"Hello class! This is Percy. He's going to be joining the school and he'll be in our homeroom, so make him feel welcome!"

The class clapped apathetically as Percy walked to his allotted seat as quickly as he could.

Percy was going to kill Steve.

"So, I'm hiding them right. You know, secret ID and all that?" Steve looked at him worriedly, "I know, I know. I'm not ashamed of them, but I do need to maintain a secret ID and as I don't have a mask, covering up the horrific scarring seems to be the way to go." He smiled at the end, taking the bite out of his words.

"Yeah, cover them. After all, you don't want press on you at school now do you."
"Nope." The young soldier popped the 'p'. Then his face took on a look of confusion, "Where am I going to tell them I come from. Do I have a backstory. I mean...I can't exactly say that everyone I love was, "he swallowed thickly, "murdered by monsters in a divine war now can I?" Stark answered this one for him.

"Just say a family tragedy, you're uncle's looking after you now and if they really press tell them to get lost or that you were in a terrorist attack, the details are up to you. Apart from that, just tell the truth about schooling and the like and use your 'lost at sea' story to explain away your dad." Percy nodded slowly.

"Sure. Sure, yeah. I can do this." He smiled.

"Hey, man." It was an orange haired boy who sat at the desk next to him. The boy had lightly tanned skin and a pointed nose, dusted with orange freckles to matched his hair. He had green eyes and his voice was kind and smooth. He was honest. "My name's Matt."

The teenager held out his hand and, for a moment, Percy didn't even know what to do. He hadn't made a normal mortal friend in so long he just froze and stared at his hand; he didn't have any callouses. He had no scars, no marks no nothing on his hands and for a moment that just confused Percy.

The Son of Poseidon sat on his bed in Cabin 3 and stared at his hands. There were hard, swirling patterns on them now. Where the hilt of his sword rested in his palm, where ropes ran over them, where he's held onto rock walls and cliffs for dear life. It had happened gradually, over time, after battles, training and quests, but it had happened. His hands were calloused.

A year or two ago, he would have freaked out. But today? Today he smiled as he saw the hard work and determination which lead to these swirling roughs and saw how he fit in with his new family in just one more way. 

Percy sat up and grabbed his sword on his way out of the cabin as he hear the conch horn signal for dinner.

-----------------

"Hey, hey don't cry," Percy carefully brushed long blond hair from the seven year old's face as he tried to comfort them, kneeling down in the woods to be at eye level, "It's OK, they're not a bad thing." He thought for a minute. "Here, take my hands." The child did so, "Can you feel that? They're rough, just like yours! It's from where we fight and train. These aren't a bad thing, Alex. Everyone who's been here a while has them. They show everyone who knows to look that you're fierce and not to be messed with." The little one cracked a smile at that, "You're fine, Alex. Now come on," He wiped the remaining tears from Alex's eyes, "we're gonna be late to lunch." 

As they ran off the get food, calloused hand in calloused hand, the seven year old forgot all about their tears and the two of them knew, beyond doubt, that they belonged.

Then he snapped out of it. They hadn't said it at first, but part of the reason the team had sent him to school was because he knew how to fight, how to survive, how to get food when there was none left and could survive in the most hostile environment in the universe, but he didn't know how to socialise with mortals. He was totally gonna prove them wrong. He hoped.

So he shook the boy's hand. Ignoring how unnatural and vulnerable it felt.

"Hi. Um...Matt. I'm Percy."

"I still don't see why I have to go!" It was the day before he went to school and Percy was giving one last ditch effort. "What could I possibly learn by now?!" Steve sighed, rubbing his temples.

"It's not just academia, Percy. Look at us, we know you can do the basics you need, though you do need more qualifications but it's not just that." He sighed, might as well spit it out, "You need to learn to talk to normal people your age Percy." Said hero stared at him.

"No."  This time Tony butted in.

"Oh come on, Nemo. We both know that there's only one," Natasha elbowed him, "possibly two socially equipped people on this team. And the one of them who isn't me, resorts to knives to make her points! We need some small talk skills!" Steve glared at him.

"You wouldn't know how to talk to someone for over six minutes without being rude to them in some way."
"Excuse me, Spangles. But I ran a company for years!"
"And you were the front cover of the tabloids constantly for almost all of that for the scandals you pulled off. The only reason you're still here and it wasn't worse is because of Pepper!"
"Excuse me! At least I can talk to a woman without blushing redder than the flag!" 
Percy sighed as the argument deteriorated into a wrestling match and went to pack his school bag.

"Cool to meet ya, Percy. Why are you joining so late in the year?" Percy swallowed.

"Family tragedy." Matt instantly started back-tracking, his smile becoming an awkward, sympathetic grimace.

"Oh God, sorry Mate I-"
"Don't worry," Percy reassured him, "You didn't know and I've got people lookin' after me now, so it's OK." He decided to change the subject, "What are the teachers like here?"

Matt grinned, recognising the change and thankful for the topic.

