Chapter Text
Gabe Ugliano was furious. Beyond furious. He had just got out of his six year sentence (and only because he was on good behavior), and his life was fucking ruined. Destroyed. Gone. All because that fucking brat of his ex-wife’s had somehow convinced the police that Gabe was the problem. So what he had hit the kid a couple of times? That little brat had deserved it and worse. He was lucky Gabe had always gone so easy on him.
It took him some time, but through sheer anger and determination to get revenge, he found the exact cabin his ex-wife had bought in Montauk. He had gotten a car from one of the few friends still around who owed him a favor, and made his way up to Montauk. He wasn’t sure if either of them were there but it was a place to start, and oh boy, did he get lucky.
By the time he was done, Percy had sported black and blue bruises and a busted nose. The kid hadn’t even tried to fight back, blubbering and mumbling, which infuriated Gabe even more. “I should kill you,” he growled, but that brat had managed to apparently gather enough willpower to stand up from the shattered remains of the glass coffee table and run out the door. Where was he gonna go? Storms had set in. They were stuck here. Which meant he would have to come back in or die from exposure.
Either suited Gabe fine. He could get a few more punches in, he thought. It was the least that boy deserved. So when he heard footsteps on the porch, he knew it was Percy trying to sneak back in. “Get your ass in here and get me a beer before I decide to continue your punishment!” He snapped loudly. He sank back into the couch and grimaced. No TV here. He would have to change that. “I’m not asking, you brat. If you want to stay here tonight, you’re gonna—“
The door slammed open. At first, Gabe squinted and thought the boy had somehow grown much taller in the last hour. It was the jet black hair and green eyes that seemed to glow that tricked him. Then he realized the man’s skin was green and his eyes were actually glowing. “Who the fuck—“
”Gabe Ugliano.” The man’s voice rippled, and it weirdly sounded like the waves crashing onshore. They had gotten so much worse in the last hour. The storm was unpredicted and oddly focused on this section of Montauk, it seemed.
“Who’s asking?” He sneered, yellow-stained and chipped teeth showing. “Where’s that brat? Send someone else to fight me, did he?”
”No.” The man’s eyes glowed brighter. “Our father sent me.”
”Father? The fuck you talking about, boy?”
The man bared his teeth in a snarl. Sharp edges winked at him in the flashes of lightning. His eyes glowed brighter, a sickening green accentuated by the lightning. “Our father, you foolish, insolent mortal. Well, I suppose humans like you would not know better, so let me enlighten that dull brain of yours." He stepped inside, the door shuddering as it slammed shut. "Our father is Lord Poseidon. God of the Seas, Stormbringer, Earthshaker, the Father of Monsters."
”Rattling off a list of stupid names doesn't scare me.” Vaguely, he remembered his ex-wife’s weird obsession with Greek mythology. Wasn’t that name from Greek mythology, Poseidon? Whatever. “That brat better come—“
”’That brat’ is my brother you speak of,” the man snarled. “I would have your tongue for the way you speak of him. Really? You aren't scared? You should be. You will be. Let me teach you something else, Gabe Ugliano." He towered over the man on the couch, leaning down so he was inches from his face. Such closeness let Gabe see his eyes better, and he swallowed thickly. His eyes shone with the promise of death. Literally. Images of ships wrecking, of men being dragged down into the depths of the sea by strange-looking beasts, of strange-looking men and women killing humans. "Our father has destroyed cities for small slights, for casual uses of his name. I have struck down mortals for looking at me disrespectfully." His hand shot out, gripping the man by his throat and lifting. Gabe's feet dangled in the air, futilely kicking at the god. "What do you suppose happens when one of our own, a child of the sea, a Prince of Atlantis, is harmed? Do you think we would not come for you? That we would not exact revenge for every mark left on him, for every disgusting word you threw at him, tenfold?"
Gabe did not respond, too busy choking and scrabbling at the god's hand weakly. “You, Gabe Ugliano, have harmed a child of the sea, and the sea does not forgive." He threw Gabe back into the couch, almost breaking it. The man gasped and gulped for air and let loose gas in fright. Disgusting. He cowered back into the cushions, as though that could protect him from the enraged immortal in front of him. “I am to take you for punishment, but I do not think Father will mind if I take a bit of my own revenge.” Sharp teeth once more gleamed in the light. The death in the god's eyes grew more violent. “An eye for an eye, is what you mortals say, correct? Let us see how true we can make that.”
