Dick peeled his eyelids back to face the morning light and for a few horrible seconds, an ache in his chest pushed him back into the mattress. Day six it seemed was worse than two through five. He turned his head to see the time on his alarm clock, but a flimsy scrap of paper taped to the snooze button caught his eye. Relief instantly flooded his bones.

A crumpled receipt from the late-night creamery. Two cones, three towering scoops each. Rocky road, cookie monster, and fudge brownie. Perseus had scribbled a barely recognizable fish at the bottom, near the total. Evidence, she had said with a lopsided smile, for the morning.

Dick could hardly remember stumbling in last night, drunk on relief and several days without sleep, and placing it in the first place he would look when he woke, but he was immensely grateful. Standing up to get ready for work, he felt lighter than he had in a long time.

On the walk to the precinct, the receipt in his pocket, though thin and no bigger than a dollar bill, grounded every step his feet took. Writing reports was as long and tedious as usual, but the receipt halfway under the keyboard renewed his attention whenever Dick got stuck on a sentence. When he drove the patrol car through his usual route, the receipt stayed gripped in one hand while the other directed the steering wheel.

By the end of his shift, it was only late afternoon, but Dick had already worn a hole through the crudely drawn fish, and then it was just another piece of paper with nothing to show that he hadn't just ordered two ice creams for himself and made the whole thing up. He would see her in another couple of hours, but Dick couldn't help the little seed of doubt that took root in his stomach, no matter how irrational his brain told him it was.

Walking back from work, Dick pulled out his communicator and told Perseus to meet him on a rooftop in half an hour so he could return her sword. If that was just an excuse to make sure she was still there, alive and real and in one piece, nobody could blame him for using it.

LINEBREAK

"Haven't seen you in a while," Brenda raised her eyebrows, seeing Percy walk into her cafe, "You look...strange."

Percy felt strange. Physically, it was like her body had been hollowed out and a cool breeze had been trapped inside, blowing against her raw nerves. But then she would remember the long minutes spent in Nightwing's hug and the way they had bickered about matching ice cream flavors, and she would warm right back up.

"Not bad for a dead girl, right?"

Percy smirked, then tapped against the board for the day's special.

"You were dead?"

Brenda punched in the order as she asked, lips pulled back in an almost amused smile.

"Missing, presumed," Percy sighed.

The other woman barked out a sharp laugh as she took her card and slotted it into the machine.

"Again?"

Brenda hadn't even been around the demigod community for the worst of her stunts and yet the gossip train traveled far and fast, and everyone wanted to talk about Percy's adventures like the rest of the seven didn't also have as many reckless, near-death experiences.

Percy scowled at her, then turned on her heel to take her usual spot by the window. By the time Brenda finished making the coffee and came to set it down, she was already spacing out, staring out the glass pane at the passerby. The woman placed it in front of Percy, who mumbled out a thanks, and took the seat opposite her.

Last night had been an emotional rollercoaster, and Percy was still left somewhat reeling by so many things Nightwing had said. Namely, how easily he had brushed off her revealing the extent of her powers. He hadn't even seemed shocked. Surprised maybe, but that had faded quickly to make room for the instant concern for her wellbeing. Even now, just thinking about it made some of that hollowness fill up, and she dipped further into her chair, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Isn't that your man?" Brenda commented, looking out the window.

Percy furrowed her brow, following her eyes. Why would Nightwing be—

Her heart dropped.

It wasn't Nightwing. It was Dick, striding down the sidewalk with purpose, clutching something tightly in his hand. All of the weight that had collected in her stomach disappeared, leaving Percy feeling feather-light all over again.

How could she forget about him?

After parting ways outside of city hall to change into her suit, she had almost completely pushed him out of her mind. And maybe she had been a little occupied with the fight and then the unconsciousness, but how could she have not thought of him at all since then?

"You're not going to say hi?" Brenda hummed.

Percy had gotten so caught up with making sure Nightwing knew she was alive that she hadn't even thought to text to check in on Dick. She wondered how he was doing after the fight. He had disappeared around the corner now, but his posture had looked somewhat agitated.

For a moment she considered getting up and going after him, but then Percy folded in on herself with guilt. Dick didn't deserve to be an afterthought. And if he hadn't reached out to her either, maybe it was better this way.

"I shouldn't," she muttered, into her straw.

She took a long sip, trying to wash down the lump in her throat as Brenda looked on, slightly confused, but didn't push. Percy felt her communicator suddenly buzz with a few messages, and she glanced down at it, feeling her mood instantly lift at the prospect of seeing Nightwing, even if just to get her sword back.

LINEBREAK

Dick had gotten used to Perseus being a few minutes late for many of their rendezvous, but this time, she was a little early. The moment she came up over the edge of the building, he felt his churning stomach settle with a sigh.

