed away, her head tilting in confusion. 

“Percy!” Annabeth shouted as she ran through the crowd, stopping just short of Jack and Athena. “Oh…mom…” She mumbled. “D-Dad says hi.” 

Athena turned toward her daughter and smiled, “Thank you Annabeth. I should send him a letter sometime. I’ll talk with you about the details later, for now I’ll leave you be.” She stated as she left the pair. The crowd parting as if she had her aegis with her. 

Annabeth looked to Jack, “Was she giving you a hard time?” 

Jack took another sip from his goblet, “No, it’s fine.” 

Annabeth looked at the liquid in his cup noting the distinct lack of the blue coloring. She looked up at Jack, finally making eye contact with him up close and personal. “You have blue eyes.” 

“Since I was born.” Jack replied with a smile. “What’s the issue?” 

Annabeth’s heart accelerated in terror, “Percy doesn’t have blue eyes. He’s got green eyes, and he’s really ornery about blue dyed food and drinks. Who are you?” 

Jack smirked as he felt a familiar sensation of his bones practically vibrating, a message from the key. “You’re about to find out.” Jack winked before he threw his goblet at The Nine Muses, interrupting and cutting off the music. Gathering the attention of everyone as he stood on the table of snack foods. “Ladies and gentlemen, mystical creatures! Gods and Goddesses alike! If I can have your attention please!” The entire banquet hall stared at Jack as he smiled and continued, “Pardon the interruption but there’s something I need to address.” 

“Perseus.” Zoë said, causing Jack to look down at her. “What art thou doing? Thou art making a spectacle of thyself!” 

“Unfortunately Zoë that is the thing I need to address. This entire time everyone in here has known me as Percy Jackson.” He announced, “However, that is not entirely true. My name is Jackson. Jackson Darby, you can call me Jack.” 

The entire hall gasped, the Olympians staring on in shock before Jack threw his arms out to his sides and the space behind him warped before a bright red light collapsed in on itself and a swirling green and blue portal opened up behind Jack. Jack smirked to himself as he felt it coming. 

Thoom. 

Thoom. 

Thoom. 

Out of the ground bridge stepped Optimus Prime, Arcee, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Ratchet, before another smaller frame stepped out of the portal. The demigod they all recognized, Percy Jackson clad in his Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and jeans. 

Jack turned and jumped off the table as Percy stood next to Optimus, he looked up at the Prime, barely coming up to the tire on Optimus’ ankle. Jack walked up to the group, Percy looked up at Jack, Jack looked down at Percy. “Is…Annabeth?” Percy asked. 

“Just fine.” Jack replied, “Now listen.” Jack smiled and pointed up at the last Prime. 

“Greetings, my name is Optimus Prime. We are autonomous robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron. Also known as Autobots.” Optimus introduced himself. “And we have business with the gods.” Optimus stated his eyes narrowed, his voice intimidating but powerful. 

The Olympians had now gathered, staring up at the Autobots. They looked to Zeus for an answer, he could only stare on as for the first time in his thousands of years of existence. He didn’t know what to do. 

Percy embraced Annabeth with a hug, and was surprised to see Zoë and Thalia getting along better than when he had left. Thalia and Zoë looked at Percy with bewilderment, “How did we not notice?” Zoë asked Percy. 

“Don’t blame yourselves. Jack and I look a lot alike.” Percy said after he hugged Thalia. 

“It doesn’t make any sense.” Thalia pointed out, “The quest prophecy it said-” 

“Five shall go west to the goddess in chains, One shall be lost in the land without rain, The bane of Olympus shows the trail, Campers and Hunters combined prevail, The Titan's Curse must one withstand, And one shall perish by a parent's hand.” Percy quoted as he nodded, “You guys picked up Jack at the Hoover Dam in Nevada. I was the one lost in the land without rain. It wasn’t Bianca.” The son of Poseidon pointed out. 

“But, if that’s true then who was the one who perished by a parent’s hand?” Annabeth asked. 

“That one was Bianca. She died with a mythomagic figurine in her hand.” Percy looked to Annabeth, “I figured it out on the way here, by a parent’s hand didn’t mean as a result of, it meant in proximity to. Bianca and Nico, they’re children of Hades.” 

“But if that’s true then Hades broke the oath.” Thalia pointed out. 

Percy shook his head, “I don’t think he did. Remember, Bianca told us that she thought the current President was FDR. He died before the official end of World War 2. Which means that Bianca and Nico were born before the war, if Nico is at least 10. Then he would’ve been born in 1935 or 1936.” 

“That still doesn’t explain how they’re here now.” Annabeth pointed out. 

“The Lotus Casino.” Percy pointed out and Grover gasped. 

“Oh yeah!” The satyr said. “We spent a few hours there and a few days passed.” 

“That means they could’ve spent years in there and decades passed outside.” Annabeth concluded, “Then someone retrieved them and started us on the quest to find them. So what happened at the Dam?” She asked them. “How did you get lost?” 

“I confused Jack for Percy.” Thalia looked up, horrified. “We were running from the skeletons, I grabbed his wrist!” Thalia put her hands on the sides of her head, messing up her black pixie haircut, “I could’ve gotten an innocent mortal killed!” she started hyperventilating until Percy pulled her into a hug. Thalia’s breathing slowed as she calmed down, her cousin able to bring her back down from her hysteria. “Thanks Percy.” She thanked him and he nodded.  

“Wait hold on, if Jack’s mortal, then why didn't Ambrosia hurt him? He should have burst into flames upon consuming it.” Annabeth asked the group, looking at Jack who stood off in the distance. 

“He is a demigod.” Percy stated, “Atlas sensed it.” 

“My father could sense his aura, and so could the gods. That’s why they felt nothing was off, as far as they knew nothing was off.” Zoë concluded. 

Percy looked at Zoë for a moment, breaking the hug with Thalia after she was much more calm. “What happened to you? Wait hold on, your father is Atlas!?” 

“Another thing we should have noticed.” Zoë said as she looked at Thalia. “Jack is incredibly astute.” 

“Hey! I’m not stupid!” Percy scolded Zoë, who took a step back. Percy closed his mouth and hugged himself, his voice breaking a bit as he mumbled, “I’m smart in other ways.” Percy looked away from the others, slightly sniffling. 

Annabeth looked at Percy, she had never seen him like this. This vulnerable and defeated, the guilt crept back up the base of her neck. Thalia wrapped an arm around Percy’s shoulders as she spoke up, “You’re right Perce, it’s not cool of us to constantly point out your shortcomings.” Her thumb rubbed his shoulder. 

Zoë looked at the son of Poseidon, “The reason why I look different is because I retired from The Hunt.” She explained as he made eye contact with her. “Per- apologies. Jack had given me an opportunity to make amends with my sisters in The Garden of Hesperides. It is an opportunity that I cannot let go to waste.” 

“That’s great.” Percy smiled at Zoë, “I’m happy for you.” 

“Hey, do you mind if I talk to Percy alone?” Annabeth asked the others, “I think Jack might need some reassurance that we’re not mad at him.” She suggested and they nodded. Leaving the two friends alone with one another. “Percy.” The fellow demigod looked her in the eyes, his sea green meeting her gray. She took his hands into hers, holding them by her waist. “I have a question to ask you, and I want you to be honest with me.” 

Percy nodded slightly, “Okay.” 

“Does it hurt you when I call you Seaweed Brain?” The daughter of Athena asked him. 

Percy swallowed, tears welled up in his eyes after she asked that question. His voice was shaky as he spoke. “W-When you call me that. Sometimes, it kinda reminds me of all the things bullies at my school used to call me and write on my lockers…” He admitted, “H-How they call me r-re-re-reta-” 

Annabeth pulled him into a hug, cutting him off before he could complete that last word. She had seen his lockers, how often they were vandalized with slurs and demeaning names. “You’re not. You’re not. I promise you’re not.” She felt terrible, she buried her face into his shoulder. Annabeth and Percy always teased each other, she would call him Seaweed Brain and he would call her…Wise Girl. He was always complimenting her, and she returned the favor with an insult. “You’re smart Percy. You’re smart, brave, and sweet, and I’m sorry.” She apologized. 

They both cried into each other for a few minutes, Annabeth mumbling apologies into Percy’s shoulder as they hugged. They didn’t care who saw them at this moment, it was a time to heal, not to be embarrassed. 

“Why do you call me Seaweed Brain?” Percy asked as they got some distance between one another, but not letting go still holding onto each other’s forearms. 

“Pride, I’m proud of being the daughter of Athena. I always want to prove that I’m the smartest. Sometimes that means being the smartest at the expense of others.” Annabeth wiped her eyes with her thumb. “I want you to know that while it initially was an insult, that I don’t mean it anymore. I don’t think that about you.” 

“Arcee told me, she’s the blue one.” Percy started and Annabeth laughed. 

“Of all the things in the universe, of course you would become friends with a blue alien.” Annabeth giggled and Percy chuckled too, scratching the back of his head. 

“She told me that it was unfair to call me stupid because we had the same disadvantages with our ADHD and dyslexia and that just because I don’t do well in classes or don’t always think things through doesn’t mean I’m not smart.” He told Annabeth. 

“You’re right.” Annabeth confirmed his words which made him straighten up a bit more. “I’ll lighten up, I swear on the River Styx, and if you want I can help you study.” The sound of distant thunder confirmed her intention.  

“Thanks, Wise Girl.” Percy thanked her. 

Annabeth looked at Percy, “Do you want me to call you another nickname? I don’t want to call you something that makes you think less of yourself. You’re my friend, not my punching bag.” 

“One of Jack’s other friends, her name was Miko. She’s from Japan, she called me Saka- something.” Percy was trying to recall. 

“Sakana.” Annabeth completed for him and Percy snapped his fingers. 

“Yes! That!” Percy said as he pointed at Annabeth. 

“It means fish in Japanese.” Annabeth stated before she brushed some hair out of his eyes. “It’s either that or Uo. But I like Sakana, it sounds nice.” Annabeth rubbed his arm. 

Percy felt better since they had discussed the teasing nickname. He looked around, spotting The Ophiotaurus. “Bessie!” He shouted as he ran to the serpent bull. 

“Moo!” Bessie mooed at Percy as he ran and hugged Bessie’s head. 

“You named The Ophiotaurus; Bessie?” Annabeth asked as Percy pet him. 

“What’s the problem?” Percy asked honestly, looking at Annabeth eyes full of curiosity as he scratched under Bessie’s chin. 

“Percy ‘Bessie’ here is a bull, a boy.” Annabeth gently informed him, doing her best not to talk down to him. 

The metaphorical lightbulb came on above Percy’s head as his mouth opened. “Oooooh.” Bessie pressed his head against Percy’s. “I don’t think he seems to mind it though.” He rubbed Bessie’s neck. 

“You’re right.” Annabeth said as she reached up to pet his neck as well. “Hard to believe the gods wanted to kill him.” 

Percy looked at Annabeth, shocked. “Why would they want to do that? Bessie didn’t do anything wrong!” 

“There’s power in killing innocence.” Zoë said as she, Thalia, Grover, and Jack approached. “If someone were to sacrifice his entrails to the fire, they would gain the ability to destroy Olympus, but Jackson here convinced the gods not to.” Zoë motioned to Jack. 

“I was only doing what was right.” Jack mumbled looking down and rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t doubt that Percy would’ve done the same thing.” 

Thalia looked outside the banquet hall, her gaze drawn to the council room of the gods. “What do you think they’re talking about in there?” 

“Knowing Optimus? He’s probably giving them the lecture of a lifetime.” Jack stated, answering Thalia’s question. 

“Man, I would pay good drachma to see that.” Percy said offhandedly to which Annabeth playfully slapped him on the shoulder, “What? You can’t tell me you wouldn’t want to see the same.” Percy defended himself only for Annabeth to jerk her head at Jack. 

“How are you holding up?” Annabeth asked Jack, the teen just shrugged. 

“It’s not the first time my life has been turned onto its head. Honestly speaking? It sorta makes sense in hindsight, I mean I never knew who my dad was. So yeah…” Jack answered. 

“Just pray that your father is none of the big three.” Thalia answered. 

“Sometimes its more trouble than its worth.” Percy agreed, “And we didn’t even ask for it.” 