____
When his father had returned, Triton was not expecting to see him cradling the mortal boy in his arms. Gingerly, even, like he was scared Perseus would disintegrate if he held on too hard. He and his mother stared in confusion as Poseidon swept by them and down the hall, through the royal family’s private quarters, avoiding prying eyes of court members ready to stick their fins in places they shouldn’t.
Triton looked back to his mother, brow furrowed. He had his issues with the boy, he would not deny that (it was hard seeing a reminder of his father’s disloyalty to his mother). And at first, he had just outright despised the boy, partly because he was half-mortal and mortals were weak and fragile and pathetic. And who turned down immortality? But then things had begun to slowly change as rumors of Percy’s quests reached him, and they seemed impossible, but they weren’t. Somehow. His father had confirmed as much when the Romans and Greeks had united and he settled back into his Greek form.
Falling into Tartarus itself… He shuddered. How Perseus had survived that was beyond him, but honestly, it had changed his opinion. It was no small feat. Was he overly excited to have Percy around now? No. But it did not anger him like it used to. He found seeing his half-brother’s face was much more tolerable than it used to be.
He hadn’t expected his father’s sudden disappearance to conclude with him bringing Perseus back. Which was fine, he of course could, he was the king, but it was odd. Seeing the boy curled up, seeing the way his father glared at anyone who came too close, the way he was hiding Perseus with his own body… Something was wrong. He wanted to know what.
Poseidon reappeared in the small meeting room and ordered everyone but his wife and son out. The fish and octopus fled quickly, and the door shut behind the mermaid. Poseidon flicked his gaze to the windows and water solidified over them, which further surprised his family.
“Father, is Perseus alright?”
The look of mild shock that flickered over Poseidon’s face was quickly gone. He hadn’t expected that to be Triton’s first question, but then his shoulders sagged and the god seemed to age ten years. “…Physically, he is fine now. Resting. But you must hear what transpired, because we have work to do. I know you both look down upon him—“ He held up a hand to forestall their defensive protests. “You used to, I will say. I know what he reminds you both of. But if he has ever needed a safe home, a guaranteed safe home, it is now. He needs me more than ever.”
”Husband,” Amphitrite started, frowning. She reached a hand out and took his. Like her son’s, her opinion had changed when she heard more and more about the boy’s heroism and how he truly was different than most ‘great heroes’. “What is wrong with the boy? Triton told me what happened earlier, how you went to him so abruptly. Storms and earthquakes have been ravaging the earth.”
Poseidon studied her for a long moment, eyes grateful for her support. “…You are not to speak of this to him,” he finally said. “Not unless he broaches the subject with either of you first.”
”What subject, Father?”
"Promise me both now. You will give him space to recover."
The mother and son exchanged confused looks but eventually both relented, promising discretion on their end.
Poseidon closed his eyes. “His old stepfather, a mortal by the name of Gabe Ugliano, came to where Percy was staying for a few days, and…” He clenched his jaw. “He abused Percy.” His eyes reopened, glowing faintly. “And I suspect this runs far deeper than he has told me. You both have overseen cases of domestic violence brought to us to judge. There are signs. I have not pried, but the signs are there. I believe Percy was abused during his childhood as well.” Sally, too.
Amphitrite’s sharp gasp startled her son. The normally serene, reserved goddess dropped her husband's hand in shock. "Abused? Husband, are you...?"
”You know as well as I how strong the scent is of a child of either myself or my brothers. Even from a young age, he was at risk to be discovered by monsters and harmed. Sally married a man to cover up Percy’s scent, but it didn’t matter. He… My little boy, he suffered anyway.” The god’s voice wavered. "That mortal likely made his childhood awful anyway."
"How can you be sure?" Triton was all for punishing the mortal, but if Perseus hadn't said anything about his childhood, he didn't know how his father was so certain about this.
"I saw it, Triton. In his eyes. He was afraid I would lay a hand on him. He was covered in injuries. Percy does not run from danger. For him to act so... As I said, I am certain it runs deeper than what he has said, perhaps even to his friends. I do not know yet, but I fully intend to find out so I can repay everything back to that man." He steeled himself again as his emotions stirred up the sea outside and poured them instead into the hurricane descending on San Francisco. “Triton, send guards to apprehend that man, and bring him to our prison. Our coldest, darkest prison.”
”Father, he’s a mortal. He cannot breathe underwater.”
Poseidon’s eyes gleamed strangely. “Now he can. And he can withstand the depths of the sea. Trust me, these gifts will only make his punishment far worse. Send our best guards.”
”No.” His eyes flashed with anger, and his teeth grew sharp, as did his nails. “I will retrieve that man myself. How dare he lay a hand on one of our own.”