She was a vision in the afternoon sun, light gleaming off her deeply tanned skin, as she crossed the rooftop with a smile. Dick greeted her with a tight hug that she was already holding her arms out for, before reminding himself to pull back before he made it weird.

It was a little terrifying, just how comfortable he had gotten with her in a few short months. It made sense given his personality and hers, but the realization left Dick a little breathless every time his brain picked up on something they did that he couldn't see himself doing with anyone else.

Dick picked up the sword beside him and handed it over before the silence became charged. The eyes of her mask widened, and he wished he could see the way her eyes lit up, as she took it, running her fingers over the flat of the blade.

"I wanted to say thank you, for what you said to Robin," Dick said softly, "He's had some trouble adjusting after he came to us, but I think you pointing out his progress really helped."

Perseus gazed into the bronze for a moment. Dick remembered how he had done the same, for hours, hoping that he would blink and see Perseus staring back instead.

She looked up, and his wish was granted. Five or six days late, but it didn't matter.

"I see some of myself in him," she admitted, "I get what it's like to struggle with being your own person, after spending so much time doing other people's bidding."

Dick felt his breath catch. What was it that she had said, about the people in her family using their kids to solve their problems?

"When he found us, his previous family had trained him to kill," he said slowly, "Is—was that how you were raised?"

Dick wouldn't see her any differently if she had, that was a fact he could count on, but Perseus gave a wry smile, shaking her head, and it relieved him anyways.

"I was trained to survive, they just took advantage of that."

She looked far away for a moment, twisting the sword to see both colors at once. He watched her swallow, before blinking and reaching up to sheathe the sword against her back.

"What about you, with all your fancy flips and tricks?" she said, changing the subject, "Where'd you grow up?"

Although she was deflecting, he could tell she genuinely wanted to know. The way she gazed over, body language open and inviting and warm despite how he had accidentally just opened up old wounds, made Dick want to spill every last one of his secrets.

"In a circus, actually," he smirked.

Perseus blinked, then laughed.

"That makes so much sense."

He saw the second she could tell that his smile turned slightly sad and immediately sobered up, replacing her grin with a much softer expression.

"I loved it there. It was chaotic, and loud, and the people were wonderfully crazy," Dick placed his hands on the edge of the roof and looked over to the city, "When my parents died and I had to leave, Batman took me in and helped me find their killer, taught me the difference between justice and revenge. If he hadn't, well, eight-year-old me might have grown up to be someone completely different. We haven't always gotten along, but I owe him a lot."

Perseus joined him, standing against his shoulder.

"Remember when I met you on the fourth of July, when that ice dude terrorized the park?"

Dick furrowed his brow, but then remembered that he had already confessed about being the first Robin.

"I mean, I figured out you were Robin when I told you the story," she mused, making his eyes widen, and then kept going, "But anyways, Batman was there that day too, and I remember him being all dark and broody, so I doubt all of you comes from him."

Dick huffed out a laugh.

"But Wing?" He turned his head to face her. "I know heroes, a lot of them. Trust me, I think you were always meant to be one."

"Oh," he replied faintly.

Dick's head swam, not having expected Perseus to slice him open like that, then lean her elbows against the railing and continue talking like she didn't realize just how much what she said affected him.

"...and I've never been to one, but the way you described it, your current family seems like a circus too. By the way, did you tell them that I'm not dead?"

Dick snapped out of it, face paling as he looked over at her. 

"Robin's going to kill me," he said, closing his eyes, "We really should pay them a visit."

"Can you just, I dunno, send a text?" she grimaced.

"Nobody in that family is going to believe it without verifying it for themselves," Dick said, rolling his eyes, like he wasn't the exact same way.

"Bat paranoia, huh?" Perseus snickered, then winced, "Does that mean I have to meet the guy for real?"

Her eyes had gone slightly wide like she was nervous, a strange sight for someone Dick knew threw laughing insults at nearly every person they fought together. She was practically fearless, and despite Bruce's terrifying reputation, he still hadn't expected her to be hesitant to meet the infamous vigilante.

"The Batman is the least of your worries."

They both whirled around at the new voice that had spoken.

Recognizing it instantly, Dick took a step forward, keeping Perseus behind his shoulder as he faced Diana, who floated down, settling her feet on the rooftop. The coiled lasso on her hip gleamed bronze.

"Wonder Woman," Dick said hastily, "This is Perseus, my partner. She's not a threat."

Diana barely spared him a glance, instead boring her eyes over his shoulder. Dick had known Diana for years, and while she was incredibly professional and not quick to trust, she was also incredibly fair. She let people prove themselves, withholding judgment unless the situation called for it. Her behavior towards his partner, the almost glare and firmly crossed arms, was out of character.