"Most are pretty decent but some are real hard-asses, especially the maths'. Though there are a couple of exceptions, most are old battleaxes." They grinned. Percy hadn't been around mortals for what felt like millennium, but there were some things he could never forget. Teachers being foremost. 

"Mr Jackson," The steel haired teacher stared at the struggling student coldly, "can you please return to the land of the living and read out the passage, clearly this time, or would you like even more quality time with the headmaster? You will repeat this until you read it right!"

"OK class, have a good day, I expect you all to behave. Now get lost." The teacher grinned as the students filed out.

"So what you got first, mate?" Matt smiled at Percy as if they'd known each other for years.

Percy looked at his timetable, took a moment to decipher it, and groaned.

"Maths. You?" Matt grinned.

"Maths." Apparently Matt was going to be a friend.

Take that Avengers. Percy Jackson could make friends.

As he walked towards maths, hauling his books with a new friend my his side, Percy smiled and he felt as though his family were right there smiling with him.

Percy and Matt (how normal did  that sound) shuffled into the maths room with the rest of the students and slumped down into seats by the wall two rows back. Then they settled down for class.

30 minutes later Percy was remembering why he didn't like high school.

"Mr Jackson. Can you tell me the answer to the question on the board?" Percy looked up and cringed.

"No, Sir. Sorry, Sir." 

"Baring in mind it's your first day, Mr Jackson. Would you like to tell me why you can't answer it, it wouldn't be that you weren't listening would it?" Percy frowned more.

"No, Sir. I was, Sir but," He closed his eyes, expecting an instant detention and laughs from the students, "I'm dyslexic, Sir. I can't read it."

"Yo! Headcase!" Percy felt the cold metal of the locker dent as he was shoved against it, his head impacting brutally, "You're fucking tapping got me sent down the river today. You know what that's gonna cost me! My idiot of a father said I can't get the car I wanted now because I was punished at school again! Because of you! Now, to fix this, you are going to take this slip, tell the teacher it was your mental case problems that caused it not me and you're going to do my detention for me. Got it?!" The gang of bullies laughed for a minute, "Oh, sorry charity case, I forgot you can't even read the slip can you?!" 

"You're a disgusting, retarded waste of space and air you idiot cripple! And don't even think about going and telling the teacher because he already knows and let me tell you, he's just as fucking pissed at you as I am, you retard!" 

Everyone in the hall laughed.

The answer that came surprised him.

"Oh, sorry, son. I wasn't told about that. OK, copy this down while I speak then, it's..." The teacher read out the question. Percy was so shocked that he almost didn't write it down. It was one of the first times in his life that he successfully did maths and actually enjoyed it. It was weird. After that the class went well and the teacher read out what was written on the board.

After class the teacher asked him to wait a minute.

"Meet you in Biology, yeah Percy?"
"Sure thing, Matt." They'd been talking more throughout the lesson and the fledgling friendship was going strong.

He turned to Mr Benson.

"I'm not in trouble am I, 'cause it is my first day and I don't think my new guardians would like that. This place is a fresh start." He grinned ruefully at the teacher. "I didn't have the best rep. at my old school."
"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," The teacher looked worried for a minute, "When you told me that, you looked a nervous. What was your...situation like at your old school?" This caught Percy off-guard.

"Er..." Percy chewed his lip, "I have ADHD and dyslexia," the teacher cringed in sympathy, "Yeah, I know. Aren't genetics a beautiful thing?" He shrugged, "Anyway, the schools didn't really know what to do so. Basically, I was in my sixth school in as many years. But don't worry! My...friends...tutored me so I'm up to date and I know my stuff; my...summer camp helped a lot too." He smiled sadly. "I'll work hard, Sir, it just might take me a bit longer." The hero's usual confidence did not extend to talking to teachers. Gods and Titans? Sure. Teachers? No.

The teacher reached out a hand to him. Percy suppressed a flinch.

"Percy. Did those teachers help you?" Percy's brow furrowed as he shifted his weight from foot to foot.

"Well...Pau-one tried, but...Not really..." he looked down, ashamed.

"Percy, that's not something to be ashamed of. They should've been helping you a lot more and we will here." Mr Benson turned to his computer and started typing, "I'm sending an email to all your teachers now so that they know and we will help you. It'll be OK, Percy."
Percy looked up, he couldn't believe what was happening.

"Wow...thanks, Sir." The teacher smiled at him.

"Of course, Mr Jackson. Now get to your next class, your teacher knows why you're late." Percy nodded his head hurriedly and walked to the door, but Mr Benson called out to him just as he was passing through it.
"Oh, and Percy?" The boy in question turned back to him, his eyes questioning, "If anyone bullies you like that again, tell us, OK?" He didn't even have to ask: the boy's face just confirmed his suspicions.

"Yes, Sir." And with that the Olympian God left his maths classroom, feeling better about school than he had in years. "To biology, I guess."

A/n:

Twice as many words as i usually do! Achievement! :D How you all enjoyed it. :D Now I have to go to sleep, I have school tomorrow. :(

-Sam