“But would you guys take it back?” Jack asked Percy and Thalia to which they both shook their heads in the negative. 

“I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” Percy replied, “It…sucks, and sometimes you feel overwhelmed but-” 

“It’s worth it. Even when your father isn’t the best parent around.” Thalia completed.

“I do have a few questions if thou dost not mind answering them.” Zoë said as she looked at Jack. 

“Is it about the Bots?” He asked back to the former huntress. 

“A few, the first ones are. Why did you not say anything? Why assist us?” Zoë asked Jack. 

“It’s what Optimus would’ve done. When we landed in Santa Monica all I could see was how tired and stressed out you all were. So I helped in any way I could.” Jack answered, running his hand through his raven black hair. 

“You hold this Optimus Prime in very high regard.” Zoë stated. 

“He’s one of the best people you’ll ever meet.” Jack stated, “He’s a leader through and through, but most importantly. He cares, he cares about all life, not just the lives of his people.” 

“Yeah, he has food in his glove box.” Percy said, which caused Annabeth, Zoë, Thalia, and Grover to look at him funny. 

“What do you mean?” Grover asked Percy. 

“They can uh, transform into vehicles.” Jack explained, “It’s like a natural camouflage. Optimus turns into a semi-truck. Ratchet, the orange and white one. He’s the Chief Medical Officer, so he can turn into an Ambulance. Bulkhead, the green one. He turns into a Chevy Avalanche. Bumblebee, the yellow one, he turns into a Camaro. Arcee, my partner, she's the blue and pink one. She turns into a motorcycle. That’s why Optimus has windshields on his chest, Bee has doors for wings, and you can see tires for Ratchet’s elbows.” 

“That is incredible.” Zoë muttered to herself, “They said they were from a planet called Cybertron, so they are in fact.” 

“They’re aliens. They live, they can get sick, they can even die. There used to be another autobot, his name was Cliffjumper. I never met him, he got ambushed by Decepticons and… he passed. He and Arcee used to be partners.” Jack completed for Zoë. 

“Decepticons?” Thalia asked, looking at Jack curiously. 

Jack looked at the others and took a deep breath. He then let it out and he explained why the Autobots were here, instead of on their own planet, what caused their war, and the enemies of the Autobots, the Decepticons. By the time he was finished with his explanation Annabeth, Thalia, Zoë, and Grover looked at him with a haunted look. “D-Did thou say, they hath been fighting for…centuries?” Zoë asked Jack, who responded with only a nod. 

“The bots are millions of years old.” Percy answered for Jack, “Optimus is 9,000,000. So basically-” 

“They’ve been fighting since before the gods existed, before the titans existed, before the giants existed.” Annabeth realized, cutting off Percy as she spoke aloud.

“Before all of that, they used Earth as a place to store Energon, and eventually Earth became a battlefield too.” Jack explained. 

“That’s…whoa.” Grover said as he sat down. 

“How do you think I feel?” Jack asked the satyr, “I had to get used to it within a day, and then this happened.” 

“Yeah, I’m surprised you didn’t go insane.” Grover said. 

“I still have a few questions, if thou doth not mind my inquiry.” Zoë said and Jack gave her a playful smile. “If you don’t mind.” The former huntress corrected herself. 

Jack nodded, “Better, yeah sure. Ask away.” 

“How did thou- I mean, you. How did you meet the aliens?” Zoë asked. 

“They’re called Autobots.” Jack corrected gently, “And well, it was an accident. About a year ago I was walking out of work when I spotted Arcee in her motorcycle form. It was the same model of bike that I had always wanted. And being a dumb kid, I…sat on her. Granted, I didn’t know she was a sentient alien robot at the time.” Jack started and Zoë nodded, “What I also didn’t know is that she was being chased by Vehicons at the time either.” 

“Vehicons?” Annabeth asked. 

“They’re basically Decepticon footsoldiers, they’re mass produced and they don’t have much of a personality. They’re made to take orders. They can either be jets or cars.” Jack explained. 

Zoë made a face of disgust at the explanation. “That sounds horrible.” 

“Hey, I didn’t say I condoned it. I was just explaining it.” Jack defended himself. Zoë tilted her head to the side in thought then nodded and gestured to Jack for him to continue. “It sounds stupid in hindsight but, when I sat on Arcee a girl I had a crush on asked if she was my motorcycle and I stumbled over my words and said yes.” Jack stated, “Then the next thing I knew, we were being chased by two cars. Arcee popped a wheelie, with me on her she shouted ‘Do not let go’ and after a while, we became friends.” He finished with a slanted mouth. 

“Sounds like there’s more to the story than you’re telling.” Thalia commented, crossing her arms and smirking. 

“Well hopefully, I’ll be able to tell you more. If I’m a demigod then that means that I’m gonna be going to this camp of yours, right?” Jack asked as he gestured to the Camp Half-Blood t-shirt that Percy was wearing. 

Annabeth smiled, “Yeah, you will. We just gotta figure out who your godly parent is.” She patted him on his arm.  

“Get ready for people to confuse you for Percy a lot.” Grover stated and Jack just rolled his eyes. 

“Great, as if my life wasn’t bad enough.” Jack said sarcastically, “Work a job, help my mom pay bills, dodge giant genocidal delusional enslaving robots, go to a summer camp dedicated to teaching me how to survive the magical world, oh and don’t let your grades slip below a C+ average or you’re grounded.” 

“You actually have good grades?” Percy asked, “My dyslexia is so bad I can barely read the assignments and my ADHD can hardly make me hold still.” 

“Dyslexia?” Jack asked and the other demigods looked at him. 

“Wait, you don’t have dyslexia?” Thalia asked. 

Jack’s eyebrow raised further as he slowly shook his head. “Nope, my mom is a nurse. I get free checkups, I have mild ADHD but I can generally reign it in without need of medication.” Jack informed the other demigods. 

“Okay, I’m going to punch your godly parent because that is so gods damned unfair.” Percy crossed his arms and Grover patted him on the arm, showing empathy for his plight. 

“Back up a little bit, you said you have a job. How old are you?” Annabeth asked. 

“I just turned 17 a month ago.” Jack stated. 

“How were you able to survive this long without a monster coming to kill you?!” Thalia nearly shouted. “When I first met you, you had a cellphone!” 

“Oh yeah, by the way. You owe me for that.” Jack said as he pointed at Thalia. “You slapped it out of my hands like it was a bomb about to go off!” 

“That should have been another clue that Jack was not Percy.” Zoë stated which caused Thalia to look at Zoë for a brief moment before the daughter of Zeus continued. 

“A demigod having a cellphone is basically like putting a giant neon sign or flare for monsters that says ‘demigod over here, available to eat.’” Thalia explained, “Which makes it all the more weird that it didn’t affect you.” 

“I mean, I ride around on a robot that’s older than biological life on earth, is capable and willing to take a life at a moment’s notice if mine is in danger. Half the time I hang out in a base that barely anyone knows about, that used to be a nuclear missile silo.” Jack stated as realization dawned on them. “On top of that, I live in the middle of bum fuck nowhere in Nevada. What kind of monster would go out of their way for that?” 

The other demigods heard this and rolled the thought around in their head, “I guess when you combine all those things together, it hardly matters how many metaphysical signs or flares you put out into the world. It’s a deathtrap.” Grover pointed out and the demigods agreed. 

“Well, now what?” Percy asked the rest. 

“Unfortunately the scariest part. We wait.” Jack stated as he looked outside the banquet hall and toward the council room of the gods. 

Within the hour both the Gods and Autobots were walking out the council room. The gods looked exhausted and Optimus looked incredibly satisfied. Zeus mostly looked embarrassed, the king of the gods slowly approached the group. He approached Thalia and hugged her. Thalia, taken off guard by this, slowly hugged him back patted him on the back twice and he broke the hug. “Whatever you decide, I’m in full support of and I…” Zeus paused for a moment before he looked back at Optimus, who clenched his fist. He turned back to Thalia. “I apologize for turning you into a pine tree. That was…shortsighted of me.” 

“Thanks…dad…” Thalia replied, more confused than anything right now. 

“The truth of the matter is that Jack is most likely correct, you are older than 16 and The Great Prophecy should not fall to your shoulders.” Zeus stated, “You are my daughter and…despite what others may think, I do care and perhaps I could show it better. If you’ll excuse me. I have to be off, to prepare for my father.” Zeus flashed away to parts unknown. 

Percy, Annabeth, Grover, Jack, and Zoë looked at Thalia with eyes as wide as saucers. Jack recovered quickly, “Well, since that’s been taken care of. Do you all want to meet the bots?” 

“I think that may have to wait a bit.” Thalia interrupted as she pointed out that Poseidon, Artemis, and Athena were approaching. “I’ll just stay there with Bessie.” Thalia said as she smirked at Percy, Percy groaned as he hid his face in his hands. 

Poseidon put a hand on his son’s right shoulder. “I think it’s a great name.” He smiled at Percy and then looked at Jack, “Dear seas, it’s like looking in a mirror, from a distance you don’t even notice a difference. Even up close it’s hard to tell.” He raised his other hand to put on Jack’s shoulder, “May I?” 

Jack hesitated for a bit, then nodded. Poseidon put a hand on Jack’s left shoulder. Putting the two side by side, the god of the seas looked between the two and smiled for a moment. “Jack, was it?” 

Jack nodded, “Yes sir.” 

Poseidon made a face as if he just had a whiff of bad fish and shook his head, “There’s no need for that. I just have a question for you. Your mother’s name?” 

“June, June Darby.” Jack told Poseidon and he looked…sad? 

“You look so much like her.” Poseidon said to Jack. 

“Dad, what are you saying?” Percy asked his father. 

“I’ll explain in a minute, in private Percy. It’s an incredibly complicated matter.” Poseidon told the younger boy. 

Jack had already put it together, he looked at Percy who was still confused. He nodded at Poseidon, “Go ahead.” Jack told Poseidon. 

The god of the seas nodded and put an arm around Percy, pulling him away from his friends to a more secluded area. “Son, how much do you know about Roman gods?” 

“Not that much, why? Is it important?” Percy asked his father. 

“In this context, yes.” Poseidon replied. “To keep things very simple. Think of the gods of the Greek Pantheons like coins.” He dug into the pocket of his khaki cargo shorts and pulled a drachma. “There’s heads,” He showed Percy the heads side of the coin, then he flipped it over in his hand using his thumb, “Then you have tails. You following me so far?” 

“Yeah.” Percy nodded, understanding what his father had said so far. 

“So far you have only seen my ‘heads’ side. My Greek aspect.” Poseidon explained, “However, there’s another side of me you haven’t seen. That is my Roman aspect, Neptune, my ‘tails’ side.” 

“So there’s two of you?” Percy asked, a little confused. 

“Yes there is, we typically manifest in one body. But rest assured, you are our son and we love you.” Poseidon shifted so he stood in front of Percy, hand on the side of Percy’s head. “Jack, he-” Poseidon paused for a moment, “It’s better to just rip the leech off now, Jack is the son of Neptune.” 

Percy’s heart almost stopped, “I-I have an older brother?” 

“Technically, you have quite a few older siblings. But yes, Jack is your older half-brother.” Poseidon confirmed, “It’s why you two look so similar, Jack takes a lot after his mother. But his eyes, blue as the oceans themselves.” 

“Why? Why didn’t you say anything to him? To me?” Percy asked his father. 

“That’s fair.” Poseidon nodded, “Before Jack was born there were…complications with his mother’s pregnancy. He was born prematurely at 7 and a half months, and he was in the NICU for a while. At one point his heart stopped, he was brought back but I- that made me, made us terrified.” The god of the seas confessed, “Every day was a new terror when it came to Jack. Eventually, I left. I was ashamed of what I had done. After a month of wallowing in pity and guilt I went back, only to find his mother had moved away. So I did the best thing I could for both of them and I forgot them.”

 Poseidon shook his head and looked down at the immaculate floor, before making eye contact with Percy again. “I was a coward when it came to Jack, and I made a promise to never do that to any of my children ever again. That’s why I focused my attention on you.”

“But that’s not fair to him.” Percy told his father while pointing at Jack. “He grew up not ever knowing his father. Dad, I knew you had children before me. I didn’t care, you try your best to be there for me. But, I’m not a replacement like or not he’s here and your responsibility.” 