"Perseus," she said, lips curling. He was suddenly reminded of the fact that the woman was Greek, the way she spoke the name with an instantly perfect accent that had taken Dick a few times to get right. "Son of Zeus. Out of all the names, this is the one you chose?"

Dick frowned, confused. This wasn't like Diana at all. Did she see it as a kind of personal offense, using her mythological half-brother as a namesake?

"He got a happy ending," Perseus shrugged, with a faint sort of sadness that made Dick shift a little closer to her.

Diana narrowed her eyes.

"He did not jump out of airplanes and fall unconscious three thousand meters under the sea."

Dick really should have been asking why Diana knew so much, why she was so angry, why her voice was so hard when she spoke to Perseus, but instead, he whitened at the reminder.

"That's—too deep!" he cried, turning to face Perseus, "The record for even a baseline physiology is like one-thirty."

"One-thirty-three," Perseus corrected, then seeing his incredulous stare, continued, "I thought about being a free-diver at some point, but my mom said it was cheating."

Diana cleared her throat, loudly.

"How do you know about that anyways," Perseus asked, scowling, and crossing her arms to mirror the other woman's stance, "Are you stalking me?"

"Aquaman found you," Diana seethed, gritting her teeth, "And recognized the symbol on your suit."

"What?" his partner yelped, stepping up without any fear of Diana retaliating, "He's the one that brought me back?"

"What if you had been found by someone else?" Diana nearly shouted.

"Literally who else would be down there?" Perseus muttered, rolling her eyes.

Nothing was making sense. Dick wanted to call a time-out and make them sit down and explain exactly why they were so mad at each other, and why the argument sounded so personal all of a sudden, but instead, he leaned over to his partner.

"Black Manta," he whispered, "Also, why would Aquaman know—"

"If you are going to continue, then you cannot do this alone. You need someone to watch your back—"

"I have someone," Perseus insisted, "Nightwing."

Diana finally flicked her eyes over to Dick, scanning him, but the fury in her gaze didn't die.

"Right," she said, "Don't think I haven't figured out it was her who found you on Anacapa Island. I am disappointed that you did not tell me the truth during debrief—"

"Hey, that's not fair," Perseus snapped instantly, moving forward so that this time she was the one shielding him, "Don't take this out on him, I asked him not to say anything."

Dick placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down before Diana blew up on them both.

"It's okay, she's just doing her job," he tried to say, but Perseus pulled a face.

"She's being a drama queen," she said, rolling her eyes, and Dick gripped her shoulder, pleading with her not to piss off one of the most important members of the Justice League, "Just like her f—"

"That's enough," Diana thundered, eyes flashing, before she took a deep breath and her features softened, "This is unacceptable. Perseus, you are joining the league."

LINEBREAK

The cold wind blew across the rooftop and for a moment, everything was silent. Then—

"What?" Percy and Nightwing yelped at the same time.

Percy gaped at her cousin, anger fading, though she was never all that serious about it. At least, she hadn't been, until Diana had brought Nightwing into it, saying she was disappointed, which Percy thought was incredibly uncalled for. Now though, she just felt conflicted.

"But—" she tried.

"This is not up for debate," Diana said, raising her eyebrows.

She uncrossed her arms, shortening the distance between them and Percy felt Nightwing tense as she came closer. Without looking down, she reached for his hand to assure him that it was fine.

"I can't," Percy pleaded, and felt Nightwing squeeze her fingers.

Her cousin's eyes softened, and even though she held eye contact, Percy knew she hadn't missed the interaction between her and the other hero.

"Do you want to?" Diana asked.

Percy paused.

She did. She hadn't realized it until now, but it was true, she wanted to join the league.

Percy turned her head to see Nightwing, looking at her in concern. His mouth was set in a slight frown, and his eyebrows had pinched in. She wanted to be a part of his world, see him around his friends and family without having to worry about hiding hers. Percy wanted to know every time he went on one of those missions, preferably because she was also on it, so that she didn't have to worry about him not returning from one.

Nightwing stayed silent, letting her think about the question, even though Percy already knew what her answer was. She couldn't quite tell with the mask still on, but he might have even looked a little hopeful.

"Yeah," she said, turning back to her cousin, "I do."

Percy felt Nightwing's hand shift to interlace their fingers.

Diana smiled then, maybe because she saw it and was definitely going to tease her later, but more probably because she was happy with the admission that Percy was finally accepting backup.

"Then I will speak to the council," she said, giving her a short nod.

Bracing her knees ever so slightly, Diana launched off the roof, shooting up into the sky.

"Don't worry," Nightwing said, after she had flown out of eyesight, "I'll convince Batman to back you. I didn't know you knew Wonder Woman, and you're a bad liar, Sef, so don't even try and convince me you don't, but it looks like you've already got her in your pocket. Two out of the big three is basically a majority vote so they'll have to accept you."