Poseidon nodded. “Very well. And Triton, alive is all he has to be. As for his condition, as long as the sea can heal it, he does not need to be in perfect shape.”
Triton grinned, but it was not happy. It was vengeful. He was, after all, the son of the sea, too, and the sea enjoyed bloodshed. “Understood, Father."
____
Nails dug into his fist as he swung.
There were so many ways he could torture this man without lifting a finger, but Triton had discarded those ideas. Violence was part of his nature, and it was incredibly satisfying to feel his hand connect with the man's nose. Crack. Gabe screamed in pain. Triton's lips pulled back into a vicious grin, the scream like pure music to his ears. He swung again, this time stunning the man and sending him sprawling back against the couch. Crimson dripped down his face. It was not enough. He deserved worse.
The god dragged him from the couch and threw him down onto the shattered glass from earlier. Gabe screeched again, lifting his hands in front of his face. "A coward, I see. No surprise there, I suppose, because no real man lays his hands on a defenseless little boy. Especially not one he is supposed to care for."
Gabe tried crawling backwards, blubbering and crying, pleading he wasn't to blame, that that little brat was the problem, that Percy-
"Keep his name out of your filthy mouth," the god snarled and landed a kick to his ribs. Gabe screamed again. "Please, mortal. That was hardly anything. You should be grateful I'm going easy on you. You think this is painful?" He grabbed a fistful of the front of Gabe's shirt and dragged him back up, throwing him across the room. Gabe slid down the wall, out of breath and gasping. "My father is far worse than me. His rage and his vengeance is akin to nothing you've ever seen. You will wish it was only my retribution you are enduring when he is dealing with you."
Gabe cowered in the corner again. He didn't think he'd ever said please before, but that had become his new favorite word. "Please, spare me!" He rasped from crimson-stained lips, a black and blue bruise spreading across his cheek. "I'll say sorry to him-"
"It is far too late for an apology," Triton scoffed, stepping towards him. "It was too late the first time you laid a hand on him. Tell me, how old was he?"
"W-What?" Gabe gaped at him, brain not fully processing.
Triton crouched before him, sea-green eyes as dark as the raging ocean outside. They were almost black by now, still emitting that unearthly green glow. "How old was he, when you first struck him? Ten? Nine? That's an infant in our years."
"I-I don't know! Ten, maybe!"
Black eyes narrowed further, until only a speck of green iris was visible. The god easily caught Gabe's wrist when he tried for a weak punch, gripping so hard the bones shattered in his wrist. "You are lying. I know you are. I can feel when mortals lie. Did you know that? You are seventy percent water, and blood is liquid too. I can feel your heartbeat stuttering, your blood rushing through your veins faster in anxiety. How can you lie to me when your own blood betrays you? So," he gripped Gabe's wrist harder, crunching shattered bones into dust, "answer the fucking question."
Gabe was still screaming, until a smack from Triton brought him back. "How old was my brother when you first hit him?"
"Four! Four, fucking goddamnit, you broke my fucking wrist-"
Ichor turned to ice in his physical form, and he almost dropped the wrist out of surprise. Four. "You pathetic excuse for a mortal!" He grabbed Gabe's throat and stood, dragging him through the broken glass and furniture and kicked the door open, before hurling him onto the beach. Waves the size of houses were crashing onshore, the storm above concentrated on this stretch of land. Triton lent his own fury to the storm, scales appearing on his neck and face as he began to shift. "Not even a baby compared to us. Not even. A child. You harmed a baby!"
Gabe was trying to crawl away, but rain was pelting him so hard, he couldn't see more than a foot in front of him. He sobbed and pleaded and begged for mercy, but there was no mercy left in the god. Any pitiful disgust he'd had for this disgusting man had been washed away by the confession. "You are lucky Father told me your injuries must be healed by the sea, or I would crush your bones into such fine dust, even another god could not find it. All I would do to you if I could." He gritted his teeth, slowly following Gabe, who had barely moved a few inches.
"Please, I just-"
"There is no 'please'." He grabbed onto Gabe's head, sharp, black nails digging so hard into the skin, blood oozed out. "It is time for you to face our father's wrath. I will thoroughly enjoy watching your punishment." He began dragging Gabe to the water, ignoring the ocean spirits watching. They hissed and pointed, some swimming over and flashing sharp teeth before tearing chunks out of his legs or arms. Triton laughed at Gabe's renewed screaming, the cold, cruel sound echoing over the water. "Did I not tell you, mortal? Both the sea and the ocean demand retribution, and we demand it in blood and flesh."
Triton and the water spirits dragged Gabe into the depths of the ocean.