“I wish I could turn back the clock, I wish I could take back what I did.” Poseidon lamented, he looked at Jack. “You’re right Percy it wasn’t fair of me to do that to him, and yes. I am Jack’s father.” The god of the seas paused as he looked up to Optimus Prime. “But I don’t think I’m his dad.” 

Percy looked to where his dad was looking, “He’s very hard to compete with.”

Chapter Text

Artemis came up beside Athena as the pair of sisters stood in front of the other demigods. Poseidon talking with Percy, Artemis took a position standing in front of Jack. She looked up to the 17 year old, as she stood in her preteen form, “May I speak with you Jackson?” 

Jack straightened up a bit, “O-Of course Lady Artemis.” 

Artemis, still clad in her silver dress gestured away from the banquet, Jack following her until they were in a secluded area. “This should suffice. Now, I have some questions.” 

“Of course.” Jack said, still nervous. 

“Now, Optimus has informed us of your deeds even before joining Zoë, Thalia, and Grover on their quest. I wish to ask you, what is it like to walk amongst the stars?” Artemis held her hands up in gently closed fists pressed close to her chest, looking up at Jack with curiosity filled silver eyes. 

“Well ma’am if you don’t mind me being informal-” Jack started and Artemis waved it off. 

“Please be as informal as you wish, to use otherworldly technology to travel across the stars themselves to recover the memory of a cherished friend. Oh I felt you were special but I never knew the scope.” Artemis said. 

“Well it wasn’t just me, it was Arcee too. She had my back the entire way, and it was her home planet.” Jack rubbed the back of his head.

Artemis pressed a hand to her chest and closed her eyes. “Ever humble too,” She opened her eyes. “How I wish you were female. I’d grant you the spot of my lieutenant in the blink of an eye.” 

“Thank you?” Jack accepted the… compliment? He wasn’t entirely sure if she meant it as a good thing. “Still, I don’t think I could leave my mom hanging like that.” 

“No, no, perish the thought.” Artemis waved her hand. “Please continue the story.” So he did, he informed her of him and Arcee going to Cybertron, crossing the planet, finding Vector Sigma underneath Kaon, fighting the Insecticon, using the scraplets to kill the Insecticon, and restoring Optimus’ memory. Each word Artemis hung onto from start to end, somewhere in the middle Artemis had summoned a bench for the pair to sit. 

Artemis looked to Jack as if he were the god and she were the mortal. “Incredible.” She said breathlessly. “Jackson, allow me to inform you of something. The stars, the moon. They are my domain, however I can never walk amongst them. Although some may consider it tragic, I have come to accept it. So whenever the opportunity presents itself, I do my best to seek out and speak to those who have been in positions similar to yours.” 

“So you’re an astronomy nerd?” Jack smirked and Artemis held up a finger at him. 

“I am still a goddess.” She said with a playfully threatening undertone, one that Jack recognized in Arcee quite a lot. “However, you would be correct in your assertion. I am an ‘astronomy nerd’ as you would put it.” She used air quotes around the words. “You are incredible Jackson Darby. I recognize that you were not put into an easy position today, your deception and the confusion around your identity were not intentional at all. You had a quest amongst the stars and then pulled into one to save the goddess of the stars, and in all of that. You still ask for nothing.” 

“I think at the end of it all the best reward is knowing that my friends and family are safe.” Jack replied. 

Artemis’ shoulders fell as she sighed, her hands in her lap. “Unacceptable.” 

“I’m sorry?” Jack tilted his head in confusion. 

“You deserve a reward, I will not take no for an answer.” Artemis decreed as she stood up, “Ask anything of me. I shall make it yours.” 

“I’d like it if my mom’s mortgage was paid off.” Jack rubbed the back of his neck. 

Artemis looked flatly at Jack, “You are aware that this reward is meant for you, correct? This is the impossible occasion that I ask a man to be selfish, and you can think of nothing for yourself?”

 Jack just gave the goddess of the moon an innocent shrug. “There’s not a lot I want.” 

“Surely there must be something you desire?” Artemis asked and Jack blushed and looked away, Artemis is the goddess of the hunt for a reason she would be remiss if she couldn’t pick up the signs. “Allow me to remind you Jackson I am the goddess of maidenhood as well.” 

Jack held up his hands, his eyes wide and shaking his head, “No! I wasn’t thinking of that at all. You just…you remind me of someone I have a crush on, but she never looks my way. Besides, that door is closed for me at this point anyways. There’s no guarantee that the Decepticons wouldn’t use my loved ones against me and the Autobots.” 

Artemis paused for a moment, she sat back down on the bench next to Jack. Her face contorted in contemplation. “You are an impossible man Jackson. Every preconceived notion I had about men you fly in defiance of. I will do as you previously requested, however consider it a gift instead of your reward.” She waved her hand. 

“Thank you, Lady Artemis.” Jack thanked the goddess, bowing his head to her. 

“It was nothing, money is literally nothing to us gods.” Artemis waved it off. 

“But my mom isn’t going to get in trouble for it is she?” Jack asked, “Because it’s an issue if money just suddenly appeared in our bank accounts.” 

“I have already considered that, she won a raffle.” Artemis informed Jack. 

Jack paused for a moment and sighed in relief. He gave the goddess a kind smile, of which she returned. That gave him an idea. “I think I know what I want my reward to be.” Jack stated, causing Artemis to tilt her head in curiosity. 

“Do tell. Remember, anything within any of my domains I will grant.” The goddess of the stars replied. 

“I wish for my reward to be; your friendship?” Jack stated closing his eyes and pulling back slightly, preparing to be vaporized immediately when he spoke the last part. 

“Huh.” Artemis stated, as Jack opened his eyes all he could see was confusion on her face. “I don’t believe that anyone has ever asked for that before.” 

“Well you said anything.” Jack looked down and away from the goddess. 

Artemis lightly chuckled, “Very well, Jackson Darby. I, Phoebe Artemis, reward you with my friendship.”

“Thank you, you can just call me Jack.” The 17 year old suggested. 

“And you may call me Artemis,” The goddess looked to the other demigods and gods in the area, “When not in a formal setting of course.” 

“As you wish.” Jack smiled as he quoted one of his favorite movies. 

“The Princess Bride.” Artemis nodded, “I quite enjoy that film as well.” 

Jack made a fake shocked face, and put a hand to his chest whilst leaning back. “Lady Artemis, you? The goddess of the hunt?” 

“I can enjoy more than one type of star, Jack.” She smiled back at him before his face fell into a frown. “Is something the matter?” 

“It’s just- ah forget it.” Jack sighed. 

“The stars and moon do not forget, star strider.” Artemis said, “T’would be better for you to alleviate your mind.” 

“I…I can’t help but feel cursed. I befriended so many amazing women, Arcee, you, Zoë, Thalia, Miko and yet-” Jack said before Artemis cut him off. 

“You desire companionship, not just friendship.” The moon goddess concluded. 

“And I sure as shit wasn’t going to ask the goddess of maidenhood out for a date, lest I had a deathwish.” Jack replied, “I just feel…I don’t know.” 

“Trapped, you feel trapped to never find someone for you.” Artemis concluded again, Jack snapped his fingers and pointed at her. Then he dropped his hand, and the goddess continued, “Even I, someone who hates all men, have a grudging respect for you. If there is no woman on Earth that can see that then I might as well take you for myself.” 

“D-Did… did you just propose to me?” Jack asked the goddess. 

“Watch it Jack.” She warned the demigod, but also winked at him. “There is someone out there for you. It just takes some time, maybe when both wars are over. You can find yourself.” 

“Might need some help with that.” Jack admitted to Artemis. 

“Then pray to the moon, I will always listen.” She extended her hand, “Now, guide me back. I have guided you enough today, and afterwards. You will show me the star that Cybertron revolves around.”

Jack stood up and offered his hand for her to graciously rise. “Of course my lady.” 

Artemis rose as Jack offered his arm for her to wrap her arm around and interlock her elbow with. They walked back to the rest. Zoë looked at the two of them, her mouth open in shock. “Friendship, Zoë. Nothing worth causing a fuss over.” Artemis calmed her former lieutenant’s thoughts. “And although I may still be your goddess. You no longer have to reject the company of men, after all that has happened. Perhaps, there are some men worthy of praise.” Artemis looked at Jack before releasing him. “Now,” Artemis waved her hand, and for a moment the ceiling turned into the night sky. “Show me which star.” 

“Okay, where’s Draconis?” Jack asked and Artemis pointed at it. Jack reached up but stopped before touching her forearm. “May I?” He asked. 

“Good boy.” Artemis replied to his question, “You may.” 

Jack gently guided her finger to a small orange star just south east of Draconis. “Right there. Citctus Minor.” Jack let the goddess go immediately after pointing it out. “At least that’s what the Autobots call it.” 

“Then that’s what it shall be decreed.” Artemis agreed before she waved her hand and the ceiling returned to normal. “I must admit that having a male friend will be a new experience. But not an unwelcome one.” 

“So pray to the moon, correct?” Jack asked and Artemis nodded. “Thanks.” 

“A sacrifice to a fire also helps things along.” Zoë mentioned. 

“That I may have to clear with my mother, she may not agree with me hucking tofu lasagna into our fire pit.” Jack got a giggle out of Zoë. 

“That is a funny word, hucking.” The former huntress smiled. “What does it mean?” 

“Basically to throw or toss.” Jack answered her, “But I do have a question for you Zoë. Is there any way that I can get in touch with you?” 

Zoë blushed at Jack’s question, “Oh, my. I believe that Hermes can cover that, he does run a delivery business. The address should be The Garden of Hesperides.” 

“You may have to write that one down for me.” Jack admitted as Poseidon and Percy returned from their conversation. 

Percy was still upset with his dad. Mostly for abandoning Jack, he elbowed Poseidon in the ribs. “Say it.” Percy commanded his father. 

Poseidon rubbed his side before taking a breath. “Jack, I’m- I’m your father, and what I did to you and your mother was more than terrible. It was cowardly, you were sick and I was terrified. It wasn’t right of me to do that, not to you or your mother.” 

Jack swallowed the saliva in his throat before he looked at Zoë, he turned his gaze toward Poseidon. “I forgive you.” He said to his father, Poseidon looked surprised at his older son’s words, Jack continued. “Let me make something clear. You didn’t earn it, but I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t. I won’t spend my life wasting it on hatred, I’ve seen what that does. It’s not who I want to be. But you and I both know.” He stepped up to Poseidon, “I’m not the one you have to beg for forgiveness from.” 

Poseidon said nothing, all he could do was nod. Jack’s piercing gaze melted away as he turned to Percy and wrapped him in a tight hug. Percy hugged him back, Poseidon knew when his presence wasn’t required and flashed away, leaving only a trace of sea salt caramel scent in the air. The sons of Poseidon separated, “So…I’ve never had an older brother.” Percy stated. 

“The only thing closest to a younger sibling I’ve had is Raf, no offense.” Jack said to Percy. 

“It’s fine, Raf seems nice.” Percy waved it off. “So have you ever been to the ocean?” 

“Dude, I live in the desert. The closest I’ve ever come to a large body of water is the Hoover Dam, and we all know how that went.” Jack admitted. 

“We’re changing that.” Percy said, “You’re coming to Camp Half-Blood this summer.” 

“And you are coming to Jasper Memorial High.” Jack pointed out. 

“Wait what?” Percy said, “But I live in New York!” 

“We have a Japanese transfer student, also. Raf is younger than you and is a sophomore.” 

“Pardon me.” Athena interrupted, “How old is this Raf?” 

“12, Lady Athena.” Jack answered. “Well more like almost 13, but he’s a genius. I don’t believe he’s a demigod though, he’s just…scary smart.” 

“How do you know this?” Athena asked, more curious than anything at this moment. 

“I’ve met his parents? He comes from a huge family, hell. He tutors me . I’m not a slouch when it comes to grades but I hate algebra and he’s practically made of numbers, has been coding since he was three.” 

Athena looked to Annabeth, who just shrugged. “Sometimes people are like that.” 

“May I have his full name, just for clarity’s sake?” The goddess of wisdom asked Jack. 

“Rafael Jorge Gonzales Esquivel.” Jack stated which caused the goddess’ face to scrunch up in concentration. Her eyes looked upwards to her forehead and put a fist to her chin as she seemed to be searching through her memories. 