A small smile crept onto her face at his words, and Percy didn't know why it had taken her until now to make the decision, but she knew it was long overdue.

"Not that council," she said, making Nightwing pause, "Come on, I need to show you something."

LINEBREAK

Dick had no idea where Perseus was taking him. He recognized each building they passed, but he couldn't decipher any meaning in the route, until finally, she dropped down, and he followed.

His feet landed in an incredibly familiar alley, and he looked up to see Brenda Miller dragging several bags of trash across the concrete. The woman picked her head up, hardly blinking in surprise at the sight of them. Dick was hit with an almost nauseating wave of déjà vu.

"I need to use the bathroom," Perseus said to Brenda, smiling cheekily.

Dick almost tripped in surprise, whipping his head over to his partner because—what?

"Inside, on the left," Brenda shrugged, and continued to toss the bags into the dumpster.

Perseus grinned, and Dick followed her up to the back entrance, and almost settled by the door to wait, but she pulled him inside the building.

The bathroom was located to the side immediately after entering, with a long narrow hallway separating it and the storage room from the main seating area. Perseus pushed on the handle, and Dick leaned against the opposite wall, deciding that the area was secluded enough against civilians.

Perseus stepped inside, then turned to look at him, and rolled her eyes. "Come on," she said, and grabbed his arm to drag him in the rest of the way. The door clicked closed and the automatic lights flickered on.

"Uh, Sef, this is a single stall," Dick said, milling awkwardly by the sink, "Why am I in here with..."

He trailed off as she stepped closer to him, feeling a red-hot flush creep up his neck. Perseus reached out her hand, and his eyes widened as it settled on his shoulder. 

"Wing..." she said, tilting her head slightly, and he nearly stopped breathing, "Can you move a little? You're in the way."

Dick instantly stepped to the side, tamping down the urge to run his hand over his face in complete embarrassment. Perseus furrowed her brows like she found his reaction confusing, but, to his utter relief, shrugged it off and placed her hand on one of the wall tiles.

"What are we—"

Dick cut himself off instantly when Perseus opened her mouth and said something in Greek.

It was the first time he had heard her say anything in the language other than her own name. Ancient, powerful, and utterly natural, the syllables falling from her lips like syrup. It was only one word, but Dick snapped his mouth shut to keep himself from begging her to say something else.

The wall rippled, tiles rolling with a soft wave, until the entire slab was bathed in a shimmery hue. Dick was so entranced by the way it swirled and moved without distorting anything around it that he missed what Perseus said after, but whatever it was, caused the wall to instantly flash green.

"That's a portal," he found himself saying, instinctively, "Where does it go?"

Perseus turned her head and gave him a lopsided smile, nervous and excited and hopeful all at the same time.

"If I'm gonna be joining your world, I want you to see mine."

She offered her hand out to Dick.

Dick had no idea where they were going, no idea what could possibly be on the other side of the doorway, but in the last few months, Perseus had followed him without hesitation. To Anacapa Island, back when their partnership was still fairly new. To the league base, with full confidence that he would hide her. To Blockbuster's plane and then through miles and miles of blue back to their dock. 

Reaching out and grasping her fingers, Dick let Perseus pull him through the portal.

LINEBREAK

The first thing Dick heard was the crashing of waves, then it was the seagulls, cawing at each other in a loud chorus. He opened his eyes, not having even realized they were closed.

They were standing on the large open porch of a wooden cabin, tufts of grass peeking out under the front stairs before the ground instantly melted into sand. He glanced behind, to see the front door shimmer before darkening, like the portal had closed.

Perseus tugged on his hand that she was still holding to get his attention before dropping it.

"Welcome to Montauk."

"It's beautiful," Dick said softly, and he meant it.

There were a pair of surfboards leaning against the outside of the porch railing and a rocking chair near the edge. The deep brown wood of the planks had been worn in, and the waves were just a short dash through the sand away. There were no other houses in sight, along the stretch of beach he could see from here, but he could make out a faint red and white lighthouse in the distance.

"This," she said, smiling, "is where my parents met."

"That's—" Dick swallowed.

He had no idea what kind of magic had been used to make the portal, why it was in Brenda Miller's café, of all places, if the woman even knew it was there, or why it led to a beach house in Long Island, but that little tidbit of information was the one that rendered Dick unable to speak.

"It's also where I was born," she continued, lips curling like she was reminiscing on a fond memory she hadn't been conscious for, "My dad wasn't supposed to fall in love. He had responsibilities, a wife, other children. After my mom gave birth, he tried to convince her to stay with him, but she knew she couldn't. Mom said that after she told him no, she sat on that rocking chair, holding me, and watched him walk right back into the sea."

Dick found himself frowning as she spoke. Perseus's story was tinged with sadness, even though the words themselves were understanding. But when she reached the end, he felt his mouth dry up.

Who was her father?

The obvious answer was an Atlantean, that's the conclusion anyone else hearing the story would have come to. But Dick knew her too well. He knew the way she behaved around water, not just like she was comfortable in it, but as if it was a part of her, an extension of herself.

When she flicked her hand out and created a whirlpool, it didn't look like any Atlantean abilities he had seen. There were no tattoos that lit up or any practiced movements like the ones that Dick had seen with Kaldur. It wasn't magic. It was a birthright.

Her name, her sword, her language, her connection to Diana, the way she always smelled like saltwater when he hugged her, her suit, with its vague vertical, blue-green lines that Dick now recognized for the shape that it was. A trident.

"Poseidon," he said, hardly above a whisper, "You're a demigod."

Perseus smiled so wide that Dick thought he could stand there forever, listening to the waves crash onto the bank of the shore.

"You're half god," he continued, just now realizing the weight of his discovery, "And your dad is the Greek god of the sea."

"And some other things," she said, nodding, "But yep, that's me."

Dick had seen a lot of crazy things in his lifetime, aliens, magic spells, entire leagues of assassins, science beyond comprehension, and he had taken it in stride, no matter how bizarre it all was. But this, Perseus being a demigod, like Diana, like all the heroes in the stories about gods and monsters? This was one of the first things to make sense.

"Come on," she said, smiling, "I'll answer your questions on the beach."

And just like that, Dick realized just how many he had been holding in.

"You sure you've got the time for that?" he smirked but reached down to undo the clasps.

Perseus rolled her eyes at him.  

"Aw," she laughed suddenly, as she kicked off her boots, "I can't believe you stole my lightning. I had a whole speech."

"What?" Dick blinked, looking up, "Did you mean thunder?"

Perseus snickered. "It's an inside joke, remind me to tell you sometime."

He straightened, finally having removed his shoes, and added it to his ever-growing list, before shooting her another smirk.

"Race you to the water," he grinned, taking off and hearing her scramble to follow.

LINEBREAK

The wave rolled in, flooding the area near her feet, and rising to her calves, before slowly receding. Next to her, Nightwing jumped, hopping almost ungracefully, making her laugh.

"It's cold," he said, childishly.

Percy took pity on him and briefly closed her eyes. He settled instantly, looking over, the whites of his mask opened wide.

"Did you warm it up?" he asked.

Percy hummed a yes. "Do you wanna see another trick?"

Nightwing eyed her carefully. "Only if you're feeling better today."

The tips of her ears turned pink, and she nodded, trying to dispel it. She felt for the tug in her gut, and it barely even hurt anymore, no longer empty.

The next wave that wobbled toward them split down the middle, letting Nightwing see the way the bank of sand dipped down, several feet out in the distance. A school of fish swam near the open edge, curiously, and chanted their mental greetings when they saw her. Percy waved at them and Nightwing let out a disbelieving laugh.

The water parted around their legs, leaving a patch of dry sand, and dodged them on its way back into the sea, leaving behind the souvenir that Percy had willed it to bring. She picked it up, drying it off, and held it out.

The sun was setting now, somewhere behind them, casting a delicious orange glow against Nightwing's dark hair. Another wave rolled gently over their feet.

"More evidence," Percy grinned.

Nightwing ran a thumb over the ridges of the scarlet sea scallop shell, cupping it gingerly in his palm.

"You're ridiculous," he said, fondly.

LINEBREAK

They sat on the beach until the moon nested itself high in the sky, a faint little crescent shape peeking out from around the clouds. Some of the seagulls had begun to lay down on the sand, getting comfortable for the night, but a few still circled them from above, chirping quietly.

Perseus had spent some time talking about the gods, about the monsters that hunted their children, and about the mist that separated his world from hers. She hadn't strayed too far into her personal experiences but for now, that was okay. She was sitting here, by his side, with no indication of leaving, and Dick had the time to learn everything else.

He watched the waves come in. Each time, just before the water kissed their legs, it parted, keeping them dry, before falling back into the ocean. Perseus was gazing over at the dark horizon, looking the most at peace Dick had ever seen her. He wondered if she even realized she was doing it, or if the control came as naturally as breathing.

"You know," he said, breaking the short silence to ask something that's been nagging at him, "Diana told us all the gods had faded a long time ago, that Ares had killed them in some kind of conflict."

Dick remembered hearing the story in passing, maybe as a kid, when he had hung around Bruce and the other adult heroes, when the younger proteges were still coming out of the woodworks.

"Yeah, that was a lie," Perseus said.

Dick gave her an exasperated look until she stopped smirking at him to explain.