“Nope, that’d be more Hephaestus’ area. He has a thing for those of South American and Latin descent, but his demigods are more build stuff and engineer things than they are coding and hacking.” Athena surmised, “I certainly don’t remember any Esquivel’s. Your assertion is correct, it seems this boy is just. Really smart.” 

Jack nodded to the goddess of wisdom before turning his attention back to Percy, “As I was saying, you’re coming to Jasper Memorial. We actually have a program to help you excel despite your dyslexia and the bots can help keep an eye on you.” 

“I’d have to clear it with my mom.” Percy pointed out, “But you are coming to Camp. I won’t have it any other way. I…I want my older brother.” He looked away and Jack just draped an arm across Percy’s shoulder, pulling him in. 

“You’re not getting rid of me, okay guppie?” Jack said as he started to give Percy a noogie. 

“Guppie!” Percy shouted playfully and shoved Jack off him. “I’ll show you guppie!” He tackled Jack, the pair rolled around play fighting. 

Grover sprinted over. “Goat pile on the Bro-seidons!” He jumped up and landed on both of them. 

Thalia chuckled and rolled her eyes, “Ahh screw it.” She ran and jumped onto the three boys. “Annie! Come join us!” She said to the daughter of Athena.

“She will be doing no such th-” Athena started only for Annabeth to run and jump into the pile. 

“Sorry mom, you don’t listen to me. I don’t listen to you!” She said in defiance of her mom, “Move over, Sakana.” She told Percy as the group of friends enjoyed the pile up. 

They all giggled and laughed, they were caught off guard by another presence. “Is there room for another?” Zoë said as she joined the pile. 

Percy closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment, as did Jack. Jack reached out and grabbed his little brother’s hand. Percy looked at Jack, his sea green eyes locked with Jack’s ocean blue ones and in that moment. He felt safe, both of the boys did.

The group got up and brushed themselves off. Jack looked to everyone, “You all ready to meet the bots?” They all nodded in agreement. Jack walked over to the bots who were busy talking amongst themselves. “Hey, Optimus?” 

The last prime turned to Jack and smiled, “Greetings Jack. How are you faring?” 

“I’m well, I just wanted to introduce you to some of my friends. This is Grover, Zoë, Thalia, and Annabeth. You already met Percy.” Jack said as he gestured to the other teens, he then turned to the other teens. “Guys, this is Optimus Prime, Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Ratchet.” Jack gestured to each of the autobots. 

“I thought you were joking earlier when you said one of them was named Bumblebee.” Thalia said, and Bee beeped at her. “Dude, what’s wrong with your voice?” 

Jack opened his mouth but Annabeth cut in, “He said, he thought it was appropriate given his colors.” Bee nodded in confirmation. 

“Wait a minute, you can understand him?” Jack asked Annabeth. 

“Sort of? I only caught bits and pieces.” Annabeth explained, “Then I used context clues to put together the rest.” 

“Kid,” Bulkhead started, “Other than us and Raf, you’re the one of the only ones who can understand Bee.” 

“I have a name you know.” Annabeth crossed her arms. 

“Uh, Annabeth. You sure you want to sass the giant robot that can squish us underfoot?” Grover asked. 

“They’d never do that.” Jack said, alleviating Grover’s fears. “Well, Ratchet might.” Ratchet just grumbled in response, something about ungrateful children. 

“Okay so avoid the angry ambulance, got it.” Grover pointed at Jack. 

“Ratchet’s the unofficial grumpy uncle of the group, also he’s the Chief Medical Officer. So he’s just tired of patching people up.” Jack pointed out. 

“So he’s essentially Mr. D.” Percy said and Jack shrugged.

“Optimus,” Ratchet spoke up, gathering the attention of the last Prime. “If there is no need for my presence then I ask for your permission to return to base.” 

“Granted, Raf open a ground bridge on Ratchet’s location.” Optimus pressed the side of his head. 

With that a red light collapsed in on itself and opened a green and blue portal. Ratchet stepped through and the portal closed. Everyone else was shocked but Jack was unphased. 

 “Okay, what was that?” Zoë asked. 

“Ground bridge. It’s basically the local version of a space bridge. Anywhere on Earth you can think of. Set the coordinates, pull a lever. And off you go.” Arcee explained. 

“What does it run on?” Annabeth asked, curiosity now teeming in her storm gray eyes. 

“Energon, same thing we run on.” Bulkhead said. 

“Energon?” Annabeth asked aloud. “I’ve never heard of such a thing.” 

“To be fair, they probably haven’t heard of ambrosia or nectar.” Percy pointed out. 

“Isn’t that used to make honey?” Arcee asked Percy. 

“In the mortal world, yes.” Zoë nodded, answering for the younger demigod son of Poseidon, “In our world, it’s a godly drink used more for healing. If a mortal were to consume it, they would catch fire.” 

“Sounds a lot like energon.” Arcee mentioned to which the other bots agreed. “So, onto other business. Jack, Percy, are you two coming back to base with us?” The navy blue and pink autobot cocked her hip and placed her hand on it. 

“Actually, if you don’t mind. I kinda want to check out this Camp Half-Blood first.” Jack requested. 

“Hmm, it’s still cold out. Do you want the coat Percy gave me?” Arcee asked innocently. 

Zoë looked over to Percy, “You still have the lion pelt? Why not wear it?” 

Percy looked at Zoë, then looked down, fiddling with the hem of his orange t-shirt “I know how you feel about Hercules. I wanted to show you that I wasn’t anything like him.”

Zoë smiled at Percy's gesture, “I believe you.” 

“Arcee and I will accompany you to this Camp. I wish to verify how safe it is for you to attend.” Optimus spoke up and Dionysus nearly did a spit take, the god of grapes looked at the bottle of wine that was in his glass which he was drinking from and then swallowed. “Is there anything you wish to say, Dionysus?” The last Prime asked him. 

“N-No!” Mr. D stuttered. “Nothing at all.” He gave a shaky grin as he turned away getting back to the party at hand. 

“Okay, I really want to know what it is you said to the gods to make them like this.” Percy asked. 

Optimus smiled, “Perhaps one day I shall.” Arcee, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead all shook their heads in the negative while standing behind Optimus which got a chuckle out of the teens. 

“Now there’s just the issue of. Y’know, getting to camp.” Annabeth pointed out, “No offense Mr. Prime, but if a giant green and blue portal just opened up. The others would be scared witless.” 

Optimus smiled at Annabeth calling him Mr. Prime. “You do not have to call me mister, Annabeth. In my people’s culture, Prime is my title.” He gently bowed his head and touched his glass chestplate. 

“So I can call you Prime?” Annabeth asked. 

“If you would like, you may also call me Optimus.” He said as the daughter of Athena looked up in wonder. 

Annabeth leaned over to the other demigod who held up the sky, “Is it weird that I feel safer whenever he speaks?” She asked Jack. 

“No, that tends to be par for the course.” Jack whispered back. 

“I have a solution if you would like.” Artemis said as she approached the group, “Since my hunters are at Camp, I could transport all of us there. I highly doubt the star striders could fit into the elevator or the lobby of the Empire State Building.” 

“Star striders?” Percy asked. 

“They are from the stars, are they not?” Artemis pointed out. Bee beeped at the nickname and clapped, the goddess of the stars just stared blankly at Bumblebee. “I’m afraid I don’t understand the yellow one.” 

“He likes the nickname, but please just call us Autobots.” Arcee informed Artemis, The goddess nodded. Bee’s door wings drooped as he let out a low wooing noise. 

“It’s alright Bee,” Jack started. “Remember, you get to go back to base and celebrate with Raf before he…leaves…” The newly discovered demigod grimaced, “Sorry.” 

Bee shook his head and waved it off, then gave Jack a thumbs up. Jack nodded at the yellow bot as another ground bridge opened behind the bots and Bulkhead and Bumblebee walked through it. Waving at the kids as they went back to their base. “At least Raf and Miko will be happy.” Arcee stated. 

“Ah shit! My presents for Raf and Miko!” Jack exclaimed only to be calmed by his younger brother. 

“I took care of that, well technically your mom did but I grabbed the presents.” Percy said, causing Jack to wipe his forehead with the back of his hand. 

“Thanks guppie.” Jack smirked. 

“So we’re sticking with that nickname huh?” Percy squinted at Jack, “Okay Sand Shark, wait hold on, that actually sounds cool.” 

“I’m taking it.” Jack smiled as his little brother stomped in frustration. 

Artemis rolled her eyes, “If the brothers are finished bickering, we need to head back to Camp.” 

Jack looked at Optimus and Arcee. “I think it would be better if you two showed up in your alt forms.” 

“Agreed.” Optimus nodded at Jack’s observation as Arcee reached behind her and with a flash of light pulled out Jack’s helmet, tossing it at him. 

“You’re gonna have to readjust it, your little brother has been messing with it.” She said to Jack as he caught the helmet. 

“You got that other helmet?” Jack asked as he redid the chin strap. 

“Yep, Percy. Heads up.” Arcee said as she tossed another helmet at the other son of Poseidon. 

Percy caught the open faced helmet and put it on immediately, adjusting the chin strap. “Alright, you guys gotta pay attention. This is awesome.” Percy said to their friends. 

Jack and Percy approached Arcee as she transformed into her alt mode, the navy and pink motorcycle started her engine. Shocking Thalia, Annabeth, Grover, Zoë, and Artemis. “You all will have to get into Optimus.” Jack pointed out as Optimus himself transformed into his alt mode. 

Optimus opened his doors and the 5 climbed into the semi truck as Percy and Jack got on Arcee. Jack took the handlebars as Percy got on the back behind Jack. “Everyone ready?” Optimus asked as Jack and Percy nodded. 

There was a brief flash of light before they were on the road to Camp Half Blood. “It should be straight ahead.” Percy confirmed. 

Jack smirked and pat Arcee on the throttle twice with his index and middle finger. Since becoming partners Arcee and Jack had developed signals to tell one another certain things when they couldn’t communicate verbally. Arcee understood immediately what Jack was requesting and opened up her throttle. Causing the sons of Poseidon to take off down the road, Percy hollering in startled excitement. Optimus soon caught up with them, as Percy and Jack looked inside of Optimus’ windows to see Annabeth and Zoë staring at them. Jack gave them a two finger salute as Percy waved bye. The three took off down the road to the Camp, leaving Optimus and the rest in the dust. 

Arcee slowed down by the time they reached the lone pine tree, Optimus pulling in not long after, Optimus opening his doors and Artemis stepping out of the driver’s seat as the rest piled out of the passenger side. As Thalia, Zoë, Annabeth, and Grover walked around the front of Optimus they couldn’t help but look apprehensive. Jack took note of this as he removed his helmet. “What’s up with you guys?” 

“They feel awkward.” Percy pointed out as he removed his white open faced helmet. 

“Well it was cool at first but halfway there, we realized that-” Thalia started. 

“It’s because Optimus is a sentient being that can talk to you, right?” Jack asked and they all nodded. 

That caused Arcee to start laughing, which surprised Jack. “Listen kids-” 

Artemis and Zoë scoffed at that, “We are not children.” Artemis defended her and her former lieutenant. 

“To the bots? You kinda are, one year to them is 87 years to us.” Jack pointed out, “As my partner was saying…” Jack trailed off to allow Arcee to finish her thought. 

“Thank you Jack, as I was saying. You kids…” Arcee emphasized the kids part, “Don’t worry about horses when you ride them, and they’re alive. This is just something that we do and are used to, if there was a problem with it. We’d say something.” She finished as Jack and Percy got off, they entered the camp alongside the goddess of the hunt. 

Jack took everything in, the cabins, the archery field, the lava wall, the volleyball pit the group walked down as the rest of the campers looked on to see that there were not one but two Percy Jacksons. 

Chiron came trotting up to the group, having the crowd split like a sea only to halt when looking at the two sons of Poseidon. The trainer of heroes opened his mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. Jack looked up at the centaur. “Yeah, it is exactly what you think.” Jack explained, “I only stopped by to get a tour of the place, then I’m heading back home.” 

Chiron nodded as he gestured to the Big House, “Shall we continue this conversation inside?” 

“Nah, you’re gonna want to stay out here. We got some special guests that can’t fit inside.” Percy mentioned as he looked at the two vehicles that situated themselves at the top of Half-Blood Hill. 

“We could use some blankets though, not all of us are animals from the waist down nor do we have jackets.” Jack mentioned and and Chiron nodded as trotted off to gather some garments to warm the campers. “Meanwhile, I’m gonna keep warm by the fire.” Jack pointed at the campfire that was seemingly attended to by a little girl. Jack shrugged it off and got close as she poked a stick into the hearth. He tilted his head at her, “Be careful.” He told her and she nearly jumped out of her skin. 

Holding a hand over her heart she looked at Jack, “Perseus, you scared me.” She said as she smiled. 

“Sorry Aunt Hestia, he’s not me.” Percy said as he approached the fire as well, following the lead of his older brother. 

“Hestia? Goddess of the hearth?” Jack asked Percy and he nodded. 

“You know for someone who was just introduced to our world, you know a lot about it.” Percy said as he rubbed his hands and held them out to the fire. “Also the goddess of home, family, and hospitality.” 

“I had great marks in my Ancient History class.” Jack explained for the first part, “I would have gotten an A but the final grade was a group project, and you know how those go. And thanks, Percy.” 

Percy nodded in solidarity, he was typically the one who didn’t do anything due to his dyslexia. He then looked at Hestia who had her hands to her mouth, she looked at Percy and mouthed ‘brother?’ Percy nodded. “Excuse me.” The goddess of the hearth spoke up and got Jack’s attention. “What’s your name?” 

“It’s Jack, ma’am. Jackson Darby is my full name.” Jack explained and she giggled. 

“First, you are to call me Aunt Hestia or Auntie Hestia, I won’t take this ma’am stuff.” She pointed at Jack amidst her giggles, “Second, Perseus ‘Percy’ Jackson and Jackson ‘Jack’ Darby. Third, you must have really strong family ties in order to see me, because only Percy could see me before, so you had better come give me a hug posthaste.” She said as turned into her older form and held out her arms to Jack. 

The Nevada native shrugged and hugged the goddess as Percy came in and hugged her too. “I never got a hug from you auntie.” Percy pouted. 

Hestia rolled her eyes of warm flame and kissed Percy’s forehead. “There, does that make up for it?” 

Jack chuckled and released the hug as Chiron came back with blankets to wrap around Annabeth, Percy, and Jack for their warmth, Nico followed behind the centaur. The Hunters of Artemis alongside their patron goddess and the rest of the campers soon wrapped around the campfire. Most of them were staring at Jack and Percy, the resemblance between the two was uncanny. Chiron cleared his throat, “So who are these special guests that we need to convene outside for?” He asked his surrogate daughter. 

Annabeth turned to Percy, “Come on Sakana,” She bumped him slightly with her elbow, the two held up their hands toward Arcee and Optimus and gave them permission to enter camp. There was a roar of thunder before Optimus and Arcee made their way toward the campers in their vehicle modes. Everyone was amazed at the fact that there was a motorcycle moving on its own, however they moved back  

“Okay, what’s up with the haunted bike and semi truck?” Clarisse asked aloud only to have her question answered a moment later. 

Optimus slowly transformed before all the campers and hunters. Allowing them to take in the awe of the alien before them, Arcee soon joined her leader in transforming. Everyone was speechless as Optimus introduced himself. “Greetings, my name is Optimus Prime and this is my Second in Command, Arcee. We are autonomous robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron.” 

“Whoa.” Nico was the first one of the campers to speak up. “This is much cooler than mythomagic.” The son of Hades looked around for his sister as he made his way around the fire, “Wait, where’s Bianca?” 

Percy looked at Nico, his heart broke for him. Percy took a deep breath and started to walk toward Nico when he was stopped by Zoë. “Percy,” The former lieutenant stopped him. “This is not your burden to bear. It was my choice to bring Bianca along, I must bear the burden of breaking the news to her sibling.” 

“B-But I made a promise.” Percy stuttered not due to the cold but due to his heart breaking for Nico. 

“And I made a choice, a choice that in all honesty I should have never made.” Zoë looked away, “I should have never taken her along with us, it’s my burden to bear. Not yours.” Zoë looked at Nico and approached him, pulling him aside. 

Jack looked at Arcee, “Hey, do you mind?” Jack nodded his head at Nico and Zoë, of all the people here that could experience loss. 

Arcee knew the processes better than anyone, “You didn’t even have to ask.” Arcee said as she approached the pair. 

Zoë was talking to Nico, breaking the news to him he was completely silent throughout the entire thing. He looked up as Arcee approached and she kneeled down, then got on both knees in front of him. “Nico?” Zoë asked, “How are you feeling?” 

“P-Percy promised to keep her safe…” It was the only thing the 10 year old got out through his tears. 

“He told me.” Arcee nodded and Nico looked up at her. “Listen, Nico was it?” The then year old nodded at the autobot. “You can’t blame him for a decision your sister made, there was absolutely no way of predicting how things would end up. Trust me, I’ve lost people I loved too…” 

That shook Nico to his core. “Wh-What do you mean?” He sniffled. 

“The reason why we’re on Earth is because our species, Cybertronians, are at war. We lost our planet because of it.” Arcee stated to the shocked demigod. “When you’re at war, there are casualties. I’ve lost a lot of people I loved, and for a long time. I blamed myself, or I blamed others.” She reached her hand out to Nico, who slowly approached her. She gently scooped him up and slowly stood to her full height. “It took me a while to come to terms with it.” 

“How did you?” Nico asked as Arcee pressed him gently against her breastplate, allowing him to feel the warmth of her spark underneath. 

“I realized that blaming myself or others for my friend’s actions was the wrong way to look at it, it took away from their sacrifice. There’s no one to blame for the actions of your sister, she made her decision, and I promise you’re not the only one who feels bad about it. Zoë feels terrible because she brought Bianca along, and Percy hates himself because he couldn’t protect her and keep his promise, and you feel the worst because you feel alone, but you’re not alone. Not in your pain and not in your grief. I understand.” Arcee explained as she held Nico looking down at him with sympathy. 

Nico’s tears now freely flowed down his face, he started hiccuping. Arcee brought him up to her neck, allowing him to hug her and bury his face into the warm cables as he cried. She used her thumb to gently rub his back as she encouraged him to let it out. 

Percy leaned over to Jack as the pair of brothers looked at the femme autobot. “Is Nico gonna be okay?” 

“Arcee understands grief, anger, and loss better than anyone. She’s unfortunately experienced it quite a few times.” Jack explained to Percy. “However, there’s no one I’d trust more than her to be able to handle him at this moment.” 

“I promised Nico that I’d keep Bianca safe…” Percy mumbled, only to be wrapped in a hug by Jack. 

“It hurts not being able to keep a promise. I know it, but what hurts worse is blaming yourself for things you can’t control. You can’t keep blaming yourself, just blame yourself once and move on.” Jack advised and Percy looked at him. 

“Huh.” Percy said, “How are you full of such wise quotes, is it Optimus?” He asked his older brother. 

“No, that one was Homer Simpson.” Jack stated as he pat Percy on the back. 

Zoë and Arcee made their way back to the fire, Arcee slowly lowered Nico. Who took off into a sprint and hugged Percy, “I don’t blame you.” Nico said as he hugged Percy, “You did the best you could.” Percy hugged Nico back, Zoë came in and hugged the both of them. 

Jack left them to grieve as he walked over to Arcee, “Thanks Arcee.” 

“Don’t thank me, I had a good teacher. Someone who wouldn’t give up on me.” Arcee winked at Jack. 

“Yeah, but you would’ve helped if I had asked or not.” Jack replied as he leaned against Arcee’s ankle. “Because that’s who you are.” He looked up at her, and she smiled down at him. 

Percy approached the pair, with Nico holding his hand. “Nico. This is my older half-brother. Jack.” 

Nico looked up at Percy then at Jack, “I lost my sister, and you got a brother? That’s…that’s not fair.” 

“You’re right.” Jack said before Nico grew more frustrated. 

Nico was caught off guard by what Jack said, his mouth slightly agape. “I am?” 

Percy nodded, “Yeah, you’re right by saying it’s not fair for you to lose your sister and for me to gain a brother.” He agreed with Jack. 

“You have every right to feel angry, frustrated, or sad.” Jack said as he kneeled before the 10 year old. “But let me tell you this, and this is a promise we can all keep. No matter how you feel, we’ll be there for you. I’m not going to say that I know how you feel, because I don’t. But I’ll always be there, I promise.” Jack put a hand on Nico’s shoulder and gave him a smile. 

Percy dug into his pocket and pulled out a mythomagic figure, presenting it to Nico. “Bianca wanted you to have this.” 

Nico grabbed it, and held it to his chest. “I don’t think I’m gonna be playing much of mythomagic anymore.” He mumbled before he looked up at Arcee. “I think I like robots better.” 

Jack smirked as he knew where Nico was looking, Jack wiped his cheek free from a stray tear with his thumb. “I agree, Nico and hey. Percy’s not the only one who gained a new sibling, you did too.” 

Nico looked confused for a second before he realized what Jack was saying, he slammed into Jack wrapping his arms around his neck. Jack hefted him up as he was embraced by his new youngest sibling. “Don’t leave me?” Nico asked. 

“I can’t promise that buddy.” Jack said, “I got my mom and my life, but I’m coming back this summer, and I’ll talk to my mom about seeing what we can do for you.” 

“What do you mean?” Nico asked, looking at Jack.  

“My mom always wanted another kid…and well. The government owes me.” Jack said. 

“Owes us.” Arcee emphasized, while looking at Jack, Nico, and Percy “But hey, if they want the cooperation of the Autobots, they’re gonna have to lob.” 

“Lob?” Nico and Percy asked in unison looking at Jack. 

“It’s a Cybertronian game, their equivalent of basketball. So they’re gonna have to play ball.” Jack explained as he looked at the two. He turned his attention to Nico who was still in his arms. “First thing we gotta do is get you on a proper sleep schedule little brother.” 

Nico tucked his head into the crook of Jack’s neck. “’m not sleepy.” 

“Tell ya what, we’ll make some s’mores with Arcee, Percy, and Zoë and then afterwards we’ll get some sleep.” Jack negotiated with Nico. 

“I wan’ some hot cocoa too.” Nico mumbled. 

“Alright, but then bed ‘kay?” Jack asked and Nico nodded. 

“Promise ‘m gonna be your lil’ brother?” Nico asked Jack. 

“I promise I’m gonna do everything I can. But as far as I’m concerned, you already are.” Jack replied to the 10 year old. “Family isn’t always blood. Sometimes it’s steel and energon.”

Chapter Text

Jack held a sleeping Nico in his arms after the 10 year old had a belly full of s’mores and hot cocoa. Nico splayed out horizontally, his Hades mythomagic figure in his right hand clutched to his chest as his other limbs dangled freely in Jack’s arms. Nico had fought so hard to stay awake after the hot cocoa warmed him up, but he found himself falling asleep on Jack after consuming his second cup of cocoa. Jack had volunteered to put him to bed, and Percy volunteered for Nico to use Cabin 3, Percy knew how crowded Cabin 11 can be since Nico was unclaimed. Jack held the 10 year old under the back of his knees and under his shoulderblades, Nico was almost like a ragdoll in Jack’s arms. 

 Jack was making his way to the Poseidon cabin, following Percy. The other full-time campers were getting ready for bed after Optimus and Arcee explained what they were doing here, and that in the upcoming summer Optimus would be sending various members of Team Prime to monitor the safety of the campers. 

Arcee and Optimus stayed near the camp fire to speak with Chiron while Jack and Percy put Nico to bed. Jack tucked Nico into the bed, sliding a pillow under his head. The Hades mythomagic figure sitting on a shelf built into the wall next to the bunk. Nico seemed to be resting easier than he had been the past few nights. The promise of family, and an older brother all while he grieved his dead sister, it was a bittersweet feeling to Jack. He brushed the hair out of Nico’s eyes as he lay on his side, snuggling into the pillow and blankets. 

He understood why Optimus had been so angry when he first arrived on Mount Olympus. No child should have to go through this, Jack stepped out of the cabin to see Percy standing with Thalia and Zoë; Percy now wore a blue hoodie that was amongst his stuff in Cabin 3. 