"Di said that back when the league was still forming, she didn't know much about the members. Sure, it was great that they wanted to form a team and do some good, but she didn't know them as people, you know. She didn't know if she could tell them the truth, share a secret that protected so many kids from the outside world. So she and the council came up with a cover story for her to give the league. Diana got to join the team, the demigods got to keep to themselves, and Ares got a bunch of mortals to believe he was actually capable of winning a fight," Perseus snickered to herself, like she hadn't just told Dick half an hour ago that insulting the gods and using their actual names was the quickest way to get yourself blasted, "It was a win-win situation. Makes sense she never saw a reason to blow the story, I guess."

"Until you," Dick said, dryly, "Looks like your stunt really got to her."

Perseus laughed again, leaning back on her arms.

"Wait," he paused, "So she just went to ask the gods for permission to reveal the secret."

"Yeah."

"And you're telling me all this now."

"Yes?"

Perseus didn't seem to get his point, just stared back with a slightly confused frown at her lips.

"You don't think you should've, you know, waited?"

"Well," she said, shrugging, "When she comes back with permission, we'll be ahead of the game."

Dick shifted in the sand to face her more properly.

"And if they say no?"

Perseus snorted. "I'll fight them."

He couldn't help the next words that tumbled out of his mouth, sounding far more serious than he had meant them to.

"For me?"

"I've fought them for less," she laughed, a bright, clear sound. Then her smile turned impossibly soft, and she looked over. "But yeah, you're worth it."

Something burst in Dick's stomach, traveling up to his heart and into each of his limbs, leaving him buzzing and a little dizzy. It was the second time Perseus had said something that day that left him reeling, not even realizing the weight of her words but meaning them all the same. That's when he knew, meeting her eyes through the mask and feeling that warmth spread and then settle in his chest, exactly what he wanted to say.

"Sef," he whispered, and she gave him a half-confused smile that made his mouth impossibly dry, "I'm—"

Something soft hit the top of his hair. Dick paused, feeling it make its way closer to his scalp.

"Sef," he started again, slowly, "Please tell me that wasn't what I think it was."

An entirely inhumane sound erupted from Perseus's throat, and she keeled over in the sand, gripping it by the handful and howling in laughter. Another wave flowed in, the water rippling like it was vibrating with her mirth.

"Oh my gods," she wheezed, clutching her stomach, "Oh my gods. Bird brain."

Dick scrambled forward to scoop some water from the next wave, but all of a sudden, the waves weren't reaching them anymore and when he looked up Perseus was covering her face with her hands, still shaking.

"Oh, come on," he groaned, "That's not fair, I need to wash it off before it dries, please."

And maybe it was incredibly embarrassing, the seagull pooping into his hair at the exact moment he would've confessed, and Perseus's stupid contact name coming full circle, but with the way she was still rolling over in laughter as he begged her to use her powers and put the water back, Dick found that he didn't mind so much. The time would come again.

LINEBREAK

"Do we have to do this?"

Percy leaned against the side of the phone booth watching Nightwing work his magic on the teleporter panel, typing in their coordinates and overriding the guest protocol.

"I told you, we're a suspicious bunch," he said.

"You weren't that suspicious of me when we first met," she pointed out.

"Yeah, well," Nightwing muttered, almost to himself, tapping buttons on the screen, "You were easy to trust."

Percy flushed, fingers itching to reach out to him, but she kept them still. He finally looked over and grinned, and the feeling got worse.

"You ready?"

"Nope," she replied, falsely cheerful, as a blue light draped over their shoulders, announcing Nightwing's clearance and skipping her entirely.

When the machine put her back together again, Percy's vision returned and she saw a short hallway made of dark rock, the ceiling jagged with crudely cut stone. Instantly she slapped her hands over her eyes.

"Sef," she heard Nightwing say, amused, "Why are you doing that?"

"This is your hideout, right? What if someone's not wearing a mask?"

She felt him huff out a soft laugh from beside her.

"Don't worry, we have protocols for visitors. I initiated whiteout mode an hour ago. Everyone in the cave knows to wear a mask, and none of the entrances work if you're not already wearing one."

"So I can look?" Percy said, hesitantly.

She was not going to ruin Batman's first impression of her by accidentally discovering his secret identity.

"Yes," Nightwing laughed again, "But I appreciate the dedication. Come on."

Percy dropped her hands, and let him tug her through the short hallway, around the bend that kept the teleporter out of sight, and gently nudge her into the main part of the cave.

"Hey guys," he called out, getting the attention of everyone in the large room, and gesturing to her, "Look who I found!"

The cave was utterly silent, and Percy grimaced to herself, looking around at all its inhabitants.