Thalia tossed a black leather jacket at Jack, “Here. It’s from the lost and found, apparently an old Ares kid was about your size.” She said as Jack nodded his thanks and slipped it on. “One more thing.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a wad of cash and gave it to Jack. “I told Chiron about what I did with your cellphone. He said that this should be enough to buy a new one.” 

Jack looked at the money for a moment, before looking back at her. “Okay, where do you guys get this kinda cash? Artemis I kinda get because she’s a goddess.” 

“She also has a large stake in Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s.” Zoë mentioned which got the kids of the Big Three to look at her with a large amount of confusion. Zoë looked back and forth between the three. “Camping equipment.” She clarified and the three tilted their heads back. 

“Ahh.” Jack said. 

“That explains it.” Percy shook his pointer finger at Zoë. Percy turned to Jack, “To answer your question, we have strawberry fields in the summer and with Mr. D as well as the children of Demeter and the satyrs, we farm fresh strawberries. They make a killing in the stores, and we reap the profits.” 

“You guys should rotate your crops, keep the soil packed full of nutrients instead of just strawberries.” Jack suggested. 

“Crop rotation hardly matters when you have nature magic to assist you.” Percy pointed out, Jack held up his hands in a mock surrender. 

“So, you think about what Lady Artemis offered?” Zoë asked Thalia. The goth just crossed her arms over her Death To Barbie t-shirt and shrugged. 

“I dunno. It feels a lot better knowing that The Great Prophecy doesn’t fall on my shoulders because I aged out of it.” Thalia said, “I don’t think I can just stay at this age forever. No offense, Zoë. You’re cool and all but I don’t think I could handle just being on the cusp of adulthood and never reap any benefits. However, I…” 

“Don’t feel like you fit in at camp?” Percy offered and Thalia nodded innocently. 

“Then come with us.” Jack offered and everyone looked at him, “Listen you guys already know that I’m practically perfectly safe in my day to day life 75% of the time. No monster is going to attempt to fuck with you because you’re being guarded by a giant fucking robot, and what helps you is that you’re mostly off grid already.” 

Thalia uncrossed her arms and looked at Jack, “What do you mean by that?” 

“Listen I’m not going to sugarcoat it for you and tell you that it’s going to be sunshine, rainbows, and unicorn shits, it’s not.” Jack acknowledged, “Because the Autobots are actively fighting a fucking civil war. The Decepticons can and will track you through your use of cellphones and electronics.” 

“Okay, so then why do you still have a cellphone?” Percy asked. 

“Because I can still call Arcee and the other bots and they’ll show up like that.” Jack snapped his fingers for emphasis as he looked at his little brother. He looked back at Thalia, “Listen Thalia, you can join the hunters, you can stay at camp, or you can take a shot at having a normal-ish life. I’m not going to judge you for any decision you make, because it’s yours to make. But you have a third option here.” The ally of the autobots pointed out and the lightbulb turned on in Thalia’s head. 

“I do have a third option don’t I?” Thalia asked rhetorically and Jack smiled. “I’ll talk to Chiron about transferring out to your school, he’ll help with my syllabus. You guys, do take transfers. Right?” She asked. 

“Yeah we do, we have a Japanese transfer student. Miko Nakadai, you’re gonna love her.” Jack stated and Thalia tilted her head. “She’s a punk rocker.” He clarified and her eyes widened as Thalia threw her fists up in the air in excitement. 

“Yes! People who know good music!” Thalia shouted, before she looked at Percy and pointed at him. “I better see you there Kelp-” She stopped herself. “I want to see you there Percy.” 

“Thanks Thals.” Percy acknowledged her trying to get better at not calling him a demeaning nickname. Thalia hugged him and separated by the time they started to approach Chiron, Hestia, Arcee, and Optimus as well as the other cabin councilors. 

“So what’s the verdict?” Jack asked his autobot allies. 

Optimus looked at Jack, his blue eyes piercing through the night as the campfire reflected on his face. “It seems that the circumstances surrounding demigods are more dire than I was led to believe. This camp is a safe haven for demigods, however it prepares them for no future. Because their life expectancy is so low. Things must change.” Optimus practically growled out at the end. 

Hestia looked up at the metal giant. She knew at her maximum height she wouldn’t even come up to his hip, however she agreed with his statement. Things must change, she herself was tired of seeing demigods needlessly perish. “How?” Hestia asked. 

“That is something I must consider. Rest assured, this will not stand.” Optimus commanded as he turned his gaze to the goddess. 

“Optimus.” Jack spoke up, “As much as I hate to be the bearer of bad news, there’s still the Decepticons to worry about.” Optimus returned his stare to Jack, before his features softened. “You of all people know that fighting a war on two fronts will only burn you out twice as fast.” 

Optimus nodded. “Agreed.” 

“Jack, Percy, are you two coming back with us?” Arcee asked, looking down at her partner and his little brother. 

“Actually there’s something I want to talk about.” Annabeth spoke up, catching everyone’s attention. “Why are you so gung ho about changing the way things are between demigods and gods?” 

Optimus looked at Arcee, Arcee nodded at Optimus. The last Prime turned his attention to Annabeth and kneeled, meeting her nearly face to face. Suddenly the daughter of Athena felt very small. Smaller than even her mother could make her feel. “Because it is the same way that the Cybertronian political system was set up. It was called Functionism, under this system your worth was determined by what your alternative mode was. Which was rooted in the ideologies made by the Quintessons. Another alien race which accelerated the social and cultural development of Cybertron during the Age of Wrath. To put it simply-” 

“We were slaves.” Arcee cut off Prime, “We were sparked for a specific purpose and if we didn’t fit that purpose, we didn’t fit.” Arcee crossed her arms around her stomach plating. Jack walked up to his partner and pressed a hand against her leg. She looked down at him and gave him a small smile.

Optimus looked at Arcee briefly before turning back to Annabeth. “Is this starting to sound familiar Annabeth?” 

Annabeth nodded, “So if you saw someone else suffering from the same fate, and had the power to stop it.” 

“Then we will.” Optimus nodded, his voice stern and reassuring, and although Annabeth did feel small in front of Optimus. She didn’t feel lesser, his size was intimidating but the way he looked at her, as if she were the most precious thing in the universe, as Optimus stood back to his full height she looked up at him for the first time in a while she felt hope. 

Percy looked at Jack, “Hey, do you have to go right now?” 

“Why do you ask?” Jack looked at his little brother. 

Percy fiddled with his hoodie string, “I want to introduce you to my mom…” He looked down briefly.

“Do we have to do it in person?” Jack asked while looking at an invisible watch on his wrist. “I do want to get home in time to open some presents, and have that sleepover at the base…” Jack trailed off, Zoë smiled at the 17 year old demigod. 

“Come on,” Percy grabbed Jack’s hand, “I’ll show you how we talk to people without using cellphones.” Percy led Jack back to the Poseidon cabin.

Showing Jack the fountain in the middle of the cabin, he pulled a drachma out of his pocket. “So you take one of these, and using a rainbow you do this.” He flipped the coin into the fountain. “Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering. Show me Sally Jackson, Upper East Side Manhattan.” 

It soon showed Percy’s mom, flirting and holding hands with a man. Percy was about to disconnect the message when Sally’s eyes widened, she let go of his hand really quickly and asked the man. “Oh, Paul! You know what? I left my writing journal in the living room. Would you mind getting it for me?” 

The man named Paul stood up and nodded. “Sure Sally, no problem.” He walked out of the room. 

Sally turned to the Iris Message, “Percy! Are you alright?” 

“I’m fine mom.” Percy said, “How’s the writing seminar going?” 

“It’s fine, but that’s not important. Tell me what happened.” She said and Percy explained almost everything, up until the Hoover Dam. 

“What happened at the Dam?” Sally asked. 

“I uh, I couldn’t finish the quest.” Percy looked away. 

“What happened?” Sally asked. 

“I got switched out for…him.” Percy slid to the side and allowed Jack to slide into frame. Sally’s eyes widened and she nearly let out a gasp. “This is Jackson Darby, my older half brother, and son of Poseidon.” 

“You can call me Jack.” Jack said as Percy introduced him and Jack explained what happened as the quest concluded. 

“So you saved Annabeth?” Sally asked, and Jack nodded. “You two look so much alike.” Sally whispered, “I’ve got to meet you in person. But may I continue speaking to Percy, sweetheart?” 

Jack nodded and stepped out letting Percy and his mom continue their conversation. Zoë stood on the dock outside the cabin as Jack stepped out. “Hey.” Jack said to Zoë as he approached her. 

She was staring up at the moon, “The hunters have left.” Zoë said forlornly. “Thalia and I saw them off before she started speaking to Chiron about attending Jasper Memorial High. She should start attending in a few weeks.” Zoë explained and Jack nodded. “For the first time in a long time, I feel without direction. I used to follow my goddess to the ends of the Earth and now, they proceed without me.” 

Jack put his hands down by his sides, “I can’t imagine how you feel.” Jack said sympathetically, when Zoë wrapped herself around his arm. Much to his surprise. 

“I have thought about repairing my relationship with my sisters for two thousand years Jack. I thought about how to approach, how to talk to them, and daydreamed about their forgiveness. Then you, an impossible man guided by beings from the stars themselves, get pulled into the vortex of my life and solve everything with nearly words alone.” Zoë rested her head on Jack’s shoulder. “The last time I trusted a man, they took everything from me. Including my…” 

Jack interrupted her thought process, “Hey, you don’t have to say anything about that.” 

“Thank you,” Zoë thanked the new demigod. “You gave me hope, you restored my faith in men, albeit a little bit.”

“You’re welcome Zoë.” Jack replied with a smile. 

“You are my hero, my real hero.” Zoë stated to Jack, remembering what he said about being a real hero. “If I were to take a guess, I suppose you got that tidbit of wisdom from Optimus?” 

Jack nodded, “Yeah, after I helped him gain his memories back I asked why he thought I was the perfect candidate to go to Cybertron and find Vector Sigma instead of anyone else.” 

“Oh?” Zoë asked, “What did he say?” 

“He said, ‘I have the characteristics of an actual hero. Despite all the responsibility I take on, I don’t take it out on anyone and still find it inside of me to be gentle.’ So then I asked him what a real hero was to him. He told me it was someone who was strong enough to be gentle.” Jack explained, “That really stuck with me.” 

Zoë brought Jack into a hug, pressing her head into his chest and his newly acquired leather jacket. “I’m glad it did.”

Jack hugged her back before they separated when Percy came running down to the dock, however the younger son of Poseidon wasn’t slowing down as he came barreling toward Jack. Jack held up his hands but Percy football tackled his older brother off the dock. The two sailed in a slight arc before splashing into the water. 

Jack’s first instinct was to try and surface for oxygen, “Jack! Calm down!” Percy said as he swam in front of him. He grabbed Jack’s shoulders, and used water pressure to pin Jack’s arms to his sides. “Look at me.” Jack locked eyes with Percy. “Breathe.” 

“I can’t breathe underwater!” Jack shouted at Percy. 

“Then how are you talking?” Percy asked Jack as he laughed. Jack felt a pull in the pit of his stomach and suddenly his arms were freed. Percy’s eyes widened as he looked at Jack, “Hey you managed to break the grip!” Percy smiled but all he saw in Jack’s eyes was hurt. 

Jack ascended back up to the dock, and climbed out. Water dripped off him as the chill of the cold air started to get to him. Percy surfaced soon after, using the water to lift him back onto the dock gently. “Whoa.” He said as he saw Jack was still soaked to the bone. “Here.” He held out his hand and nearly all the water on Jack collected off him into a sphere  and was deposited back into the lake. “Okay, I went too far…” Percy admitted, “I shouldn’t have restrained you. That…wasn’t cool of me. I just wanted to show you our powers.” 

Jack ran his hands through his now slightly damp hair, gripping the sides of his head in frustration. “You could have asked.” He said as he shook out his hands. “Being tackled into the middle of a lake in December doesn’t exactly give me reassurance. I was terrified, also I was having a moment with Zoë.” Jack pointed out. 

Percy scuffed the dock with his converse and looked down. “You’re right.” Percy mumbled, “Sorry.” 

Jack looked at Percy, seeing his defeated expression and took a deep breath. Holding it for several seconds before letting it out. “I understand that you meant well.” Jack strained out. “However, you could have taken a moment and asked, to see if I had time to learn how to breathe underwater so from here on in, just do that. Before tackling me, because being held underwater is scary Percy.” 

Percy looked up at Jack and realized that Jack just learned all of this stuff today. Having your newly discovered little brother pull you underwater and hold you there is absolutely terrifying. Percy was pulled out of his mental tailspin by a hug from Jack. He tucked his head into Jack’s chest, hugging him back. “I didn’t mean to scare you, ’m sorry.” Percy mumbled. 

“From now on, please ask.” Jack informed Percy as he rubbed his head, brushing the back of his head with his thumb while his other arm was wrapped around his shoulders. “Alright, now how are you dry? We were both underwater.” 

Percy separated from the embrace, “That’s weird. You shouldn’t have been wet.” 

“Maybe its different for me.” Jack rubbed his slightly damp head. “Maybe I have different powers than you.” 

“You can still control water and breathe underwater, that’s cool.” Percy pointed out. 

“I would have preferred not to have been thrown into the deep end though.” Jack jousted verbally with Percy. 

Percy covered his mouth and whispered, “Water puns.” Percy’s face split into a grin and Jack held up a finger, pointing at his half-brother. 

“Don’t even think about it.” Jack warned Percy as he put his arm around Percy’s shoulders. 

“Aww, why do you gotta rain on my parade?” Percy soon had his mouth covered by Jack.

“That’s it, I’m getting Annabeth to stab you.” Jack said as he pulled Percy back into the Poseidon Cabin, Zoë giggling at the brother’s antics as she watched over Nico as he slept. 

Percy sighed through his nose before Jack removed his hand. “Do you have to leave so soon?” 

“Yeah, unfortunately.” Jack replied, looking at Percy. “I have a lot of questions that need answering and, well I’m not going to get them from our father any time soon.” Jack sighed and gave Percy a big hug. The leather jacket creaked slightly under the pressure of Percy’s arms, they broke apart as Jack moved to Nico and pet his head, causing the 10 year old to stir awake. 

“Jac’?” Nico mumbled, “Are you goin’ home?” He asked as he rubbed sleep out of his eyes. 

“Yeah bud.” Jack confirmed, “I just didn’t want you to wake up and notice I wasn’t here. I’m not going to leave without saying goodbye.” 

“Bu’ it’s not goodbye forever righ’?” The son of Hades asked his new brother. 

“Of course not little Grim.” Jack smirked and opened his arms. “C’mere.” 

Nico gave him a tight hug as Jack hugged him back, “Thanks Jack.” 

“For what?” Jack asked his youngest sibling. 

“For helpin’ me. I was upset at Percy for not keepin’ his promise. I couldn’t see that Percy was upset at himself too.” Nico said before he separated and lay back down. 

Jack tucked Nico back into bed, “How about this, we make reasonable promises with each other? And if we fail, we don’t hold it against ourselves or each other? We’re demigods, but we’re still human. Sound fair?” Nico closed his eyes and nodded. “Now get some sleep, it’s late.” Jack advised and Nico soon returned to the realm of Morpheus. 

Jack stood up from his kneeling position and exited Cabin 3, Zoë following after him the pair joined back up with Optimus, Arcee, Chiron, and Thalia. The rest of the cabin councilors had herded the campers into bed leaving only the four standing there. 

 Thalia was practically bouncing in place as Jack and Zoë approached, the daughter of Zeus holding up a piece of printed out paper. “I’m going to be joining after winter break!” She smiled as Jack recognized the schedule. She had some classes with him and Miko. 

“How did that happen so fast?” Zoë asked. 

“Chiron is a teacher, he still subs from time to time and sent a letter off to the Superintendent of Jack’s school alongside a pretty sizable anonymous donation. For and I quote, ‘an Olympic Sized Swimming pool. To help children have more extracurricular activities.’” Thalia made air quotes with her fingers. 

Jack shot a look at the centaur who shrugged. He shook his head and chuckled slightly. “I’m glad you’re coming, Thals.” Jack smiled, “What grade are you going to start with?”

“I’ll explain later.” Thalia said, “Right now I gotta pack my stuff!” She said as she ran off to Cabin 1. 

“Of course Zeus is number 1…” Jack said, thunder rumbled above. Jack looked up, “You are over 4000 years old. Act like it, unless you want to talk to Optimus again.” The thunder stopped and the clouds continued to drift. Jack looked to the Last of The Primes. “Sorry Optimus.” He apologized for using his name like that. 

“I see no fault in your actions.” Optimus dismissed his apology, "Expecting an elder to act their age is more than a reasonable request.” He nodded at Jack. 

“Yeah I just didn’t want you to think I use you as a threat. I don’t want you to think less of me.” Jack looked away. 

“Jack,” Arcee started before Optimus could speak up. “Rule number 8.” 

“No one thinks less of you for asking for help.” Jack recited while still looking away. 

“Eye contact.” Arcee slightly admonished, Jack looked at her in her optics. “I’m not over there. Now, again.” 

“No one thinks less of you for asking for help.” Jack repeated, Arcee nodded. 

“Rule number 12?” She asked while holding eye contact. 

“Never assume the thoughts or actions of others.” Jack stated. 

“Attaboy.” Arcee smiled and nodded at her junior partner. 

Optimus and Zoë tilted their heads at this, “Rules?” Zoë asked. 

“They’re a personal field manual of sorts.” Arcee explained, “Jack and I made some rules that we both follow, hold each other accountable and pick each other up when we’re being overly critical of ourselves.” 

Thalia came back not long after Arcee explained that a duffel bag full of her stuff slung over her back, pillow tucked under her arm and a grin on her face. Jack looked at Zoë, “You coming with us? Nevada is a lot closer to California than Long Island is.” He asked the former huntress. 

Zoë smiled and nodded, “I believe I will, I would also like to meet your friends Raf and Miko? I believe their names were?” 

“You two are gonna love Raf, he’s scary smart. Miko is a bit of a handful.” Jack stated before as they walked toward Optimus and Arcee who were making their way toward the top of Half-Blood Hill. 

“Ahem.” A voice stopped the trio, Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson waiting behind them, “I was told that there was a Christmas party, from a certain Guppy.” The blonde looked over the three leaving with crossed arms. 

Jack held up a finger, and looked at Arcee. She turned to Optimus, who just shrugged. “Their base, their rules. Also you can’t tell anyone about it because it’s classified.” 

Annabeth rolled her eyes and smirked. “Yeah, classified.” 

“Annabeth, its a decommissioned nuclear missile silo.” Jack explained, “When I first started hanging out in the base a nuke almost went off when we were trying to expand.” Jack stared at her dead in her stormy gray eyes. 

Her smirk got wiped off her face, it was quickly replaced with a gaping mouth and a slow blink. “So it’s classified.” Percy concluded for Annabeth. 

“Highly, come on.” Jack said as the quintet walked up the hill as a ground bridge opened. The swirling green and blue portal intimidating Annabeth, Thalia, and Zoë. 

“So how does it wor-” Thalia didn’t get to complete her sentence as Jack and Percy pushed her through alongside Annabeth and Zoë after the curiosity of the girls allowed the brothers to maneuver behind them and push the three in. 

The girls stood in the glowing green tunnel as Percy and Jack walked in, Percy shook his head. “Yeah I felt that too. Feels like your bones are vibrating.” 

Jack walked past the group of fellow demigods. “You get used to it.” 

Percy, Thalia, Zoë, and Annabeth followed behind Jack as the tunnel opened up to the central hub. The latter three’s mouth’s gaping open as the portal behind them closed. They walked into the hub looking around as they took in the sights. Jack’s head poked out from the ledge, “Come on!” He said to the girls as Percy was making his way up the steps. 

The girls rushed up the stairs and saw Percy sitting on the couch with another girl, who had her hair in pigtails that were highlighted pink at the tips, a pink stripe running down the back of hair which was collected into an extremely low ponytail. She turned her head, “Finally! More girls!” She also had her bangs highlighted pink as well. She vaulted over the back of the couch, approaching Thalia. “Okay, love the shirt.” She pointed at Thalia’s Death To Barbie t-shirt. “Also, Konichiwa! I’m Mikoto Nakadai!” She threw up some peace signs near her face, closing her eyes and smiling as she stood on one foot. The other bent upwards at the knee, she exited her pose. 

“I’m Thalia,” The daughter of Zeus introduced herself. “I’m-” 

“The daughter of Zeus?” Raf supplied from behind his laptop, he looked up and saw the three new additions. “Percy already told us about your world. You don’t have to hide anything from us, we understand and can keep a secret.” 

“Thou must be the one known as Rafael, Jack has praised your intelligence and has gotten you the attention of Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom.” Zoë said with a smile. Causing the 12 year old to blush.

“You can just call me Raf.” He looked down and away, his ears burning. 

“You may address me as Zoë Nightshade. But call me Zoë.” The former huntress smiled at the young genius. “By the way, you won’t be able to find me on your world wide web.” 

Raf looked up, “Why’s that?” His glasses sliding down slightly showing his cognac colored irises. 

Zoë approached and sat next to him, “Probably because I’m 2000 years old.” 

“You don’t look a day over 1900.” Miko quipped, much to Zoë’s delight. 

“I could probably find you.” Raf smirked, “But I’m busy scrubbing evidence of the bots from conspiracy sites.” 

“Really?” Annabeth asked as she took the seat on the other side of the 12 year old. 

“It’s a way to contribute.” Raf looked at Annabeth, he reminded her so much of Malcolm it wasn’t even funny. Raf looked at Annabeth, “You’re Annabeth Chase.” 

The daughter of Athena looked at Raf as if he grew two heads. “And how did you know that?” 

The 12 year old input some commands into his laptop and suddenly Annabeth saw her younger self on the screen. “I ran a few searches when Percy told us about you. You were on the missing children’s registry for years. But I can reverse that, scrub the data from the national and international databases and with a few clicks, you’ll be able to attend school again. If you want to, that is.” 

Annabeth looked at Jack and Miko, “Okay, are you absolutely sure he isn’t a demigod?” 

Raf sighed and pulled out his cellphone, flipping it open and showing his entire family. “Pretty sure. There’s mi mama and mi papa.” He said while pointing at them. “No absentee parents, nor grandparents, all biological.” He closed his cellphone, and soon went back to looking through conspiracy sites. “I know I’m weird, but I’m 100% fully original type of weird.” He stated as he scrubbed another image and replaced it with a gif of an astronaut cat. 

Annabeth looked at Raf and sighed, “I don’t know if I should apologize or not.” 

“You don’t have to.” Raf stopped scrolling, “I know who and what I am, and it feels like having a godly parent or grandparent would take away from my…uniqueness. I get that not every three year old builds their own computer out of some spare calculators and a typewriter. But all of that was me, no god or goddess helped me do that.” Raf looked at Annabeth, who was even more impressed. 

“You built a computer out of calculators and a typewriter?” Annabeth looked at him in astonishment. 

“Yeah, he did it mostly so he could play Doom.” Jack joked and it got a laugh out of Raf. 

“Nah, I just used the typewriter as a keyboard, the calculator circuit boards basically became a rudimentary motherboard, and I found an old monitor in the garage and went from there.” Raf smiled at Annabeth. 

“And th- you were three.” Zoë asked, “I may not be well versed in technologies, however I know that was an impressive feat. Most three-year-olds are attempting to potty train, meanwhile you built a computer.” The huntress pointed out. 

“Yeah, that sounds like something a demigod would do. No offense Raf, I have a similar story, when I was in daycare. I strangled a snake to death.” Percy pointed out while pointing at the 12 year old. 

“Wait like-” Raf was cut off by Percy’s excessive nodding. 

Zoë just rolled her eyes, “Thou- sorry. You can say his name, I’m not going to bite heads off because you have something in common with Hercules.” 

“Personal history?” Arcee asked as she leaned against the wall adjacent to the platform, the femme could tell from context that there was something more. 

“He abused my trust and faith in him, and subsequently had me kicked out of the only home I had ever known. Needless to say I didn’t trust men for a long while, that is until I had met Percy and Jack. They restored my faith in males, and now after meeting Optimus Prime I can wholeheartedly say there are excellent men.” Zoë smiled at the end of her explanation. 