Red Robin was holding his younger brother in a now paused headlock and Robin had gone limp in the grasp staring at her with a look almost akin to horror. Red Hood had been wiping down a motorcycle, but now gripped tight to the rag, helmet still on so she couldn't decipher his expression. The Batman himself was sitting at the large computer, chair swiveled to face her, with Orphan hanging by his side, a hand on the armrest.

"Nightwing," the eldest vigilante rumbled, standing up.

His cape billowed behind as he took a cautious step forward, lips set in a thin line.

Percy gulped. She wasn't scared, but she did want to make a good impression on Nightwing's dad and so far, she wasn't exactly doing a great job.

"She didn't actually die so no pit magic, she's not a clone," her partner began, using his fingers to check off the possible reasons it wasn't actually her, "It's not Clayface, or a Martian, or..." Nightwing paused, turning to her for any others and she whispered the only other one she could think of. He tamped down a smile, then faced his family again. "Or a twin."

Robin was the first to move in the silence that followed. He straightened, forcefully throwing his brother off of him, and stalked forward until he was standing only two feet away, looking up and glaring at her from behind the mask.

"Heard you tried to take my sword," she smirked, "You're still too short for it."

Robin sniffed, fingers twitching at his sides.

"I would never. It must be rightfully handed down."

Percy wanted to hold back the full smile, in case she scared him off, but it broke free anyways.

"Can I hug you?" she asked.

She watched Robin clench his jaw, before nodding. "You may."

Percy leaned down, and gently wrapped her arms around the boy, careful not to squeeze too hard, and felt him return it hesitantly.

"Sorry for scaring you," she murmured, and heard him scoff.

"You did no such thing," he retorted, but when he pulled back his mouth wobbled, just a little before he schooled his face.

"Do you have an actual explanation for this, Nightwing?" Batman said, but Percy could swear that some of the tension in his jaw had faded.

"Short version, she's got powers. Long version..." her partner trailed off, looking over to Percy for her input. She shrugged in response, letting him decide. They would all find out eventually. "We're waiting for Diana to give the green light to tell it."

Batman mulled over these words. From beside him, Orphan tugged on his cape.

"It's her," the girl said softly, and the man sighed, dropping the act.

It was curious, how each of them followed her judgment without question, especially when it came to people, how this wiry little child held more weight than the rest of them. Percy imagined there was a story there, but for now she just gave Orphan a small, grateful smile.

Red Hood whooped, coming up to congratulate her on her return.

"Welcome to the club," he said, probably grinning under the helmet.

"I've been a part of the club," Percy instantly snorted, "My membership renews annually, and I outrank you."

"Well, I've actually died," he retorted, "Quality over quantity and all that."

"I think hard work and consistency matter more," Percy scoffed.

Red Robin snickered, the last to join their gathering. "And I think N's gonna have an aneurysm."

Percy looked over to her partner who she just now realized was looking at her, pained. She gently nudged him with her shoulder, a reminder she wasn't going anywhere.

"Oh, cool."

The newcomer who spoke was a blonde girl, in a purple suit complete with a cape and hood. She slid down the railing of a set of stairs, before hopping off near the bottom and bounding up to them with a small, metal, bat-shaped item in her fingers. Batman reached over and plucked it out of her grip, tucking it back into his belt.

The girl grinned wide. "New sister?"

"No," Nightwing snapped instantly, even as all the siblings around him responded with varying versions of yes. Her partner sighed, "Sef, this is Spoiler. Spoiler, your timing is impeccable, as always."

The girl whirled on her with a slightly manic expression, which Percy returned with an enthusiastic wave.

"You're the Bat Barber?" she exclaimed, looking Percy up and down, "Dammit, I should've gone with something more intimidating."

"You gave me that name?" Percy cried, and heard another sound of surprise from Red Robin, indicating that he, and likely the others, also hadn't known she was the one to start the trend, "They're still posting about it."

"I'll get O to make it stop," Spoiler reassured her, "But that means I have to come up with something else. Welcome back to the land of the living, by the way. It was hard to see N moping around for that long."

Beside her, Nightwing pouted, but didn't deny the claim like Percy thought he would.

"I'd like to speak to Perseus," Batman interrupted, gaze boring holes into her mask, "Alone."

"Stop it, B, I thought we already talked about this. I trust her—"

Percy placed a hand on Nightwing's arm and he fell silent.

"It's okay," she said, stepping up, "I'll be fine."

She didn't know what Batman wanted to discuss, but she wasn't going to back down, not after everything Nightwing had said about his father. Percy turned back as she walked, giving her partner a reassuring smile, before continuing to follow Batman through a small tunnel, and into another smaller, open cavern.

"Doesn't the sound travel?" she couldn't help but ask.

"No."