“Prime certainly is a cut above the rest.” Arcee smirked and the kids started laughing. “What is it?” She stopped leaning against the solid stone wall. “What did I say?” Jack just beckoned her closer, and the femme leaned down as Jack whispered an explanation into her audial receptor. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow and then looked up the information online before she too started to chuckle. “Well he certainly meats expectations.” As the kids laughed even harder, much to her delight. “He’s a very well seasoned leader.” Jack started to double over and fall to the floor. 

Arcee looked him over to make sure he wasn’t injured before gently scooping him up, and setting him back on his feet. “Alright, don’t need you getting dirty. June would throw a fit and the only restrooms we have only have toilets and sinks. Hang out with your friends, Jack. Enjoy yourself.” 

“But I like hanging out with you too.” Jack looked up at his partner, “Don’t pull the stoic loner routine on me now ‘Cee.” Jack folded his arms playfully and stared her down. 

Arcee leaned in, staring down Jack with a smirk on her faceplates. “Oh really?” 

“Yeah real- oh no.” Jack cut himself off as he looked up to see Miko with her fishing pole, and on the end of it, dangling above the autobot and human. Mistletoe. Jack slowly turned his head toward Miko as she giggled to herself with everyone else giggling too. 

“What’s up?” Arcee asked, confusion evident on her faceplates.

“Well, its a human tradition for those around the yuletide season that are caught under the mistletoe to kiss one another.” Zoë explained to the extraterrestrial. 

Arcee’s eyes looked back over at Jack without turning her head, then back at Miko. “I’ll get you back for this Miko.” Arcee threatened the Japanese teen. 

She turned her helm toward Jack, sliding her fingers under his chin with one hand and with the other she brought him close and kissed him on his lips, closing her optics as she did so. Much to the teen’s surprise, and to the femme’s. Jack was warmer than she had expected. Slightly wet, however not uncomfortable. 

She reached up and snatched the mistletoe out of the fishing pole before breaking the kiss. “I’m keeping this.” Arcee said as Miko looked at her lost pranking material. “That was cruel, especially to Jack. He’s been through enough today.” 

Miko opened her mouth to protest but saw how Jack’s face was turning crimson from being embarrassed and suddenly she didn’t feel as good anymore. She lowered the fishing pole as Jack took off, faster than anyone had expected he dashed down the hallway and toward the SAFE. 

Jack pushed by all the other autobots, helms turning as he sprinted at a speed that they were not aware a human could possess. They looked back at Arcee, nonverbally demanding an explanation. “Miko played a prank on us that wound up embarrassing Jack.” 

“What kind of prank?” Bulkhead asked. 

“Apparently a human Christmas tradition prank that involved kissing. I kissed Jack to get it over with.” Arcee told them curtly. 

“Hey, Arcee.” Percy spoke up grabbing the attention of the femme. “Didn’t you say that when we first met that I wanted to talk about something? After Jack and I switched?” 

“Scrap.” She muttered as she started walking down the hallway toward the SAFE, the other autobots moving aside as Arcee journeyed to her partner’s destination. 

She found Jack sitting in a corner of the SAFE, SAFE stood for Systems And Firing Evaluation, it was Raf’s idea that Ratchet subsequently used. The lights were off however she didn’t need lights to know where he was in the room, she could hear his shuddering breath and sniffles, she could also see his body heat using her infrared vision. He was sitting huddled in a corner, knees drawn up to his chest, his arms wrapped around the tops of his knees. His head turned away from the doorway, staring at a wall. 

She slowly approached the teen, for all the emotional maturity and growth that he had recently shown it’s never fun to be embarrassed especially in front of new friends and family. Jack had wanted to discuss something with her, presumably in private. “Have room for one more?” She asked gently. 

Jack just shrugged without even looking at her, “It’s your base.” 

“Yeah, but it’s your moment. If you want to tell me to frag off, I’m inclined to do so.” She gently kneeled in front of Jack. 

“You can stay.” He said to his autobot partner, still not making eye contact. 

“I’m not in the wall Jack.” Arcee said, hoping to get him to look at her but he just pulled himself closer into a ball, his arms sliding down to his shins. Arcee recognized this and backed off, “Nevermind.” She soon joined him sitting on the floor, her legs slightly split, as she rested her wrists on her knee joints giving her a good view of Jack as her sight adjusted to the dark room. “Did I cross a line?” She asked him. 

It took a while for Jack to answer, as if he was searching for the right thing to say to spare him from her wrath. Deep down though he knew that she would have accepted any answer. She just wanted him to talk to her. “Is it wrong to say I don’t know?” He asked Arcee. 

“No.” She replied sincerely, “Can I tell you something?” 

“What is it?” Jack asked, still not making eye contact, but he uncurled slightly. 

“I just wanted to tell you how proud of you I am.” She said sincerely, “Today, you were thrown into the deep end of something you didn’t have any clue about and you helped so many people.” Her optic lights on Jack felt less and less like an interrogating light and more like a warm spotlight. “The last time something like this happened, you walked away. You’ve grown a lot since we first met Jack.” 

“I remember when we first met, you threatened me.” Jack mumbled into his knees, “Then when I tried to leave, you came to see me at my work.” 

“Not…not my best moments.” Arcee admitted, recalling that memory with shame on how she behaved toward a kid. He didn’t know any better, and she got more than an audial full from Optimus when she mentioned it, the worst part of it wasn’t that he was mad at Arcee. It was that she used to be a teacher and would have torn apart any bot who threatened one of her students. “I never apologized for that, did I?” She looked down at her hands clenching them before letting them go. “I was- The war-” She started and stopped. Just apologize, and don’t try to make an excuse. She told herself. Sometimes she hated the rational part of herself, but it had a point. “I’m sorry Jack. You didn’t deserve to be threatened amidst being confused on top of that. If I could, I’d go back and punch myself in the faceplates for how I treated you.” 

Jack breathed out his nose in amusement when he heard her apology, “I already forgave you a while ago. I could tell you were in pain, it’s part of the reason why I came back.” 

“What was the other part?” Arcee asked her partner. 

“You sounded like you needed a friend.” Jack replied, uncurling some more now releasing his legs and leaning against the wall. 

Arcee chuckled mirthlessly, “Truer words have never been spoken, and now you sound like you need a friend, you said you wanted to talk after we got back from the Hoover Dam. It may have taken a while but I’m still listening. So spill… please?” She asked gently.

Jack took a deep breath and let it out slowly, repeating this process several times before he got a grip. “Okay…so there are a few things I want to talk about. The first one I want to get out of the way is, how I feel about you because honestly. You confuse the shit out of me sometimes.” Jack now looked down at the floor between his feet briefly before burying his eyes in his arms that were a bridge between his knees, his hands resting on both kneecaps. 

“Okay, expound.” Arcee prompted him to continue. 

“First you act like a mentor, then a friend, then a drill sergeant, then a parent, then a flirt, and now you just kissed me! I-I don’t know what’s what around you. I just, get so fucking confused and it feels like I’m in a minefield.” Jack’s shoulders sagged, “ It was my first kiss too…” He whispered that last part, but Arcee picked it up. 

Her optics shrank, she knew the implication of a human’s first kiss. It was a monumental thing in their life, and she stole it away over a prank she brought a hand to her mouth. She closed her optics briefly and shook her helm, dropping her hand back onto her knee joint. She opened her optics and looked at the teen. “Okay, first things first. If we’re being completely honest, I don’t know how to feel about you either. At times you’re like a sibling to me, other times my best friend, then you go off and act like a kid, and then today you’re the most responsible and well thought out person in the world.” 

Jack nodded as the femme continued. “Look, I’ve never been the best with other people. But you make things… easier, somehow. You make me smile, and frustrated, you go off and nearly get yourself killed and I’m terrified for you. This time wasn’t entirely your fault, but I was scared. You’ve gotten to know me better than any of the others here, including Optimus.” 

Jack was quiet for a moment, “It sounds like you just described…love.” He now looked her in the eyes for a brief moment then looked away, a flush returning to his cheek this time for a different reason. 

Arcee paused as well, looking up slightly as she replayed the words in her processor. “Huh.” She said as she came to the same conclusion. “I guess so…I guess I love you Jack.” She said to the human. 

“But we can’t be together.” Jack said which caused Arcee to tilt her helm in confusion, which the feral demigod elaborated. “I’m a human Arcee, and you’re a Cybertronian. We’re…not compatible.” He mumbled as he snuck another glance at her before looking away again. “Not only that, when your war is over. You’re going back home.” 

Silence hung between the two for a while, dragging on between the two before the Cybertronian broke it, “I’d stay if you ask.” She said, causing him to finally make eye contact. She looked in his ocean blue eyes, the light of her optics illuminating his face. 

“You know I can’t ask you to do that.” Jack replied before looking down again. 

“Then until that day comes, let’s just…enjoy the ride. Okay?” She said and he nodded in agreement. 

“Okay.” Jack agreed and swallowed the excess saliva in his mouth and throat. “There’s another thing I wanted to talk about.” 

“Go ahead sweetspark.” Arcee prompted, which caught Jack off guard, “I’m only gonna call you that in private. But I think you can piece together what I mean.” She winked at Jack who blushed. 

Jack nodded and looked at Arcee, he took a deep breath. “So, something has been happening to me ever since Optimus gave me the Key to Vector Sigma, since he allowed me to keep it.” 

“What’s going on?” Arcee asked, she shifted so that she was closer to Jack. 

“First, there were the dreams. They were very vivid, they were of Cybertron. But not when we…went. I saw that it was alive and thriving. I saw it populated, the way you wanted me to see it.” Jack admitted, Arcee squinted in confusion as he continued. “Then the physical stuff started happening.” 

“What physical stuff?” She asked him and he looked away. 

“I’ve been getting stronger, I went to open my bedroom door and crushed the doorknob like it was wet cardboard. I went down to the local hardware store to replace it. Luckily I got back in time before you or mom got home.” Jack looked at his hand, clenching his fist before unclenching it and continuing. “I’ve gotten faster, you just saw it as I ran away. I got more durable. I was kicked in the ribs and I’m fine now, the ambrosia helped but…something strange is happening to me and. I’m scared.” 

Arcee reached forward and gently tilted Jack’s head up with the joint of her index finger, “Look at me Jack.” She dimmed her optics as he looked up, guided by her finger. She had to confirm her suspicions, and unfortunately she was correct. The reason why he didn’t make eye contact with her is because in the dark she could see his eyes were glowing. His blue eyes were brighter, almost glowing. Her spark nearly stopped pulsing, she opened her comms and pinged the CMO. ::Ratchet prepare the medbay.:: 

::What’s going on? Are you hurt?:: Ratchet pinged back. 

::No, something’s going on with Jack. He needs to be scanned.:: She messaged Ratchet before closing her comms. 

“Jack, we’re going to see Ratchet.” She said as she got into a kneeling position releasing his chin, holding out her hand. That proposition alone scared Jack, he slid back a little. He opened his mouth but Arcee wouldn’t let him speak. “Jack, do you trust me?” He closed his mouth and nodded. “Then we need to go see Ratchet. I know you’re scared, and I get that Ratchet doesn’t have the best berthside manner. But he does care about you, we all do.” She said and he still shrank down. “Please?” 

Jack took a shuddering breath before he stood up and placed his hand in hers. “Okay.” 

“I’m gonna pick you up, okay?” She stated and gently lifted him, she may have been 3 times his size but she always asked to lift him up. Only if it was an emergency did she not ask permission. She knew his autonomy was precious to him, and refused to violate it willingly. 

Jack nuzzled into her neck as they left the SAFE. He closed his eyes as his heart hammered against her breastplate, he could feel the warmth of her spark underneath. She rubbed her thumb against his back, starting her engine to purr and attempt to calm him down. She avoided going back into the central hub to spare Jack any further embarrassment. It took a bit more walking but she found herself in the medbay soon enough. 

Typically Ratchet would do most of his work in the central hub because he has to also operate the ground bridge. With Raf now knowing how to control it via his laptop, he spent more time in the medical wing of the base. Keeping himself busy with calibrations, updating files, and repairing tools that were broken. 

Arcee and Jack entered the medbay with Ratchet waiting for the both of them. Ratchet gestured to a medical berth, “Please have a seat.”