In their new surroundings, some sort of fully stocked medical room, complete with an operating table and several glass cabinets with bottles upon bottles of medications and other supplies, Batman stood near the wall and simply stared at her.

"Is this about my powers?" Percy asked, fidgeting, "Because I know Nightwing said to wait for Diana, but I don't mind—"

"It is not," he answered.

"Do you think I'm not me?" she tried.

"I believe Nightwing and Orphan's judgment."

What did he want? Percy tried to figure it out from his posture, but he gave away nothing. Batman was a solid mass of unmovable material, standing tall and firm. She understood why the rest of the world was scared of him, with his dark suit and unbreakable poker face, but Percy was just getting antsy.

"Is it about the Joker?" she said, grasping for straws, "Because I wasn't going to—"

"It is not about you," he finally revealed, the whites of his eyes slanting down, "It is about Nightwing."

"I would never hurt him," she declared, feeling a thread of defensiveness rise, but tamped it down because she knew it would do no good here.

"Wounds heal," Batman hummed, "Orphan says you are loyal."

Percy startled, taking a step back. She was, or at the very least, she thought she was, but suddenly, all she could think about was sitting in Brenda's café, watching Dick's retreating back as she chose not to go after him. Did she make the right decision? Or did having to make a decision in the first place negate that quality of hers all together?

"She is rarely wrong, and yet your reaction indicates you do not think so," he continued, blinking almost curiously.

The girl in question dropped down from the ceiling, and although Percy only slightly flinched, she hadn't even noticed her approach. As Orphan stepped toward Percy, Batman tilted his head.

"I said alone, Orphan," he pointed out, but it went ignored.

"You are confused," the girl said, voice scratchy.

"I'm not going to betray him," Percy frowned, and maybe if she said the words enough times it would make them true, "I don't want to."

"You won't," Orphan hummed.

Percy both hated and felt nearly grateful for how prophetic that sounded.

"I cannot trust her like that," Batman frowned, now speaking only to his daughter.

Orphan shook her head. "Trust me."

Percy was no longer a part of the conversation, looking back and forth between the two vigilantes as they stared each other down. She did not doubt that whatever was happening behind the scenes that she couldn't see, for them, it was a full-blown dialogue.

Finally, Batman sighed, just a small minute movement of his breath, but it was the most emotion Percy had seen so far.

"Wounds heal," he began again. "And fighting is inevitable. But," he paused, eyeing her critically, "You will not hurt him, in any way that truly matters."

Percy had no idea if it was a command or a question or a confirmation, but she answered anyways, raising her chin. "I would rather die."

Batman huffed at her. "Do not do that either."

Then, he was gone, a swirling mess of black, back in the direction they had come, leaving Percy stunned and alone under the dim surgical lights. She hadn't even noticed Orphan leave.

Nightwing rushed in a moment later, hands around her shoulders, with a worried expression on his lips.

"Are you okay? What did he say to you? B is so dramatic, I swear—"

Percy laughed disbelievingly, shaking her head.

"I'm gonna be honest, Wing, I have no idea what just happened," she admitted, then smirked, "But I think he likes me."

Nightwing dropped his forehead onto hers in relief.

"Besides," she snickered, after he had stepped back, "It's not like you won't get your turn when you meet—"

Percy stopped.

When you meet my parents, she was going to say. When. Like they were at that stage already. She had told Nightwing a lot over the last day, but she hadn't even told what her real name was, or more importantly, how she felt. It was easy to forget, with the way they acted together, that, despite all the physical affection that came so naturally and the constant urge to just be near him, she still hadn't told Nightwing that she was in—

"Sef?"

Percy blinked her eyes back into focus to see him raising his brows in concern.

"Let's go back," she said, smiling, because even though Orphan was right and she was still just a little confused, Orphan was right, and she had said Percy wouldn't hurt him, "I promised Robin a rematch."

"Or we could finally spar," he grinned, "I can teach you some better takedowns, so you don't have to keep body slamming people to the ground."

"Wait, really?" Percy turned to him, excited, "You'll let me practice on you?"

Nightwing froze in his walk, and when she looked over, there was a small, almost embarrassed smile on his face.

"You know what," he said, clearing his throat, "I think Robin's still got some aggression to work through."

The cave lighting was dim along the hallways, but Percy could have sworn his cheeks were pink.

A.N.

AHHHHH

Dick recognizing Percy as a demigod in the same place Sally recognized Poseidon >>>> going to camp

Okay so I took some liberties with canon here and I will point them out.

1) I made Diana's lasso bronze because, duh, celestial bronze! Properties are the same, but I'd like to think that she would also be able to harm monsters with it.

2) The sally giving birth in Montauk, because I like the idea that she and Poseidon met and parted at the same place. (just pretend sally had a midwife or something if you're worried about the medical aspect)

lemme know what you guys thought <33